# Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak

The chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak (Malay: Hakim Besar Sabah dan Sarawak; Jawi: حاكيم بسر سابه دان سراوق‎), formerly the chief justice of Borneo, is the office and title of the head of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak. The title has been in use since 24 June 1994, when the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak was renamed from the High Court of Borneo.
The High Court of Sabah and Sarawak is the third highest court of Malaysia alongside the High Court in Malaya. As such, the chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak is the fourth highest position in Malaysian judicial system after the Chief Justice of Malaysia, President of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia and the Chief Judge of Malaya.

## Constitutional basis

The office of Chief Judge of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak is established under Article 122 of the Constitution of Malaysia, which establishes the then-Supreme Court (now Federal Court) as consisting of a Lord President (now Chief Justice), the chief judges of the High Courts of Malaya together with that of Sabah and Sarawak and at least four other judges and such additional judges as may be appointed pursuant to Clause (1A).

## Role

The chief judge is first among equals among the judges of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak, and the position differs little from that of the other judges. All judges, including the chief judge, are appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia), on the advice of the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Under Article 125 of the Malaysian Constitution, they can be removed only by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, on a recommendation from a tribunal consisting of at least five judges who are current or former Federal Court judges. Reasons for removal include the chief judge:
* not following the Judges’ Code of Ethics; or
* being physically or mentally unable to carry out his or her duties.
The prime minister will then provide the Yang di-Pertuan Agong the reason(s) why the chief judge should be removed. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong will then proceed to set up the tribunal to make a decision.

## List of chief justices and chief judges
### Sarawak (1930 to 1951)

| Name | Born | Alma mater | Tenure started | Tenure ended | Duration |
| The Right Honourable Thomas Jamieson Laycock Stirling Boyd | 23 October 1886 (died 1 January 1973(1973-01-01) (aged 86)) | Trinity College, Oxford | 02009-10-01-031930 | 02009-10-01-031939 | 8–9 years |
| The Right Honourable H. Thackwell-Lewis | ? (died ?) | ? | 02009-10-01-031939 | 02009-10-01-031945 | 5–6 years |
| Japanese occupation of Sarawak (December 1941–September 1945) ||||||
| The Right Honourable Robert Yorke Hedges | 6 August 1903 (died 29 May 1963(1963-05-29) (aged 59)) | Victoria University of Manchester | 02009-10-01-031946 | 02009-10-01-031951 | 4–5 years |
| The Right Honourable Robert Yorke Hedges | 6 August 1903 (died 29 May 1963(1963-05-29) (aged 59)) | Harvard University | 02009-10-01-031946 | 02009-10-01-031951 | 4–5 years |
| The Right Honourable Robert Yorke Hedges | 6 August 1903 (died 29 May 1963(1963-05-29) (aged 59)) | Gray's Inn | 02009-10-01-031946 | 02009-10-01-031951 | 4–5 years |

### North Borneo (1934 to 1951)

| Name | Born | Alma mater | Tenure started | Tenure ended | Duration |
| The Right Honourable Charles Frederick Cunningham Macaskie CMG | 26 March 1888 (died 26 November 1969(1969-11-26) (aged 81)) | Gray's Inn | 02009-10-01-031934 | 02009-10-01-031945 | 10–11 years |
| Japanese occupation of North Borneo (December 1941–September 1945) ||||||
| The Right Honourable Sir Ivor Llewellyn Brace | September 1898 (died 24 October 1952(1952-10-24) (aged 54)) | University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire | 02009-10-01-031945 | 02009-10-01-031951 | 5–6 years |
| The Right Honourable Sir Ivor Llewellyn Brace | September 1898 (died 24 October 1952(1952-10-24) (aged 54)) | London University | 02009-10-01-031945 | 02009-10-01-031951 | 5–6 years |

