29 April 2022 marked Justice (as she then was) Maidzuara Binti Mohammed’s last day as Judicial Commissioner of the High Court of Malaya and last day of service in the Melaka High Court. The Chairman conveyed our farewells and present a commemorative plaque on behalf of the Malacca Bar and its lawyers. The Chairman’s speech is reproduced below:
“It is my honour and privilege to speak in this farewell sitting for Her Ladyship Puan Maidzuara today. Personally, I would have preferred to make a welcoming speech; I fear our emotions are always raw and more revealing when we say ‘Goodbye’, as compared to saying ‘Hello’ when meeting.
There are few who had such a significant impact on the culture of our Malacca Courts, as has Her Ladyship. As such it is only fitting to speak about Her Ladyship’s early life prior to her appointment as a Judicial Commissioner on the 3rd of May, 2019. Her Ladyship read law at the London School of Economics and Political Scient, London. She was called to the Bar of England & Wales in 1989 and she is a member of the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn. She was admitted as an Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1990.
Aside from a long and illustrious career in the legal fraternity, particularly in the field of medical law, Her Ladyship is also a highly experienced advocacy trainer since 2013 and has conducted advocacy training throughout Peninsular Malaysia and in Sarawak. This will perhaps explain why Her Ladyship is such a staunch believer of good advocacy, ethics and court decorum among young lawyers in her court.
Since her appointment as Judicial Commissioner in the High Court of Melaka, Her Ladyship has been most supportive of Malacca Bar activities. I was in attendance when Her Ladyship gave a talk on Expert Witness in Civil Litigation on 27th September, 2019 and shared her experience in dealing with a gynaecologist as a witness. I remember everyone sharing a light-hearted moment when Her Ladyship explained that the presiding Judge in that matter seemingly had a hard time understanding the functions of a uterus, and Her Ladyship concluded the talk with some sage advice for the participants: a judge does not always know everything.
Fellow members, we have witnessed major changes to the judicial system in the last 3 years. Amid the turmoil caused by the pandemic, our judiciary adapted quickly and found new approaches to overcome the challenges by going almost completely virtual. Accepting change is never an easy task, and Her Ladyship was one of the first judges to embrace this digital transformation.
I believe that these 3 years have been very significant because Her Ladyship has demonstrated to us that we have the capacity to change. By moving hearings online, Her Ladyship’s court leveraged technology not only to stay open, but also helped members resolve disputes more quickly and efficiently.
In the short time that I have been chairing the Malacca Bar , I have had the pleasure of meeting and discussing with Her Ladyship on several occasions, mostly pertaining to the conduct of young lawyers. Your sharp intellect and strong values are appreciated, and I think I speak for many of us here, that your presence will be missed. I do hope that we might have the opportunity to sit together more often in the future. To conclude, I would like to dedicate the following poem by an unknown member of the Malacca Bar who wished to remain anonymous, in appreciation of Her Ladyship’s tenure:
If ever the seas are rough and the journey is tough,
The captain persists in the vast nothingness, finds solace in waters, in the chaos, finds its stillness,
May the stars pinned to the skies at night, be your compass to a brighter future,
May the trails of your adventures leave behind treasures to remember.
With this, I would like to express on behalf of the Malacca Bar Committee and members of the Malacca Bar, our heartfelt gratitude to Yang Arif Puan Maidzuara for her invaluable contribution to the judiciary, and we whole heartedly wish Yang Arif a very happy, healthy and fulfilling new chapter in life.
Thank you.”
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