1,000 judgments later, it's mission accomplished

PROUD: Memories of administering law-based justice are what Datuk Low Hop Bing holds most dear

PUTRAJAYA: TO be able to administer justice according to the law is what retired Court of Appeal judge Datuk Low Hop Bing describes as his most memorable moments in the judiciary.

"It is our mission and it is something we hold dear in the course of our work," he said in an interview.

Low, 66, clocked out for the last time as a Court of Appeal judge last Thursday after serving 42 years in the judiciary.

"It is my mission in life to be a judge and I am happy with what I have contributed to the judiciary.

"I am proud to say that I am leaving behind almost 1,000 judgments for the benefit of the legal profession and the judiciary, as well as the academia and law students.

Passionate about poems, Low said he planned to take a break before embarking on something useful.

"To me, retirement is a new ERA -- Expert Resource Age. So, I must apply PMA -- Positive Mental Attitude -- to become a useful senior citizen.

"I can do LAM -- Legal Writing, Arbitration and Mediation," said Low, who plans to write about legal issues to create greater public awareness.

"I have 42 years of experience since 1970, having been a magistrate and now a retired Court of Appeal judge. It's certainly a wealth of knowledge, which I can share with the public and that can be done through legal writing."

Low said his articles would be reader-friendly as law was a technical subject and the ability to make it comprehensible was something the public would gain from.

Asked to describe his life as a judge, Low said judges led a disciplined life.

"Uppermost in my mind is always the judges' code of ethics."

Low said judges took pride in writing their grounds of judgment, where their decisions are documented to enable parties in a court case to take the matter to the higher courts by way of appeal and to provide the necessary safeguards for proper performance of their duties.

As a judge, he said, time management was of the essence to enable a good balance between work and family.

"While we do our work in the best way possible, we must not disregard the all-important factor, that is good health. It is only through good health that we can show commendable performance."

Low, who was a lawyer from 1984 to 1994, was appointed judicial commissioner on June 1, 1994.

Low, who was in charge of the mediation process, said with mediation as an alternative in civil disputes, it had helped the judiciary to clear its backlog.

"It is a laudable initiative by the judiciary. It is progressing very well in the Court of Appeal, High Court and subordinate courts.

"The success rate for mediation on an average is 40 per cent throughout the courts. It is a workable way of resolving disputes."

Low added that mediation would create a more harmonious society.

The Mediation Act was passed this year and hopefully, will come into force soon so as to provide a legal framework for private mediations.

Low said the judiciary, which had seen a huge revamp in its administration, was on the right track towards speedy disposal of cases -- its primary objective.

In concluding the interview, his said: "I wish everybody well in the judiciary and as they are all eminent members of the judiciary, they must continue to perform their duties to the best of their ability." Bernama

Datuk Low Hop Bing says he plans to take a break before embarking on the next phase.

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1,000 judgments later, it's mission accomplished

PROUD: Memories of administering law-based justice are what Datuk Low Hop Bing holds most dear

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