### Unified Judiciary of Sarawak, North Borneo and Brunei (1951 to 1963)

| Name | Born | Alma mater | Tenure started | Tenure ended | Duration |
| The Right Honourable Sir Ivor Llewellyn Brace | September 1898 (died 24 October 1952(1952-10-24) (aged 54)) | University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire | 02009-10-01-031 December 1951 | 02009-10-01-0324 October 1952 | 329 days |
| The Right Honourable Sir Ivor Llewellyn Brace | September 1898 (died 24 October 1952(1952-10-24) (aged 54)) | London University | 02009-10-01-031 December 1951 | 02009-10-01-0324 October 1952 | 329 days |
| The Right Honourable Sir Ernest Hillas Williams JP | 16 August 1899 (died 5 February 1965(1965-02-05) (aged 65)) | Trinity College Dublin | 02009-10-01-031957 | 02009-10-01-031957 | 0 years |
| The Right Honourable Sir John Ainley MC | 10 May 1906 (died 19 January 1992(1992-01-19) (aged 85)) | Corpus Christi College, Oxford | 02009-10-01-035 December 1959 | 02009-10-01-031 January 1963 | 3 years and 28 days |
| The Right Honourable Sir William Campbell Wylie ED QC | 14 May 1905 (died 17 August 1992(1992-08-17) (aged 87)) | Victoria University of Wellington | 02009-10-01-032 January 1963 | 02009-10-01-0315 September 1963 | 1 year and 347 days |

### Borneo (1963 to 1994)

| Name | Born | Alma mater | Tenure started | Tenure ended | Duration |
| The Right Honourable Sir William Campbell Wylie ED QC | 14 May 1905 (died 17 August 1992(1992-08-17) (aged 87)) | Victoria University of Wellington | 02009-10-01-0316 September 1963 | 02009-10-01-0327 August 1965 | 1 year and 346 days |
| The Right Honourable Sir Tan Sri Philip Ernest Housden Pike PMN QC | 6 March 1914 (died ?) | Middle Temple | 02009-10-01-0311 September 1965 | 02009-10-01-0327 August 1968 | 2 years and 352 days |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Dato' Ismail Khan Ibrahim Khan PMN PSM PPT BKT | 18 June 1905 (died 18 April 2000(2000-04-18) (aged 94)) | University College, London | 02009-10-01-032 September 1968 | 02009-10-01-0331 December 1973 | 5 years and 121 days |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Dato' Ismail Khan Ibrahim Khan PMN PSM PPT BKT | 18 June 1905 (died 18 April 2000(2000-04-18) (aged 94)) | Middle Temple | 02009-10-01-032 September 1968 | 02009-10-01-0331 December 1973 | 5 years and 121 days |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Datuk Amar Hun Hoe Lee PMN DA SPDK PGDK PNBS ADK | 27 September 1923 (died 8 July 2005(2005-07-08) (aged 81)) | University of Southampton | 02009-10-01-031 January 1974 | 02009-10-01-0331 December 1988 | 15 years and 0 days |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Datuk Amar Hun Hoe Lee PMN DA SPDK PGDK PNBS ADK | 27 September 1923 (died 8 July 2005(2005-07-08) (aged 81)) | Lincoln's Inn | 02009-10-01-031 January 1974 | 02009-10-01-0331 December 1988 | 15 years and 0 days |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Jemuri Serjan PMN DA SPDK PNBS JMN JBS PPC | 10 September 1929 (died 26 January 2022(2022-01-26) (aged 92)) | - | 02009-10-01-0311 March 1989 | 02009-10-01-0323 June 1994 | 5 years and 105 days |

