The Malaysian Bar has called on the judiciary to reconsider its directive on e-filing of civil cases during the government’s 14-day movement control order period.

Its president Salim Bashir (photo) said this was because members of the Bar are facing great difficulty in complying with deadlines in the e-filing of cause papers and other documents in court, as a result of the order.

He said such e-filing work would necessarily require contravention of the movement control order.

"The Malaysian Bar is concerned about reports received from law firms regarding the problems they face relating to e-filing, which according to the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court, shall proceed as normal, as stated in their directive to the courts and the Bar Council, on March 17.

"Hence, the Bar urgently calls on the judiciary to reconsider matters on e-filing as contained in the directive, and requests the judiciary to exercise discretion fairly and mercifully in the entertaining abridgement of time applications after March 31, by taking into account the calamity facing a large number of lawyers who are unable to do e-filing of documents, notices and other ancillary applications within the required time under the law," he said in a statement today.

Salim said the Malaysian Bar has been made to understand that, due to the order, many lawyers are unable to access their physical offices, to retrieve files, documents and using facilities to do e-filing as directed; while some are not able to engage with clients to obtain instructions.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on March 16 announced that Malaysia would be imposing a nationwide movement control order from March 18 to 31 to curb the spread of Covid-19. — Bernama