Norma Yaakob

Tan Sri Dato' Seri Siti Norma binti Yaakob (6 July 1940 – 13 March 2026) was a Malaysian lawyer and judge, noted for being the first woman to become Chief Judge of Malaya. After completing her legal studies in London, England and being called to the bar in 1962, Siti Norma returned to Malaysia and worked her way up through the judicial system. She was the first Malaysian woman barrister of Malay heritage and the first woman to take up an executive position in the government's legal service, and she achieved many more "firsts" as she advanced in her career, finally becoming Chief Judge in 2005.

Siti Norma was the first Malaysian to be elected president of the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association (2006–2009). She was a Companion of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia and a Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm.

Early life and education Siti Norma Yaakob was born on 6 July 1940 in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. Their father, Inche Ya'akob bin Taha, was an employee of first the state Religious Affairs Department and later the State Land Development Board. Siti Norma attended the Rahang Malay School as a child, then later travelled to London, England to study law. In July 1962, she was called to the bar as a member of Gray's Inn.

Career In June 1963, Siti Norma began work as an assistant registrar at the Federal Courts. This marked the first time a woman had joined the Malaysian government's legal service in an executive capacity.

As Siti Norma's career advanced, she broke through many more gender barriers in the Malaysian judicial system. She was the first Malaysian woman to become a High Court judge (1983), a Court of Appeal judge (1994), a Federal Court judge (2001), and finally the Chief Judge of Malaya (2005),

After her retirement from the judicial system, Siti Norma was appointed Pro-Chancellor of the University of Malaya in September 2007. She has since joined the boards of several public companies,

Personal life and death Siti Norma married a mining consultant

Honours and professional associations In 1978, Siti Norma was appointed a Companion of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (Johan Setia Mahkota or J.S.M.)

Siti Norma received awards from the Eisenhower Exchange Fellowships (1990), the Women Development Institute Fellowship (1988), and the Ministry of Women and Family Development and the Association of Women Graduates Malaysia (2001).