The Bar Council’s request for a nine or 11-member bench of retired Federal Court judges to preside over their challenge against the re-appointments of Chief Justice Md Raus Sharif and Court of Appeal president Justice Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin has been dismissed.

The Bar Council had wanted the Chief Judge of Malaya (CJM) Ahmad Maarop to exercise his discretionary powers under Article 122(1A) of the Federal Constitution to appoint the retired judges.

The Federal Court today found that while the CJM does have the discretionary powers to appoint the panel of judges, the court does not have the power to dictate how that discretion is exercised...