High Courts of Malaysia

The High Courts in Malaysia are the third-highest courts in the hierarchy of courts, after the Federal Court and the Court of Appeal. Article 121 of the Constitution of Malaysia provides that there shall be two High Courts of coordinate jurisdiction—the High Court in Malaya and the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak (before 1994, the High Court in Borneo). Before 1969, the High Court in Singapore was also part of the Malaysian courts system (see Law of Singapore).

The High Court in Malaya has its principal registry in Kuala Lumpur, with other registries to be found in all states in peninsular Malaysia, while the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak has its principal registry in Kuching, with other registries elsewhere in Sabah and Sarawak. There are in total 22 High Court registries across all 13 states in Malaysia.^[1] The two High Courts also travel on circuit to other smaller towns.

The two High Courts, the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court are classified as superior courts, while the Magistrates' Courts and the Sessions Courts are classified as the subordinate courts. The High Courts function both as a court of original jurisdiction as well as an appellate court, and are each headed by a Chief Judge (before 1994, Chief Justice). The Chief Judges of Malaya and Sabah and Sarawak are the third and fourth highest positions in Malaysian judiciary after the Chief Justice of the Federal Court (before 1994, the Lord President of the Federal Court) and the President of the Court of Appeal.^[2]

High Court registries in Malaysia

All High Court registries and the subordinate courts found in Peninsular Malaysia including the courts in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya are under the jurisdiction of the High Court in Malaya. Similarly, all courts found in East Malaysia are under the jurisdiction of the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak including the courts in the Federal Territory of Labuan.

Kota Kinabalu

George Town

Kuala Lumpur

Petaling Jaya

Ipoh

Johor Bahru

Temerloh

Shah Alam

Seremban

Malacca

Muar

Kuantan

Taiping

Alor Star

Kuala Terengganu

Kota Bharu

Kangar

Sandakan

Tawau

Kuching

Miri

Sibu

Bintulu

Locations of High Courts in Malaysia

List of Chief Justices and Chief Judges

Malaya

Chief Justices of Malaya (1957–1994)

• 1957–1963: James Beveridge Thomson
• 1963–1966: Syed Sheh Hassan Barakbah
• 1966–1968: Mohamed Azmi Mohamed
• 1968–1973: Ong Hock Thye
• 1973–1974: Mohamed Suffian Mohamed Hashim
• 1974–1979: Sarwan Singh Gill
• 1979–1982: Raja Azlan Shah
• 1982–1984: Salleh Abas
• 1984–1988: Abdul Hamid Omar
• 1988–1992: Hashim Yeop Sani
• 1992–1994: Gunn Chit Tuan
• 1994: Eusoff Chin

Chief Judges of Malaya (1994–present)

• 1994: Eusoff Chin
• 1994–1998: Anuar Zainal Abidin
• 1998–2001: Wan Adnan Ismail
• 2001–2002: Ahmad Fairuz Abdul Halim
• 2002–2004: Haidar Mohamed Noor
• 2004–2006: Siti Norma Yaakob
• 2007–2008: Alauddin Sheriff
• 2008–present: Arifin Zakaria

Singapore

Chief Justice of Singapore (1963–1969)

• 1963–1969: Wee Chong Jin

Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak)

Chief Justices of Borneo (1963–1994)

• 1963–1965: Campbell Wylie
• 1965–1968: Philip Ernest Housden Pike
• 1968–1973: Ismail Khan Ibrahim Khan
• 1974–1990: Lee Hun Hoe
• 1991–1994: Mohamad Jemuri Serjan

Chief Judges of Sabah and Sarawak (1994–present)

• 1994: Mohamad Jemuri Serjan
• 1995–2000: Chong Siew Fai
• 2000–2006: Steve Shim Lip Kiong
• 2006–present: Richard Malanjum

References

1. ^ "List of court addresses". Judiciary of Malaysia. http://www.kehakiman.gov.my/courts/address.shtml. Retrieved 2008-01-30. 
2. ^ "Operation of the court". Judiciary of Malaysia. http://www.kehakiman.gov.my/courts/maljudiciary.shtml#Ope. Retrieved 2008-01-30.