Fresh start: Wan Ahmad Farid (right) walking alongside Court of Appeal President Datuk Abu Bakar Jais. Behind them are Chief Judge of Malaya, Datuk Hashim Hamzah (right) and Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak, Datuk Azizah Nawawi, during the opening of the Legal Year 2026 at Mitec, Kuala Lumpur. — AZMAN GHANI/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: The Chief Justice has warned his fellow judges against delays in delivering their written judgment, saying they should step down if they fail to do so.
“The former Lord President, Tun Mohamed Suffian Hashim, once remarked that a judge’s duty is to dispense justice without fear or favour,” said Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh.
“I would add that we must also dispense it without undue delay. A judge who carries a backlog of 10 or more outstanding grounds of judgment is carrying a heavy burden, not just for the system, but on their own conscience.
“You know who you are,” he said in his inaugural speech as the top judge at the opening of the Legal Year 2026 here yesterday.
Wan Ahmad Farid, who issued the stern warning to judges who did not deliver their written grounds of judgment in a timely manner, said he was aware of the increasing number of such cases at the High Courts. He said writing judgments was part and parcel of judge craft and the judges’ duty to give reasons for their decisions.
This was to ensure parties, especially those who were dissatisfied with the outcome, would understand why they won or lost their case and to exercise their right to appeal whenever appropriate, he said.
“I understand and I listen to the frustration of litigants who may wish to file an appeal, only to discover that the decision was delivered long ago but the written judgments are often not ready within the stipulated timeframe of eight weeks,” he added.
Despite his strong words, Wan Ahmad Farid gave an assurance that the judiciary would be helping judges struggling to write their decisions instead of penalising them.
“We will do everything in our power to assist those who are struggling. But we must be honest: there is a limit to assistance.
“The bench is a place for those who can stand the heat of the fire.
“To put it bluntly and I rarely say this: the kitchen is open, but the service must be timely.
“If the heat is no longer to your liking, the exit remains a dignified option,” he added.
The Chief Justice also welcomed the government’s announcement of a 30% salary increment for judges.
This would contribute to the independence of the judiciary and serve as an important safeguard to help shield judges from undue influence, he said.
The increment, he said, reflects a clear recognition of the demands placed upon judicial office and a meaningful commitment to strengthening the welfare of the judiciary in support of a resilient, credible and high-performing administration of justice.
“Judges do not receive annual increments and are precluded from holding other offices or engaging in business,” he added.
This is the first increment for judges’ salary in a decade since the last revision.
At the ceremony, Wan Ahmad Farid also unveiled a comprehensive 10-year Judicial Blueprint aimed at overhauling Malaysia’s legal system. He said the reform plan sets out a decade of purposeful changes, including strengthening the rule of law, institutional development and judicial leadership, to ensure the administration of justice remains resilient.
The blueprint also focuses on modernisation and technological innovation as the International Commercial and Admiralty Division (Icad) will be established at the Kuala Lumpur High Court to expedite complex international disputes and boost investor confidence.
