Commonwealth first for Siti Norma

PUTRAJAYA: Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Siti Norma Yaakob is the first Malaysian to be elected as president of the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association (CMJA). 

Siti Norma was voted to helm this international association at its conference recently held in Toronto, Canada. The association was first registered in Britain in 1970 as the Commonwealth Magistrates Association. 

Siti Norma: Will hold theCMJA president’s post until2009

Siti Norma became a council member of the association in 1982 when she was a chief registrar. Three years later, she was elected Indian Ocean regional vice-president and had held the post since then until her recent elevation on Sept 15. 

The Chief Judge of Malaya will hold the presidential post until the association's next elections in 2009.  

It is learnt that the association has nominated Malaysia to host the next conference. If convened here, it would be the first to be held in an Asian country. 

CMJA brings together judicial officers from over 68 jurisdictions in the Commonwealth. A total of 500 delegates attended the five-day conference in Toronto, which began on Sept 10. 

Siti Norma’s role as president will be to oversee the association’s activities, among which is to impress upon members that training and “refresher” courses are essential to all judicial officers, magistrates and judges. 

Despite impending retirement from the judiciary on Jan 5 next year, Siti Norma can still remain as president of the association even after she has quit.  

CJMA, which adopted its new name in 1988, has an elected council comprising a president, an executive vice-president, treasurer, life vice-presidents, and the immediate past president and vice-presidents from six regions. 

The council meets at least once a year, with the next one slated to be held in Bermuda. 

Siti Norma is no stranger to bagging firsts. She was the first woman Federal Court judge in the country in 2001, and last year made history again when she was appointed Chief Judge of Malaya, again the first woman to hold the post.