UK's Queen's Counsel seeks to represent Najib in final appeal against SRC conviction

UK's Queen's Counsel seeks to represent Najib in final appeal against SRC conviction, claims has 'special expertise' not available locally

A United Kingdom-based lawyer has filed to represent Datuk Seri Najib Razak (centre) in his final appeal against the SRC conviction. — Picture by Devan Manuel

KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 — United Kingdom-based lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw has applied to the High Court in Kuala Lumpur to be admitted as a lawyer in Malaysia, in order to be able to represent former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the latter’s final appeal at the Federal Court against his conviction, jail sentence and RM210 million fine in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case.

When contacted, Najib’s lawyer Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed confirmed that the application to bring in the Queen’s Counsel (QC) from the UK was filed today in the courts, which was also the deadline to file it.

"Deadline is actually 31st May and yes we have filed it,” he confirmed to Malay Mail.

In the application filed by Laidlaw and sighted by Malay Mail, he sought to be admitted and enrolled to practise in the High Court in Malaya or Peninsular Malaysia to appear as Najib’s lead counsel in the SRC appeals at the Federal Court "and all other causes or matters related hereto”.

One of the reasons for Laidlaw’s application was stated as being that Najib’s SRC appeal at the Federal Court "will involve serious, complex and/or novel issues related to several branches of criminal and civil laws, practice and evidence, the constitutional rights of the appellant, the conduct of proceedings by the prosecution, the adjudication of criminal cases by a trial court and the administration of a Criminal Justice system”.

Another reason stated in Laidlaw’s application was that Najib wishes to engage his professional services to act as his lead counsel in the SRC appeal, and that the law firm and lawyer representing Najib ---- Messrs Shafee & Co and Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah ---- had given these instructions to Laidlaw.

The same application also stated that another reason as being that Laidlaw "possess special qualifications, experience and expertise which is not available” among lawyers in Malaysia, for the purposes of Najib’s SRC appeal at the Federal Court.

The Federal Court had on April 29 notified both Najib’s lawyers and the prosecution that it will be hearing his SRC appeal over 10 days from August 15 to August 19, and from August 22 to August 26.