A seat on the judiciary is a prestigious position to hold because you do not apply to be a judge. Instead, you have to be a lawyer with at least 10 years of experience before you can be invited to be a judge. There is much reverence attached to this high-level position.

The reason is clear. A judge is an im­portant person who presides over a court of law and assesses a case based on evidence and testimonies submit­ted by witnesses and lawyers. He then makes a judgment, passes a ruling or sentences a convicted felon.

Previously in Malaysia, the judge shared the responsibility of making a judgment with a jury but this practice has been abolished. In many parts of the world, this practice is also being abolished. This makes the judge a key player in the judiciary hence the election of a judge is done with great care.

Not all lawyers can be invited to be a judge. You must exhibit an impressive ability throughout your career before you gain the recognition. As a judge, you can move up the ranks according to the levels of courts too. The hier­archy of higher courts in an asending order starts with the High Court fol­lowed by the Court of Appeal and finally the Federal Court at the high­est level. Heading the hierarchy is the Chief Justice of Malaysia. The job of a judge is so important that it comes with some perks, like a car with tinted windows and body­guards. Some judges become more prominent after presiding over high-profile cases. Another point to re­member is that judges do not pick their cases. They are randomly se­lected to preside over cases and often do not make decisions quickly, unlike what is represented on TV.

Most cases carry on for months or even years. Often, one siting will see some evidence put forth before the case is adjourned for another sitting because of an absenteeism, to await new paperwork to be filed or for oth­er reasons.

A judge is not to be mistaken for a magistrate. A magistrate functions like a judge but for the Magistrate’s Court, which is a subordinate court. The sub­ordinate courts are the Sessions Court (which are presided over by judges, like the high courts) and the Magis­trate’s Court. A magistrate in the Mag­istrate’s Court is not a judge but an offi­cer of the court. A first class magistrate only needs to have a law degree but not necessarily have a Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP). A second-class mag­istrate does not even need a law back­ground His duties are limited; he can solemnise marriages and settle claims under RM1,000 among other duties. Second-class magistrates are not often appointed nowadays.

Magistrates do undergo training for the job to cover basic law and proce­dures so they may execute their job ef­fectively. Their training and experience makes them invaluable to the court they work in. This experience can be used to settle disputes effectively as smaller claims often arise from petty matters that have been made compli­cated.

For all their work, a judge or magis­trate must have a clear mind. One who allows emotions and personal beliefs to cloud his judgement cannot make an efective judge. A judge must be rational, analytical and focused to absorb all the information and be able to identify evidence from the clutter of information. Personal judgment to give a verdict and pass a sentence is used on some occasions and clemen­cy may be used to pass a more lenient sentence but only within reason. It is not easy to be a judge. The level of knowledge of the law is at its highest, and you must be certain and steady in handing out sentences as it can liter­ally mean life or death.