Conduct and associations of Judges' must be heavily limited: Chief Justice

Chief Justice Abdul Ghanee Mohamed stated that the impartiality of judges is inherently linked to their integrity, and that after assuming judicial office, a judge's conduct and associations must be heavily limited.

Speaking at a ceremony held at the Supreme Court last night to appoint two judges to the Family Court, the Chief Justice said that while the qualities linked to judicial responsibility may be listed as separate traits, they are all interconnected.

He explained that the judge's impartiality and non-partisanship are linked to the judge's integrity. Furthermore, the judge's virtuous moral traits and the characteristic of abstaining from political activities are also linked to integrity.

"After assuming judicial office, an individual's behavior must undergo enormous positive changes. These changes must be good modifications made by the judge to build their judicial personality," the Chief Justice said.

The Chief Justice stated that judges must always strive to be role models for others. He also said that in unexpected situations, judges should use wisdom instead of losing patience, and that they must interact gracefully with litigants and staff.

"While court hearings are ongoing, a judge's action or a word spoken in response to a situation might accidentally go viral on social media and become an opportunity for the judge to gain notoriety. But let me say this: that very action or word, when viewed through the perspective of a rational person, might perhaps be an act or word that is incompatible with the judiciary. Therefore, I urge you to be mindful of these things," the Chief Justice advised.

The Chief Justice highlighted that judges must always remember that they are judges, even when spending time with family and friends. He noted that many actions that would not be considered wrong if done by an ordinary person might be perceived as wrong by society when done by a judge in a private capacity, and that this requires careful consideration.

The Chief Justice stressed that a judge's conduct and associations must be heavily limited, although he acknowledged that this is not an easy task. He added that the environments and people a person associated with before becoming a judge might not be suitable for them to maintain associations with after assuming office.

The Chief Justice concluded by saying that the actions of judges, both inside and outside the courtroom, must reflect the dignity and independence of the judicial sector. He said that the public desires to see judges who perform their duties with justice, integrity, and patience.