Of Apples and Oranges — Rethinking the Comparison Between Advocates and Judicial Officers

This column reflects on the differences between the practice phase of advocates and the adjudicative role of judicial officers. It argues that comparing years of service or number of cases alone masks the qualitative differences in responsibilities between the Bar and the Bench. The piece emphasises that both roles are complementary rather than hierarchical, and the justice system benefits from mutual respect rather than contest of “who has more experience”.