Q&A: Is a secular judge fit to adjudicate?
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Is a secular judge fit to adjudicate?
Question
Is a judge who desecrates the Sabbath, or a woman, fit to adjudicate in civil and criminal law?
Answer
A judge who desecrates the Sabbath is disqualified from adjudicating in any kind of case. Of course, that is only according to Jewish law. The rules of the law of the land are determined by the state, not by Jewish law.
Regarding a woman, according to most opinions she is disqualified, but there are minority opinions that do not see her as disqualified from adjudicating.