As a judge presiding over criminal trials and arraignments, I make decisions that affect people's lives and liberty. Those decisions have to be made in a thoughtful, just and fair way. The public perception is that our decisions are solely based on legal precedent. But, in fact, the law is not clear-cut or precise. In other to administer justice, judges must look beyond mere legal precedent.
Complex issues have to be distilled down to what is right and what is wrong.
The resolution of these issues is not only guided by the rule of law, but also by our values and our culture. In cases of domestic violence, for example, when women go back home to abusive husbands or partners because they have emotional or financial ties or simply because they know no other way, I have the opportunity to talk to them about the effect of abusive relationships. What it does to them. Helping those involved in abusive relationships to understand how to help themselves and their families is, for me, an opportunity to exercise real moral leadership.