Before delivering a decision on the case of S Deepa versus N Viran @ Izwan Abdullah, the Federal Court has ordered the children be produced in court so that the judges can meet them in person.

Court of Appeal president Justice Md Raus Sharif, who led the panel, asked lawyer Hanif Khatri Abdulla for Izwan whether the children are present, to which Hanif replied in the affirmative.

"We want to see the children first before delivering the decision without the presence of the counsel and parents. If need be, we will call them," said the judge.

Then Justice Raus adjourned the proceeding to allow the panel of judges to meet the two children.

The order to meet the children has caught the lawyers from both sides by surprise.

Joanne Leong for Deepa ( photo ) said this happened once in the High Court where Justice Zabariah Yusof interviewed the children, but not in the Court of Appeal or the Federal Court.

"However, this is not the first time, as in another custody case the judge called the children first. It is rare but not the first time," she said during the adjournment.

The other judges in the panel today are Chief Judge of Malaya Justice Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin, Justice Abdull Hamid Embong, Justice Suriyadi Halim Omar and Justice Azahar Mohamed.

At the last session during the hearing of Izwan's appeal, the apex court ordered both parents to produce the two children .

The daughter is with the mother while the son was snatched by Izwan two days after the Seremban High Court granted custody to the mother.

Izwan has a separate Syariah Court order granting custody to him.