Good judge must always remember oath of office, says new CJ

Chief Justice Datuk Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat. -Bernamapic

PUTRAJAYA: A good judge must always remember their oath of office and code of conduct, says Chief Justice Datuk Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat.

“And of course, (a good judge follows) the other basic principles stipulated in the Bangalore Principles (of Judicial Conduct),” said Malaysia's first female Chief Justice.

The Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct identify six core values of the judiciary, which are independence, impartiality, integrity, propriety, equality, competence and diligence. They are meant to establish standards of ethical conduct for judges.

Apart from that, Tengku Maimun said a good judge must give both parties the right to be heard in court.

“If you need to reprimand a lawyer, then do it courteously. Be fair to everybody. Treat the lawyers alike, whether senior or junior,” she added.

She also said good judges were efficient judges who adhere to a timeline without compromising the quality of their work.

Tengku Maimun said this in her first press conference as the Chief Justice at her office in the Palace of Justice here on Monday (May 6).

Earlier this morning, she took her oath of office before Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah at Istana Negara.

She took over from former Chief Justice Tan Sri Richard Malanjum who retired on April 12.

Malanjum was praised for his reforms in the judiciary which included the timesheet system, a computerised system to encourage effective management of the court’s time among judges and judicial officers.

He was also praised for establishing eReview, an online case management system that does not require the physical presence of parties in a court case for case management.

Malanjum also introduced the selection of the panel of Federal Court judges by balloting to hear cases in the Federal Court to avoid any allegation of negative elements in the allocation of cases and selection of a panel of judges.

Tengku Maimun vowed to continue her predecessor’s work.

“Whatever reforms he started, we will continue. We will only improve on them. But to introduce something new, I have to sit down and speak to my brothers and sister,” she said, referring to the other three judges holding the top four positions.

When asked on how she manages work-life balance, Tengku Maimun said she has a supportive husband to thank.

“I am blessed in the sense that I’ve got an understanding husband. When I was first elevated to the High Court, he reminded me that being a judge is a great honour. In his words, a judge’s legacy is in their judgments,” she said.

Tengku Maimun, 59, is married to Datuk Zamani Ibrahim. They have four children.