NEWLY appointed President of the Court of Appeal, Datuk Abu Bakar Jais, brings with him a wide-ranging legal background spanning both public service and private practice, as well as involvement in several landmark judicial decisions.
Abu Bakar previously served as Federal Counsel in the Civil Division of the Attorney General’s Chambers between 1992 and 1995, before becoming Senior Federal Counsel, a position he held until 2000.
He later transitioned to private practice, where he was litigation partner at leading firms Zaid Ibrahim & Co. (2001–2003) and Hisham, Sobri & Kadir (2004–2013), gaining extensive experience in commercial and constitutional law.
Abu Bakar was also part of the Federal Court panel in 2023 that presided over former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s failed bid to review his conviction and 12-year prison sentence related to the misappropriation of RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd.
In addition, he sat on the panel in the high-profile case involving SIS Forum (Malaysia), which dealt with matters of constitutional rights and religious interpretation.
His elevation to the Court of Appeal’s top post is seen as part of a wider reshuffle at the judiciary’s upper echelon following recent leadership transitions. - July 18, 2025
