Retired judge Choo Han Teck on how law was never his first love and what he's learnt from 30 years on the bench

The veteran judge whose career spanned 30 years sat down with CNA TODAY for an exclusive interview on his illustrious career, what makes a good judge and his views on the death penalty.

For many years, this was the question that my colleagues and I would eagerly ask whenever a particular High Court judge was presiding over a case: "Have you seen the latest Choo Han Teck judgment?"

Justice Choo had a longstanding reputation among court reporters like myself for delivering succinct and often tongue-in-cheek judgments. 

One memorable example: In January 2026, the now-retired Mr Choo outlined, in one of his last judgments, why he rejected an appeal by a man against an interim divorce judgment.

He wryly noted that the man "may have a weak heart, but it stoutly persisted in perfectly timed failures – nine times – either on the eve of court proceedings or on the day of the proceedings itself".The 72-year-old was just as sharp in wit and open in person when I interviewed him earlier this month in his split-level house, tucked away in a leafy suburb in western Singapore. At one point in our three-hour conversation, he candidly admitted to me that he was personally against the death penalty. 

"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, who in his 30-year career as a judge sentenced about 30 people to death.