The Kuala Lumpur High Court has set Dec 20 for the hearing of former lawyer VK Lingam’s appeal against the decision of the Advocates and Solicitors’ Disciplinary Board to bar him from practising law.

Justice Kamaludin Md Said set the date in chambers when the case was brought before him for mention today, said counsel Razlan Hadri Zulkifli when met by reporters after representing the Bar Council, which is the respondent in the appeal.

Lingam was represented by counsel R Thayalan.

The ex-lawyer filed the appeal through an originating motion to the High Court Registrar’s office here on Dec 15, 2015, through Messrs V K Lashmi & Co.

He is seeking to set aside the disciplinary board’s decision on Nov 6, 2015, in affirming the disciplinary committee‘s decision that he had conspired with various parties to intervene or influence the appointment of judges.

Lingam is also seeking to strike out the decision of the disciplinary committee in a report dated Feb 20, 2014, to find him guilty of disturbing or influencing the appointment of Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim as Chief Judge of Malaya and his confirmation as Court of Appeal judge at the time.

Lingam is further seeking to set aside the decision of the committee to suspend him from law practice for a period of one year and to impose an RM20,000 fine on him.

On May 20, 2008, a five-member royal commission of inquiry (RCI) panel submitted a number of recommendations after deciding as authentic, the video recording in which Lingam was alleged to have discussed the appointment of judges and former chief justice Mohd Eusoff Chin with Ahmad Fairuz.

--Bernama