The majority of the lawyers in Kuala Lumpur had been in favour of the fast track system for civil matters. It was abandoned earlier this month, about 10 months after it was implemented.

Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee (KLBC) chairperson Ragunath Kesavan said lawyers had given positive feedback on the system because it managed to resolve problems on uniformity of procedure and case management in the civil courts.

The system was implemented as part of a reorganisation exercise to ensure "uniformity, expeditious and efficient disposal of cases with optimum use of judicial time", according to then Chief Justice Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah.

The KLBC, which has over 5,500 advocates and solicitors practising in 1,600 law firms located in Kuala Lumpur, had conducted an extensive survey and sought feedback from lawyers, who generally indicated support for the project.

The feedback was that issues relating to postponement of cases had decreased and matters - especially interlocutory applications - had been dealt with expeditiously ever since the system was implemented last September.

"Our reports indicated that members are generally in favour of the fast track system as it has, to a large extent, resolved long standing problems of uniformity of procedure and case management in the civil division," Ragunath said.

'Consider consumers'

He said it was unfortunate that Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim had scrapped the system before he could receive the report, which had been completed in February.

The judiciary announced that the system had to be abolished because it had not lived up to the expectations of the judiciary in terms of disposal of cases.

Ragunath expressed his regret that such an important exercise as the reorganisation of the civil courts and its abolition were carried out without consultation with the Bar.

"The Bar is an important and integral stakeholder in the justice system and therefore our input is a necessity and a vital aspect of any reform of the justice system," he said.

He said the court must consider the fact that the main consumers of the justice system - the litigants and members of the public - largely communicate through the Bar.

For this reason, he added, it was essential for the judiciary to involve the Bar in all future undertakings or projects.

Earlier, the Bar Council had also expressed its unhappiness over the scrapping of the fast track system, stating that the judiciary should have had a more comprehensive discussion with it before making any decision.