The Singapore Law Review

Ms. Disa Sim, District Judge, Subordinate Courts

Q. Could you describe a typical day of a district judge?
This really depends on which division (e.g. criminal trial courts, civil trial courts, civil registry or Family and Juvenile Court) the District Judge is posted to. Being posted to the Civil Registry, my day typically involves hearing pre-trial matters (e.g. contested interlocutory applications and applications for summary judgment), as well as post-judgment applications to enforce judgments or execution proceedings relating thereto. I also regularly hear assessment of damages cases.

Q. How did you come to be a judge?
After completing my policy secondment at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), I decided that I was ready for a fresh challenge and indicated to the Legal Service Commission that I would be interested in a posting to the judiciary.

Q. Having taught in NUS as Assistant Professor and worked in MFA prior to serving as a judge, does your work as a judge bear any relationship to your academic and policy interests? Or are they entirely separate?
They certainly are interrelated. Being a judge allows me to explore my academic and policy interests from another perspective, test how these ideas apply in practice and observe how they play out in a practical setting.

Q. What do you think is the greatest challenge you face as a district judge?
Ensuring that every party feels that he or she has received a fair hearing, regardless of what the substantive result is.
Q. What advice do you have for students who aspire to be a judge one day?
Accumulate as much practical experience as possible, whether in law or in life. This will prove invaluable in understanding where parties are coming from, their motivations, and in deciding how best to resolve the problem.

Q. Any advice for future advocates who will have to appear before the court?
A good advocate should always try to assist the court. An advocate should be alert to cues from the judge, and be prepared to depart from his or her prepared case to assist the judge with the areas that the judge may have difficulty with.

Q. What does the future hold for you, professionally?
Being with the Legal Service gives me the opportunity to try my hand at so many different types of work without even having to change employer! After my stint with the Subordinate Courts, I hope to broaden my exposure even further by rotating to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

Ms Disa Sim is District Judge in the Subordinate Courts. — Juris Illuminae Vol. 3 Issue 4 (February 2007)