Zulkefli, who will turn 70 on March 28, was CoA president, the second highest administrative office in the judiciary, from April 2017 until June 2018.
He was also the Chief Judge of Malaya from September 2011 to 2017.
It was yet another significant moment as Zulkefli was admitted and enrolled to the court before High Court judge Mariana Yahya, who was once his subordinate.
Previous judges who have gone into private practice after retiring had earlier been called to the Bar as practising lawyers before being elevated, making Zulkefli’s a rare occasion.
Zulkefli is best remembered for leading a five-member Federal Court bench in January 2018 for allowing an appeal by M Indira Gandhi that the consent of both parents is needed in the conversion of underage children when one of them converts to Islam.
Lawyer Mohd Hafarizam Harun moved Zulkefli’s call which was conducted virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic and standard operating procedures adopted by the court.
Zulkefli, a father of five, was a pupil of Wan Azmir Wan Majid for only three months as he was given an exemption by the Malaysian Bar from the usual nine months.
Zulkefli, who was born in Ipoh, attended St Michael’s Institution and the Royal Military College in Kuala Lumpur. At age 21, he proceeded to study law at Universiti Malaya, graduating in 1976 from the pioneer batch of the law faculty.
He began his career as a deputy public prosecutor, then, among others, a Federal Counsel at the Inland Revenue Board, Selangor state legal advisor and chairman of the advisory board in the Prime Minister’s Department.
He was appointed judicial commissioner in November 1994 and later High Court judge in January 1996. He was promoted as Court of Appeal judge in June 2005.
Hafarizam said Zulkelfi was known to write judgments in lucid and concise language.
“During his tenure as a judge, he was known for his composed temperament on the bench. He has acquitted himself excellently, managing to reduce the number of cases and appeals pending whilst ensuring that the quality of justice was not compromised,” Hafarizam said.
He said while holding two administrative posts, Zulkefli continued the considerable efforts undertaken towards enhancing the efficiency of the Malaysian judiciary.
Senior Federal Counsel Shamsul Bolhassan who represented the attorney-general, said Zulkefli had a distinguished career as a government lawyer for about 25 years, and was a fit and proper person to be admitted.