The veteran lawyer, who is DAP chairman, took the opportunity during the debate on the Industrial Relations Act (Amendment) Bill 2007 to make the allegations, offering evidence.

He said Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim had said he would investigate if there was any evidence.

"I have the evidence right here and I can prove it in Parliament," he said.

Karpal said as such, the ball is in the court of Ahmad Fairuz to resolve the matter by looking into his allegation.

He said the Federal judge in question had not written judgment in 35 cases, including four in which the convicted are languishing in jail despite being sentenced to death seven years ago.

"Does he (Hashim) have the characteristics of a good judge?" he asked.

As Karpal sought to continue his debate by calling for "bad judges" to be fired, Deputy Speaker Lim Si Cheng cut him off, saying that what he was saying had nothing to do with the Bill.

Later, in a press conference in Parliament house lobby, Karpal said Ahmad Fairuz must explain the delay in appointing the new Chief Judge of Malaya.

He also questioned why only one name was given to the Rulers Conference for consideration.

Karpal also called for a Royal Commission to be set up to look into how judges are promoted.

"The CJ promised that the post of the Chief Judge of Malaya would be filled by the end of this month. We are more than nearing the end of the month."

The previous Chief Judge, Tan Sri Siti Normah Yaakob, retired on Jan 5.

On Aug 21, Ahmad Fairuz had disputed allegations that he had erred in promoting judicial officers who had not written judgments.

He had also asked for proof that he had elevated undeserving judges.

Hashim was High Court judge between June 16, 1995, and Aug 8, 2002, after which he was appointed Court of Appeal judge. He was elevated on July 28 to the Federal Court.

In an immediate response later, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the rulers did not object to the list of potential candidates for the post of Chief Judge of Malaya in their recent conference as claimed by some parties, reports Malaysia's national news agency Bernama.

"They (the Conference of Rulers) did not object but they did raise some points," he said.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would be making an announcement on the appointment soon, he told reporters after the official opening of the new RM270 million court complex by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin in Jalan Duta.

Nazri said Abdullah met Tuanku Mizan last Wednesday (Aug 22) to discuss the list of potential candidates to fill the post.

On another issue, Nazri said the writing of judgments was not the only criterion to promote judges. There were other criteria like patience and hard work which were considered before a person got his promotion, he said.