Newly-appointed Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim should be given a chance to prove himself before his performance in implementing judicial reforms is rated, several lawyers said.

Senior lawyer and former Bar Council chairperson Zainur Zakaria said co-operation between the Bar and the Bench was crucial for any judicial reform to succeed.

"What's important is that he is willing to listen to the Bar's views, as has been the case even in the past. Let him carry o­n first and see what happens later," he said when asked to comment o­n the 62-year-old judge's appointment

announced yesterday by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra.