Supreme Court Associate Justice Singh urges fellow women judges to 'go back to basics'

New York, United States—Philippine Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh urged her fellow women judges to "go back to basics," back to what motivated them to serve in the judicial system.

Singh, President-elect of the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ), conveyed this message to IAWJ members on the International Day of Women Judges on March 10.

She was the keynote speaker during the IAWJ conference, “Women Judges on the Bench and Beyond: Protecting Access to Justice,” at The Rockefeller Foundation in New York.

According to a press statement issued by the Philippine Supreme Court on March 13, Singh expressed hope that women members of the judiciary would be regarded simply “as judges—period.” 

Singh wishes women judges to be recognized "for their qualifications, integrity, and professional merit rather than their gender."

She said the appointment of women to the highest courts should no longer be regarded as "remarkable" but simply "part of the natural order of a just and mature legal system."

COLLABORATION AMONG WOMEN JUDGES

Meanwhile, Singh also highlighted the work of the IAWJ in cultivating leadership and collaboration among women judges.

One of  these initiatives is the Women in Leadership in Law (WILIL) program, currently piloted in the Philippines, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya. 

Singh noted that while more women are entering the judiciary, many remain in the lower or intermediate levels of the courts, not in the highest judicial positions. 

"Surveys of women judges further revealed that many hesitate to seek elevation to higher courts because of the competing demands of professional advancement and personal responsibilities, particularly the expectations placed upon them as caregivers and mothers," the statement said.

Singh shared that as a single mother raising four children, she continued her legal and academic pursuits while balancing family responsibilities. 

She said programs like WILIL are designed to encourage women judges to share their journeys and stories to enlighten younger generations.

Singh also urged her fellow women judges to consider the broader meaning of justice “beyond the bench.” 

Judges, she said, are traditionally taught that their role is confined to adjudicating cases within the strict boundaries of the record.

However, she said  the realities litigants face often extend far beyond what appears in court documents. 

She encouraged judges to approach cases with deeper context and empathy to strengthen the administration of justice.

Quoting former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, Singh said judging can be “a very lonely profession." 

Singh said the IAWJ seeks to address this issue of "solitude" through dialogue, encouragement, and support especially as their profession has "inherent disadvantages" for women.

She hopes that women will "lift one another on the bench, beyond the bench, and for the generations of women who will one day follow in their footsteps."

-Paraluman News