Our alumna, Justice Judith Prakash, named Her World Woman of the Year on strength of her legal achievements

We are proud of our alumna, Justice Judith Prakash ’74, who was lauded for her trailblazing path in the legal field by Her World, with her pioneering work having paved the way for aspiring female lawyers to build their careers in the judiciary.

Justice Prakash, Her World’s Woman of the Year 2024, is Singapore’s first female Judge of Appeal, having been appointed in 2016. Prior to that, she was appointed to the Supreme Court Bench as Judicial Commissioner in 1992 and became a High Court Judge three years later. She is also a renowned expert in commercial law; her role in the enactment of the International Arbitration Act 1994 helped establish Singapore as a global arbitration hub. In addition, she has authored about 645 judgments, more than half of which were selected for inclusion in law reports.

Ms Elizabeth Lee, editor-in-chief of Her World, said, “As someone who has broken glass ceilings, Justice Judith Prakash is an inspiration, not just for those in the legal field, but also to all Singapore women.”

In an interview with Her World, Justice Prakash revealed that she enrolled in law school following her late mother’s wishes. After earning a first-class honours degree in law from the University of Singapore, she took up pupillage under renowned criminal lawyer David Marshall, who was Singapore’s first elected Chief Minister. Her father, the well-known journalist Gerald de Cruz, grew up in the same neighbourhood as Marshall, and her mother had worked as his secretary.

In 1976, she joined Drew & Napier’s shipping division, and later moved to its commercial department, where she became a partner. She was mentored by GP Selvam (later Justice GP Selvam) and was also inspired by the firm’s senior partner Joseph Grimberg. She was one of a few female lawyers in the legal profession then.

Justice Prakash recounted: “In the State Courts, which were then called the District and Magistrate Courts, there were perhaps one or two women magistrates. Jenny Lau, who was appointed Singapore’s first female District Judge in 1966, was the sole flag bearer for many years. Women in law, whether in the legal service or practice, were expected to do solicitor’s desk jobs, rather than go to court and do the more ‘glamorous’ headline-making work.”

Much has changed in the 50 years that have passed, since she joined the profession. Justice Prakash said, “When I was growing up, society was still thinking in a binary fashion: Men did this, and women did that, and you should not stray out of your sphere. If girls are given the chance to do things, to take leadership positions, they will become more confident in their abilities.”

That has been exactly what she sought to do. In the same interview with the magazine, she shared that she was one of the early members of the Singapore Association of Women Lawyers, which was set up in 1974. She also chaired the Raffles Girls’ School Board of Governors for 25 years, from 1996 to 2021, where she supported the school’s development of pedagogy and pastoral programmes.

On receiving this award, Justice Prakash said: “It is a great honour to receive this prestigious award for a career that has given me so much in my life—not just intellectual challenge but also an opportunity to help solve people’s problems and, along the way, contribute to the development of Singapore law as well.”

Until 2022, Justice Prakash was the Lead Judge for arbitration matters. Her judgments, particularly on arbitration and commercial law, have had significant influence both domestically and internationally. Justice Prakash retired in December 2023 and returned as Senior Judge in January 2024. She also sits on the Boards of Trustees of the Singapore Indian Development Association and The Eurasian Association.

Beyond her stern demeanor in her role as one of the pioneer female judges in Singapore, what is perhaps lesser said of her, but no less true, is her caring nature. Abraham Vergis, senior counsel and managing director of Providence Law Asia, said this of her in the Her World profile story: “She has always maintained her humanity, and she never lost her common touch, and that’s really what makes Justice Prakash such a special person to me.”