Justice Judith Prakash’s magnificent legal career winds down

Justice Prakash, first woman to be appointed to Court of Appeal, will be a Senior Judge from January.

Justice Judith Prakash, the first woman to be appointed to Court of Appeal, will be a Senior Judge from January. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

At the funeral ceremony for Mr Joseph Grimberg in August 2017, Justice Judith Prakash sat recalling the words the former judicial commissioner and long-serving helmsman of law firm Drew & Napier told her in 1992, when she informed him she had been offered elevation to the Bench.

Mr Grimberg had responded that it was indeed a great honour and that she should accept. But being a judge was also a very seductive job and one must not be seduced by the power that comes with it, he had advised. Judges ought not to get carried away; after all, it was not their power, but the state’s, that they were administering.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.