Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Hashim Hamzah has officially been sworn in as the new Chief Judge of Malaya, becoming the 15th person to hold the position.
The 64-year-old took his oath of office and allegiance today at the Palace of Justice, succeeding Tan Sri Hasnah Mohammed Hashim, who retired upon reaching the mandatory age of 66. Her service was extended by six months under the Federal Constitution and ended on November 14.
Hashim began his judicial career in 1985 as a magistrate in Kuala Lumpur before serving as a Sessions Court judge, High Court judge and later Appeals Court judge, a position he held from March 2021 until his latest appointment.
Four Federal Court judges — Datuk Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali, Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, Datuk Azimah Omar and Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah — also took their oaths of office today. All were formerly members of the Court of Appeal.
Che Mohd Ruzima, 64, started as a magistrate in 1985 and later served as a public prosecutor before rising through the Sessions Court, High Court and the Court of Appeal.
Nazlan, 58, previously held senior positions in the Securities Commission and Maybank before joining the judiciary in 2017 as a High Court judge, later moving to the Court of Appeal in 2022.
Collin, 65, began his career as a lawyer in 1986 and has served in multiple High Court postings since his appointment as Judicial Commissioner in 2014 before joining the Court of Appeal in January 2023.
Azimah, 63, has served across various magistrate and Sessions Court postings since 1986 and later became Registrar of the Court of Appeal and Chief Registrar of the Federal Court before her High Court and Court of Appeal appointments.
Earlier today, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, presented the official instruments of appointment to all five judges at Istana Negara. The ceremony at the Small Throne Room was also attended by Chief Justice Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, Law Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, Attorney General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal Tan Sri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad.
