Siti Norma binti Yaakob (born July 6, 1940) is a retired Malaysian lawyer and judge, noted for being the first woman to become

Chief Judge of Malaya The high courts in Malaysia are the third-highest courts in the hierarchy of courts of Malaysia, courts, after the Federal Court of Malaysia, Federal Court and the Court of Appeal (Malaysia), Court of Appeal. Article 121 of the Constitution of Ma ...

. After completing her legal studies in London, England and being called to the bar in 1962, Siti Norma returned to Malaysia and worked her way up through the judicial system. She was the first Malaysian woman

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...

Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...

heritage and the first woman to take up an executive position in the government's legal service, and she achieved many more "firsts" as she advanced in her career, finally becoming Chief Judge in 2005. Siti Norma was the first Malaysian to be elected president of the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association (2006–2009). She is a Companion of the

Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia The Most Esteemed Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Setia Mahkota Malaysia) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country and awarded by the sovereign. The order was instituted on ...

and a Commander of the

Order of the Defender of the Realm The Most Esteemed Order of the Defender of the Realm ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country. The Order Motto are 'Dipeliharakan Allah-Pangkuan Negara' (By the Grace o ...

Early life and education

Siti Norma Yaakob was born on July 6, 1940 in

Seremban Seremban (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Soghomban'', ''Somban''; Jawi: ) is a city in the Seremban District and the capital of the state of Negeri Sembilan in Peninsular Malaysia. The city's administration is run by the Seremban City Council. Sere ...

Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan'') is a state in Malaysia which lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the s ...

. She had six sisters and two brothers. Their father, Inche Ya'akob bin Taha, was an employee of first the state Religious Affairs Department and later the State Land Development Board. Siti Norma attended the Rahang Malay School as a child, then later travelled to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England to study law. In July 1962, she was called to the bar as a member of

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and Wale ...

. She also completed a Certificate in Public International Law from the

Council of Legal Education The Council of Legal Education (CLE) was an English supervisory body established by the four Inns of Court to regulate and improve the legal education of barristers within England and Wales. History The Council was established in 1852 by the Inns ...

. She subsequently returned to Malaysia, where she made news headlines as the first Malaysian woman of

heritage to become a barrister.

Career

In June 1963, Siti Norma began work as an assistant registrar at the

Federal Courts Federal court may refer to: United States * Federal judiciary of the United States ** United States district court, a particular federal court Elsewhere * Federal Court of Australia * Federal courts of Brazil * Federal Court (Canada) * Federal co ...

. This marked the first time a woman had joined the Malaysian government's legal service in an executive capacity. She became a senior assistant registrar, then was appointed president of the

Sessions Court A Sessions Court or even known as the Court of Sessions Judge is a court of law which exists in several Commonwealth countries. A Court of Session is the highest criminal court in a district and the court of first instance for trying serious offe ...

a few years afterward. In 1968, she completed a month-long study tour in the United Kingdom as part of a

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

exchange program. As Siti Norma's career advanced, she broke through many more gender barriers in the Malaysian judicial system. She was the first Malaysian woman to become a High Court judge (1983), a

Court of Appeal A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of t ...

judge (1994), a Federal Court judge (2001), and finally the

(2005), a position that Siti Norma held until her retirement two years later. The

Malaysian Bar The Malaysian Bar (Malay: Badan Peguam Malaysia) is a professional body which regulates the profession of lawyers in Peninsular Malaysia, peninsular Malaysia. In Malaysia, there is no distinction between a barrister and a solicitor, in that, ...

observed that when Siti Norma was once asked about the values all good judges should have, she replied "patience and incorruptibility." Siti Norma was active in other professional capacities throughout her time as a lawyer and judge. During the mid-1980s, she served as President for the Association of Women Lawyers, and in 1993 she provided her services as an

external examiner The external examiner plays an important role in all degree level examinations in higher education in the United Kingdom. The external examiner system originated in 1832 with the establishment of the University of Durham, the first in England s ...

for the

University of Malaya The University of Malaya ( ms, Universiti Malaya, UM; abbreviated as UM or informally the Malayan University) is a public research university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the oldest and highest ranking Malaysian institution of highe ...

's Faculty of Law. From 2006 to 2009, Siti Norma led the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association as its president – the first Malaysian to be elected to the role. After her retirement from the judicial system, Siti Norma was appointed Pro-Chancellor of the University of Malaya in September 2007. She has since joined the boards of several public companies, including the board of directors for Mah Sing Group Bhd, which Siti Norma became chairman of in June 2018.

Honours and professional associations

In 1978, Siti Norma was appointed a Companion of the

(Johan Setia Mahkota or J.S.M.) and in 1987 she was presented with a state honour (Dato’ Setia Negeri Sembilan or D.S.N.S) by the ruler of Negeri Sembilan. She was named a Commander of the

(Panglima Mangku Negara or P.M.N.) in 2005. Siti Norma has received awards from the

Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship Eisenhower Fellowships is a private, non-profit organization created in 1953 by a group of prominent American citizens to honor President Dwight D. Eisenhower for his contribution to humanity as a soldier, statesman, and world leader. The organiza ...

s (1990), the Women Development Institute Fellowship (1988), and the Ministry of Women and Family Development and the Association of Women Graduates Malaysia (2001).

Personal life

Siti Norma married a mining consultant named Dato’ Seri Meor Ayob bin Mior Shaffie, and the couple had three children.

References

{{Authority control 1940 births Living people Malaysian women lawyers 20th-century Malaysian judges Members of Gray's Inn Companions of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia Commanders of the Order of the Defender of the Realm People from Negeri Sembilan 21st-century Malaysian judges Chief justices of Malaysia