Retired judge Choo Han Teck on the moral dilemmas behind court decisions
Retired judge Choo Han Teck on the moral dilemmas behind court decisions
Known for his succinct and often wry written judgments, former High Court judge Choo Han Teck served three decades on the bench before retiring on Feb 20, his 72nd birthday.
Though he became one of Singapore’s most recognisable judges, he once intended to study the arts before a cousin altered his university application.
Over his judicial career, Mr Choo presided over criminal, corporate and family cases. He also delivered more than 1,200 judgments.
"Given a choice, I would not want to end anybody's life. But if the choice is taken out of my hands in that it is my duty as a judge to impose the death penalty, then I will do that," said Mr Choo, on the death penalty.
His guiding principle for himself as a judge was to put himself in the shoes of everyone involved in the case – the complainant or the victim, and the accuser and the accused.
