To be a judge one shoul be an expert in law and not just knowlegeable in it. This is to allow a fair judgement may it be an acquittal or conviction to the accused. In the case of conviction, proper determination of the punishment is crucial on the part of the accused as well as the judge. If the latter is not an expert in law he may not be able to see the case in all its angle to come up with a judgement which is right and just. Otherwise, he may impose punishments which may not be equivalent to the crime committed or worst he may pronounce conviction instead of its rightful acquittal. As what I have observed during our court visit, this not only true in rendering the judgement but it is also equally true during a trial. Both parties, the complainant and the defendant together with there respective counsels, were trying to convince the judge to agree on there legal arguments. If the judge is not an expert in law he maybe easily manipulated by these arguments. Another quality that I have observed of the judge is that he must be a keen observer especially during the presentation of evidence in court. The judge that we have visited was kind enough to us some insights regarding what happened during the presentation of evidence which is a knife during the trial. He noted to us that the prosecution have some lapses during such presentation. According to him an unsheathed knife is not considered a knife in court. As I recalled what happened I did not realize that the knife was still unsheathed. Only after he said that to us that I realized the importance of such little things which was considered immaterial by the prosecution. These little things may have significant roles in the determination of the fate of the accused. If the judge is not that keen observer he may overlook such small details. Being independent and impartial of the judge are another must have qualities of a judge. During the trial that we attended the judge did not make comments that would tend to imply bias to one of the parties. He only spoke if he had something to clarify or if he had to say something about some irregularities or if he had some instructions to give. I believe this very important to maintain the integrity of the judge and of the courts of justice. These qualities were not just in fact but also in its appearance. I was amazed how those judges were so, shall I say intimidating, because they spoke and acted with such authority that it seemed that there every word must be carried out and yet still very humble and kind outside the court.
