The chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak (Malay: Hakim Besar Sabah dan Sarawak; Jawi: ), formerly the chief justice of Borneo, is the office and title of the head of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak. The title has been in use since 24 June 1994, when the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak was renamed from the High Court of Borneo.
The High Court of Sabah and Sarawak is the third highest court of Malaysia alongside the High Court in Malaya. As such, the chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak is the fourth highest position in Malaysian judicial system after the Chief Justice of Malaysia, President of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia and the Chief Judge of Malaya.
Constitutional basis The office of Chief Judge of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak is established under Article 122 of the Constitution of Malaysia, which establishes the then-Supreme Court (now Federal Court) as consisting of a Lord President (now Chief Justice), the chief judges of the High Courts of Malaya together with that of Sabah and Sarawak and at least four other judges and such additional judges as may be appointed pursuant to Clause (1A).
Role The chief judge is first among equals among the judges of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak, and the position differs little from that of the other judges. All judges, including the chief judge, are appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia), on the advice of the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Under Article 125 of the Malaysian Constitution, they can be removed only by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, on a recommendation from a tribunal consisting of at least five judges who are current or former Federal Court judges. Reasons for removal include the chief judge: not following the Judges’ Code of Ethics; or being physically or mentally unable to carry out his or her duties. The prime minister will then provide the Yang di-Pertuan Agong the reason(s) why the chief judge should be removed. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong will then proceed to set up the tribunal to make a decision.
List of chief justices and chief judges Sarawak (1930 to 1951) NameBornAlma materTenure startedTenure endedDuration (died ) Trinity College, Oxford 02009-10-01-031930 02009-10-01-031939 years ?(died ?) ? 02009-10-01-031939 02009-10-01-031945 yearsJapanese occupation of Sarawak (December 1941–September 1945)(died ) Victoria University of Manchester02009-10-01-03194602009-10-01-031951 years Harvard University Gray's Inn
North Borneo (1934 to 1951) NameBornAlma materTenure startedTenure endedDuration (died ) Gray's Inn 02009-10-01-031934 02009-10-01-031945 yearsJapanese occupation of North Borneo (December 1941–September 1945)(died ) University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire02009-10-01-03194502009-10-01-031951 years London University
Unified Judiciary of Sarawak, North Borneo and Brunei (1951 to 1963) NameBornAlma materTenure startedTenure endedDuration(died ) University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire02009-10-01-031 December 195102009-10-01-0324 October 1952 London University (died ) Trinity College Dublin 02009-10-01-031957 02009-10-01-031957 years (died ) Corpus Christi College, Oxford 02009-10-01-035 December 1959 02009-10-01-031 January 1963 (died ) Victoria University of Wellington 02009-10-01-032 January 1963 02009-10-01-0315 September 1963
Borneo (1963 to 1994) Name PortraitBornAlma materTenure startedTenure endedDuration (died ) Victoria University of Wellington 02009-10-01-0316 September 1963 02009-10-01-0327 August 1965 (died ?) Middle Temple 02009-10-01-0311 September 1965 02009-10-01-0327 August 1968 (died ) University College, London02009-10-01-032 September 196802009-10-01-0331 December 1973 Middle Temple(died ) University of Southampton02009-10-01-031 January 197402009-10-01-0331 December 1988 Lincoln's Inn (died ) - 02009-10-01-0311 March 1989 02009-10-01-0323 June 1994
Sabah and Sarawak (1994 to present) Name Portrait Born Alma mater Tenure started Tenure ended Duration Prior senior judicial roles (died ) - 02009-10-01-0324 June 1994 02009-10-01-039 September 1994 Judge of the Supreme Court of Malaysia(1989–1994) (died )Lincoln's Inn02009-10-01-0316 June 199502009-10-01-033 July 2000 Judge of the High Court of Malaysia(1978–1994) Judge of the Federal Court of Malaysia(1994–2000)(age ) Inner Temple02009-10-01-032 July 200002009-10-01-0319 July 2006 Judge of the High Court of Malaysia(1992–2000) Vrije Universiteit Brussel Judge of the Federal Court of Malaysia(2000–2006)(age ) MARA University of Technology02009-10-01-0326 July 200602009-10-01-0311 July 2018 Judge of the High Court of Malaysia(2004–2006) University of London Judge of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia(2002–2005) Gray's Inn Judge of the Federal Court of Malaysia(2005–2018)(age )University of New South Wales02009-10-01-0311 July 201802009-10-01-0319 February 2020 Judge of the High Court of Malaysia(2007–2013) Judge of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia(2013–2018) Judge of the Federal Court of Malaysia(2018–2020) (age )University of Malaya02009-10-01-0325 February 202017 January 2023 Judge of the High Court of Malaysia(2008–2013) Judge of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia(2013–2018) Judge of the Federal Court of Malaysia(2018–2020)Abdul Rahman Sebli (age )University of Malaya17 January 202325 July 2025Judge of the High Court of Malaysia(2010–2013)Judge of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia(2013–2019)Judge of the Federal Court of Malaysia(2020–2023)Azizah Nawawi(age )University of Otago28 July 2025IncumbentJudicial Commissioner of the High Court of Malaysia (2012–2014)Judge of the High Court of Malaysia (2014–2019)Judge of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia (2019–2025)
See also Courts of Malaysia High Courts (Malaysia)
References