This is a list of chief justices of the Union of Myanmar and its predecessor offices.
History After the British conquest of Burma, there were initially a Judicial Commissioner of British Burma (later Judicial Commissioner of Lower Burma) and a Judicial Commissioner of Upper Burma. In 1900, the Judicial Commissioner of Lower Burma was replaced by a Chief Judge of the Chief Court of Lower Burma. In 1922, a unified High Court was established at Rangoon, headed by a Chief Justice of the High Court of Judicature at Rangoon. During the Japanese occupation of Burma, the State of Burma also appointed a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
At independence, the 1947 Constitution of Burma established a Supreme Court, headed by a Chief Justice of the Union, as well as a High Court, headed by a Chief Justice of the High Court. Following the 1962 Burmese coup d'état, both courts were replaced by a Chief Court, headed by a Chief Judge of the Chief Court (which was later changed to Chief Justice of the Chief Court in English, but not in Burmese). In 1974, the Chief Court was abolished and replaced with a Council of People's Justices, headed by a Chairman of the Council of People's Justices. Since 1988 there has been a Chief Justice of the Union. Under the 2008 Constitution of Myanmar, each High Court of a region or of a state also has its own Chief Justice.
In 2016, lawyers and activists were pressing for the creation of a Ministry of Justice (which has never existed in Myanmar's history) in order for the government to elect a Chief Justice rather than the President.
List of chief justices of Myanmar Chief Judge of the Chief Court of Lower Burma (1900–1922)
1900–1902: Frederick Selwyn Copleston 1902–1905: Sir Herbert Thirkell White 1905–1906: Sir Harvey Adamson 1906–1917: Sir Charles Edmund Fox 1917–1920: Sir Daniel Harold Ryan Twomey 1920–1922: Sir Sydney Maddock Robinson
Chief Justice of the High Court of Judicature at Rangoon (1922–1948)
1922–1925: Sir Sydney Maddock Robinson 1925–1930: Sir John Guy Rutledge 1930–1936: Sir Arthur Page 1936–1948: Sir Ernest Handforth Goodman Roberts
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1943–1945?)
1943–?: Sir Mya Bu
Chief Justice of the Union (1948–1962)
1948–1952: Sir Ba U 1952–1957: U Thein Maung 1957–1962: U Myint Thein
Chief Justice of the High Court (1948–1962)
1948–1950: U Thein Maung 1950–1954: U Tun Byu 1955–1961: U Chan Tun Aung 1958–1959: U San Maung (senior judge performing the duties of the chief justice) 1961–1962: U Yan Aung
Chief Judge (or Chief Justice) of the Chief Court (1962–1974)
1962–1965: U Bo Gyi 1965–1972: U Maung Maung 1972–1974: U Hla Thinn
Chairman of the Council of People's Justices (1974–1988)
1974–1981: U Aung Pe 1981–1982: U Maung Maung Kyaw Win 1982–1988: U Tin Aung Hein
Chief Justice of the Union
1988–2011: U Aung Toe 2011–2023: U Htun Htun Oo 2023 - Present: Tha Htay
References
http://www.austlii.edu.au/nz/journals/VUWLawRw/2004/14.html