The Honourable Mr Justice Rajah: High Court Judge

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“The job comes with responsibility – to treat people fairly and to reach the right answer on decisions which are important to them.  It is extremely rewarding when you feel you have done so.”

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Background

I was born in Ipoh, Malaysia, and attended school in Malaysia and England before studying law at the University of Nottingham. 

I was called to the Bar in 1989 and had a general Chancery practice, specialising in later years in international trust and estate litigation. I was appointed as King’s Counsel in 2011 and as a Recorder (crime) in 2016.  I was Chair of the Chancery Bar Association from 2018 to 2020.

The application

After 30 years in practice, I was ready for a change, a new challenge, an opportunity to give back to a profession and society that has been good to me and an opportunity to help with diversity on the bench.

I was approved for s9(1) authorisation to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2020 and appointed a High Court Judge in April 2023. The JAC selection process was testing, as one would hope it would be. It helped to have had experience of the selection processes for silk, Recorder and Deputy High Court Judge.

The role

The atmosphere amongst the High Court judges and staff in the Rolls Building is warm, supportive and friendly. I have enjoyed getting to grips with a new role which was at the outset both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.  The diversity of the work both in terms of areas of law and levels of complexity, importance and urgency is remarkable.

The job comes with responsibility – to treat people fairly and to reach the right answer on decisions which are important to them.  It is extremely rewarding when you feel you have done so.

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