High-profile lawyer Julian Hall is eagerly awaiting permission to begin practising at the Bermuda Bar for the first time in nine years.

He applied to the Bar Council for certification on January 16, after lawmakers abolished a ban on bankrupt barristers in December. The former politician and $119,000-per-year Government consultant believes the old law was part of a long-term political vendetta against him. He told The Royal Gazette: "I've written to the Bar Association and not heard back yet.

"The bill was a perfectly clear bill which requires the Bar Council to issue a practising certificate to me despite me being an undischarged bankrupt... I have asked for it and should have had it by now. I don't know why I've not had it."

Mr. Hall claims Bermuda is the only country in the world to have imposed an automatic and blanket ban on bankrupt lawyers being permitted to appear professionally in the courts.

As the Island's only bankrupt barrister, he has previously spoken of his belief that it was passed in 1984 by the United Bermuda Party in order to punish him for opposing it in Government and joining the Progressive Labour Party. Mr. Hall has been declared bankrupt twice in his career most recently nine years ago. He is in the midst of a Supreme Court fight to get the current bankruptcy order lifted which is being contested by the Official Receiver and some of his creditors.

He currently owes more than $3 million including interest to parties including elderly widow Betty McMahon, a former client he owes around $1.7 million, the estate of former employer Charles Vaucrosson, the Government and the Bank of Bermuda.

During a hearing in the bankruptcy matter last year, he told the court that the ban on him practising meant he was stuck in a vicious circle, unable to work as a barrister to pay off his debts.

Although he's been able to engage in consultant work, Mr, Hall claims he's lost "masses of money" since being disbarred.

He said of his hope to practise again: "It would certainly mean, based on the volume of the calls I've been getting, the e-mails and letters requesting my services as an advocate, it would increase my appearances before the courts on behalf of clients.

"Having said that, I'm engaged as a consultant to the Minister of Works and Engineering which is a much more demanding job than people might think, and I'm certainly committed to doing the best I can. I doubt I would be in full-time practise at the Bar initially, I now have the right to appear before the courts and it's the right to appear before the courts that I've been fighting for."

The Bermuda Bar Association did not respond to an invitation to comment.