JUDGMENT

Amarjeet Singh Serjit Singh J:

Introduction

[1] This is an application for committal by the respondents against the applicant, Manoharan a/l Kandasamy, a senior advocate and solicitor, predicated on the latter's failure to comply with an order of the Federal Court to make payment of RM5,020,907.60 to the respondents within 2 weeks of the said order of the Federal Court . The amount represented the sum that the applicant had unlawfully garnished and ordered returned to the respondents.

[2] On 14 July 2025, I allowed the committal proceedings holding the contempt of Court alleged had been proven beyond a reasonable doubt, and after hearing counsel for the applicant sentenced the applicant to 6 months' imprisonment.

[3] This judgment contains the reasons for my decision.

Background Facts

[4] The facts leading to these contempt proceedings are as follows. The applicant was retained by the 1st and 2nd respondents to represent them in various legal matters. He was discharged in March 2011. There were disagreements between the parties regarding the balance of legal fees payable. In a letter dated 2 April 2012, the respondents required the invoices to be taxed under the Legal Profession Act 1976. The applicant commenced the instant originating summons to claim his legal fees. On 19 June 2016, he was granted leave to tax his bills by this Court ("High Court Order"). The applicant proceeded to tax his bills pursuant to the High Court Order, which was allowed by the Registrar.

[5] Meanwhile, the respondents appealed against the High Court Order to the Court of Appeal. On 30 May 2018, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal. Leave to appeal to the Federal Court against the decision of the Court of Appeal was allowed. While the substantive appeal was pending in the Federal Court , the applicant proceeded to execute the taxation certificates obtained upon the taxation of the bills. The applicant obtained a garnishee order absolute on 15 May 2019 for the sum of RM5,020,907.60 ("the Garnished Sum") and then received the whole amount paid directly to him by the garnishee bank.

[6] On 3 March 2020, the Federal Court allowed the respondents' appeal and set aside the High Court Order ("Federal Court Order"). The Federal Court also ordered that the applicant pay the sum of RM5,020,907.60 (which is the Garnished Sum) within 14 days of the Federal Court Order. The Federal Court Order in its original text is reproduced below:

PERINTAH

RAYUAN INI yang ditetapkan untuk pendengaran pada hari ini dalam kehadiran Malik Imtiaz Sarwar (Sonia Deva Doss dan Khoo Suk Chyi bersamanya), peguam bagi pihak Perayu-Perayu dan Gopal Sri Ram (Harpal Singh Grewal, Marcus, Archana Nair a/p Velaitha dan Pang Wilson bersamanya) peguam bagi pihak Responden DAN SETELAH MEMBACA Rekod-Rekod Rayuan yang kesemuanya difailkan di sini, DAN SETELAH MENDENGAR hujahan peguam-peguam yang tersebut di atas MAKA ADALAH DENGAN INI DIPERINTAHKAN BAHAWA:

1) Rayuan Perayu-Perayu dibenarkan dan keputusan Mahkamah bawahan diketepikan;

2) Kos sebanyak RM50,000.00 kepada Perayu tertakluk kepada yuran alokatur;

3) Mahkamah tidak perlu menjawab soalan-soalan rayuan kecuali soalan 3 iaitu persetujuan kedua-dua pihak adalah perlu di bawah s 126(3) Akta Profesion Undang-Undang 1976; dan

4) Perintah Lanjutan agar jumlah bayaran sebanyak RM5,020,907.60 dibayar kepada Perayu dalam tempoh 14 hari dari tarikh Perintah ini.

DIBERI di bawah tandatangan saya dan Meterai Mahkamah pada 3 Mac 2020.

[7] The Federal Court Order contained a penal endorsement in the following words: Jika kamu MANOHARAN A/L KANDASAMY (NO.K/P: 451030-1005341) (Yang beramal di bawah nama dan gaya Tetuan K Mano & Associates) yang dinamakan dalam ini, abai mematuhi perintah ini mengikut masa yang dihadkan di dalamnya itu, kamu boleh dikenakan proses pelaksanaan bagi maksud memaksa kamu mematuhinya.

[8] The applicant failed to comply with the Federal Court Order. As a result, the respondents commenced commi