### Sabah and Sarawak (1994 to present)

| Name | Born | Alma mater | Tenure started | Tenure ended | Duration | Prior senior judicial roles |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Jemuri Serjan PMN DA SPDK PNBS JMN JBS PPC | 10 September 1929 (died 26 January 2022(2022-01-26) (aged 92)) | - | 02009-10-01-0324 June 1994 | 02009-10-01-039 September 1994 | 78 days | Judge of the Supreme Court of Malaysia (1989–1994) |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Datuk Amar Siew Fai Chong PSM DA PNBS | 4 January 1935 (died 23 January 2006(2006-01-23) (aged 71)) | Lincoln's Inn | 02009-10-01-0316 June 1995 | 02009-10-01-033 July 2000 | 5 years and 18 days | Judge of the High Court of Malaysia (1978–1994) |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Datuk Amar Siew Fai Chong PSM DA PNBS | 4 January 1935 (died 23 January 2006(2006-01-23) (aged 71)) | Lincoln's Inn | 02009-10-01-0316 June 1995 | 02009-10-01-033 July 2000 | 5 years and 18 days | Judge of the Federal Court of Malaysia (1994–2000) |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Datuk Amar Steve Lip Kiong Shim PSM DA PJN JBK KMN PPB | 20 January 1940 (age 84) | Inner Temple | 02009-10-01-032 July 2000 | 02009-10-01-0319 July 2006 | 6 years and 24 days | Judge of the High Court of Malaysia (1992–2000) |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Datuk Amar Steve Lip Kiong Shim PSM DA PJN JBK KMN PPB | 20 January 1940 (age 84) | Vrije Universiteit Brussel | 02009-10-01-032 July 2000 | 02009-10-01-0319 July 2006 | 6 years and 24 days | Judge of the Federal Court of Malaysia (2000–2006) |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Richard Malanjum PSM SPSK SSAP SIMP SPDK PGDK | 13 October 1952 (age 71) | MARA University of Technology | 02009-10-01-0326 July 2006 | 02009-10-01-0311 July 2018 | 11 years and 351 days | Judge of the High Court of Malaysia (2004–2006) |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Richard Malanjum PSM SPSK SSAP SIMP SPDK PGDK | 13 October 1952 (age 71) | University of London | 02009-10-01-0326 July 2006 | 02009-10-01-0311 July 2018 | 11 years and 351 days | Judge of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia (2002–2005) |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Richard Malanjum PSM SPSK SSAP SIMP SPDK PGDK | 13 October 1952 (age 71) | Gray's Inn | 02009-10-01-0326 July 2006 | 02009-10-01-0311 July 2018 | 11 years and 351 days | Judge of the Federal Court of Malaysia (2005–2018) |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima David Dak Wah Wong PSM SPDK PGDK | 20 August 1953 (age 71) | University of New South Wales | 02009-10-01-0311 July 2018 | 02009-10-01-0319 February 2020 | 1 year and 224 days | Judge of the High Court of Malaysia (2007–2013) |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima David Dak Wah Wong PSM SPDK PGDK | 20 August 1953 (age 71) | University of New South Wales | 02009-10-01-0311 July 2018 | 02009-10-01-0319 February 2020 | 1 year and 224 days | Judge of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia (2013–2018) |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima David Dak Wah Wong PSM SPDK PGDK | 20 August 1953 (age 71) | University of New South Wales | 02009-10-01-0311 July 2018 | 02009-10-01-0319 February 2020 | 1 year and 224 days | Judge of the Federal Court of Malaysia (2018–2020) |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim PSM DA DSPN | 3 July 1959 (age 65) | University of Malaya | 02009-10-01-0325 February 2020 | 17 January 2023 | 2 years and 327 days | Judge of the High Court of Malaysia (2008–2013) |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim PSM DA DSPN | 3 July 1959 (age 65) | University of Malaya | 02009-10-01-0325 February 2020 | 17 January 2023 | 2 years and 327 days | Judge of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia (2013–2018) |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim PSM DA DSPN | 3 July 1959 (age 65) | University of Malaya | 02009-10-01-0325 February 2020 | 17 January 2023 | 2 years and 327 days | Judge of the Federal Court of Malaysia (2018–2020) |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Dato' Abdul Rahman Sebli PSM DIMP PPB | 25 January 1959 (age 65) | University of Malaya | 17 January 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year and 263 days | Judge of the High Court of Malaysia (2010–2013) |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Dato' Abdul Rahman Sebli PSM DIMP PPB | 25 January 1959 (age 65) | University of Malaya | 17 January 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year and 263 days | Judge of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia (2013–2019) |
| Yang Amat Arif Tan Sri Dato' Abdul Rahman Sebli PSM DIMP PPB | 25 January 1959 (age 65) | University of Malaya | 17 January 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year and 263 days | Judge of the Federal Court of Malaysia (2020–2023) |