Senior lawyer Karpal Singh today called on the Bar Council chairperson Mah Weng Kwai to resign over the legal body's alleged failure to support a motion by a lawyer to cite a High Court judge for contempt.

Karpal said that Mah, who represents the views of the council, had taken a stand which was contradictory to the council's earlier decision.

"You have brought the Bar Council into disrepute as a result of your conduct. In the public interest and in the interests of the legal profession in the country, you should resign," said Karpal in a open letter to Mah.

The letter dated today was made available to the media.

The issue in question is the council's stand on a contempt proceeding filed by senior lawyer Christopher Fernando against High Court judge S Augustine Paul ( left ) over certain remarks made by the judge in the course of jailed deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim's corruption trial.

The judge is alleged to have uttered the contemptuous statement in April 1999 in the absence of Fernando, one of Anwar's leading lawyers.

When Fernando had filed the contempt application in the same year, the Bar Council, then headed by RR Chelvarajah, had openly supported Fernando's application. Mah was vice-chairperson of the council then.

Neutral stand

The matter came up for hearing last Friday and at this stage, Mah said that the council, which represents 10,000 lawyers, neither supports nor objects the application.

Mah had informed the court that the council was present in the hearing merely to hold a watching brief, prompting Karpal, acting as Fernando's counsel, to ask Mah to explain the council's stand.

"To this, you explained [in the court] that the council's support for Fernando's motion still stood, but as a watching brief counsel you had to appear neutral in the proceeding," said Karpal.

"This explanation has made the council a laughing stock as it reflects insincerity and lacks candidness."

Karpal also urged Mah to call for a meeting of the council to discuss the issue and publicly state whether the council still supports Fernando's motion to commit the judge for contempt of court.