The chairman of the independent commission into the ear squat scandal, Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah, was most definitely wrong in failing to give the Bar Council chairman leave to submit at the close of the inquiry.

The chairman failed to realise the fact that he is not sitting in the Federal Court whereby he is hearing an appeal where only relevant parties to the case can submit to him and the panel of judges. He is sitting there in the capacity as chairman of an independent commission of inquiry.

As the name of the commission suggests, it is a commission of inquiry. He must bear in mind that for that is his job - to inquire into what happened in the ear-squat incident. The Bar Council is not just any common witness. It is a watchdog body that has a duty to look into the administration of law and justice in the country. I am quite sure the Bar Council would have had certain constructive issues to raise with the commission with regards to what needed looking into.

Even if Dzaiddin disallowed the Bar Council from submitting on the matter, there must be good and cogent reasons to do so. To dismiss its application merely on the grounds that they are an observer and not a party to the proceedings is hardly a reason, especially when the commission's job is to inquire and recommend.