The two lawyers who represented Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, M. Ravi and Violet Netto, in a last ditch attempt to halt his then-impending execution, were ordered to pay $20,000 in costs to the AGC.
M Ravi was ordered by the Court of Appeal to pay 75% of the costs, while Netto was ordered to pay 25%, after she took over as Nagaenthran’s lawyer.
The AGC had sought $40,000 against Ravi and Netto for trying to delay Nagaenthran’s execution through the filing of unmeritorious applications, resulting in unnecessary costs.
The five-judge Court of Appeal which was led by Sundaresh Menon, the Chief Justice, said on Wednesday that it would be apparent to any reasonable defence counsel that the case brought forward by the two lawyers lacked basis factually.
They rejected Ravi’s argument that he and Netto are no longer practising lawyers, therefore they cannot be made to pay personal costs.
A total of 7 applications to challenge Nagaenthran’s death sentence was filed over the years after he was convicted of trafficking 42.72g of heroin in 2010 and sentenced to death.
Under the law, the court has the power to order personal costs against lawyers who act improperly and negligently and causing the incurrence of unnecessary costs.