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A Mention on Behalf (MOB) is a practice where a duly authorised counsel appears in court on behalf of the counsel of record, typically for procedural or administrative hearings such as case management, pre-trial case management, or mentions to fix a hearing date. It is formally recognised under Practice Direction No. 6 of 1989 and has been affirmed by the courts as a legitimate professional practice.

Yes. MOB is expressly permitted under Practice Direction No. 6 of 1989, introduced to minimise unnecessary attendance by counsel and clients on mention dates. It has been affirmed by case law, including Hong Siew KM v Lim Tong Chan [2000] 4 CLJ 501, as a legitimate means of managing a lawyer's demanding schedule while ensuring justice remains efficient. LigalisConnect only facilitates permissible MOB appearances — trials, submissions, and substantive hearings are not listed on this platform.

MOB is appropriate for procedural and administrative mentions only. Permissible appearances include:

• Case management hearings
• Pre-trial case management
• Mentions to fix a hearing date
• Mentions for consent orders (agreed terms)
• Mentions to inform the Court of non-compliance
• Mentions to vacate or adjourn a date
• Syariah court mentions (Sijil Peguam Syarie required)
• Subordinate court mentions

MOB is not appropriate for trials, submissions, arguments, sentencing, plea-taking, appeals, or ex parte applications.

Yes — without exception. The courts have consistently held that a MOB counsel must be "briefed and ready to fulfil counsel's duty to the Court as well as to the litigant just as ably as requesting counsel" (Lee Oui Long v Lim Chu Ahiat & Anor [1993] MLJU 571). Saying you are "only MOB" is not a valid excuse before the Court (Skyline View Sdn Bhd v Koperasi Kemajuan Pekerja-Pekerja Ladang Bhd [1997] MLJU 32), and lack of knowledge of the matter is equally not an excuse (Joseph bin Onod & Anor v Public Prosecutor [2025] MLJU 104).

No. As confirmed in Rajadevan a/l Vamadevan v Mohd Nizam bin Saidon & Anor [2025] MLJU 501, the solicitors on record remain the true solicitors throughout the MOB arrangement. LigalisConnect does not create a solicitor-client relationship between the MOB counsel and the end client. This is clearly stated in our Terms of Use.

LigalisConnect is open to all practising advocates and solicitors in Malaysia. Upon registration, your identity is verified by our team before your account is activated. Only lawyers with a current and active practising status may use the platform. You will need to provide your full name, date of admission, firm name, email, and phone number during registration.

Yes. Every registered lawyer on LigalisConnect has a single account with both capabilities. You can post a MOB job when you need coverage, and apply for MOB jobs posted by other lawyers when you are available. There are no separate roles — the platform is unified, and the same profile is used for both activities.

All public-facing listings use a dummy code (e.g. RZN-482) instead of real names or firm names. Your full identity — name, firm, and contact details — is only disclosed to the counterparty after a job has been confirmed and payment has been placed in escrow. This protects both parties before any commitment is made.

Before applying for any MOB listing, you should satisfy yourself on the following:

• What are the facts of the case?
• What is the current stage of proceedings?
• What are the latest and previous directions given by the Court?
• Have those directions been complied with? If not, why?
• Is there evidence of non-compliance?
• What directions are intended to be sought at the upcoming hearing?
• If dates need to be fixed, do you have a spread of available dates ready?

Once confirmed, the publishing lawyer will upload cause papers and briefing documents to you through the platform.

Yes. Documents are shared through LigalisConnect's encrypted file transfer system. Cause papers are only accessible to the confirmed MOB counsel — they are not visible to other applicants or the public. Document access is timestamped for accountability. The platform is NDA-bound and confidentiality is a core obligation for all registered users.

When a publisher confirms a MOB counsel, payment of the agreed fee is placed into escrow within the platform. The fee is held securely and released to the MOB counsel only after the appearance has been completed and the publishing lawyer confirms completion. This protects both parties — the counsel is assured of payment, and the publisher retains control until the job is done.

If the MOB counsel fails to attend, the escrow is refunded in full to the publishing lawyer and the counsel's account is suspended pending review. If there is a dispute about the quality of attendance or the court instruction report, either party may raise a dispute through the platform. Our team will review the outcome report, cause papers, and any relevant information before issuing a decision. The escrow remains frozen until the dispute is resolved.

Yes, but cancellation terms apply. If you cancel before confirming a counsel, there is no penalty. If you cancel after confirmation, the platform fee is forfeited and the MOB counsel receives a cancellation fee. If the MOB counsel withdraws before the hearing, you receive a full refund and the counsel's rating is flagged.