‘Judges should be superhuman’: The invisible burden behind the bench

When conflict erupts, a disaster occurs, or a political crisis occurs, the courts are one of the few institutions that are expected to remain functional – to ensure the rule of law is maintained.

Judges continue to hear criminal cases, seeking to protect constitutional rights and ensure accountability for lawbreakers, often while they work under the same daily pressures as the communities they serve.

Yet for decades, little attention has been paid to the welfare of those entrusted to deliver justice.

“The judge seemed to float along the bench with effortless poise, like a swan on the mirror surface of a lake,” said Hon. Rangajeeva Wimalasena, Judge of the National Court and Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea, in an in-depth interview with UN News.

“But beneath the mirror-like surface of that lake, there is an enormous struggle,” he added, using an analogy from Lord Edward Pearce, the eminent English Law.

In front of international day designed to highlight the resilience and importance of the judiciary’s work, Judge Wimalasena illustrates how supporting judges is not just a workplace issue but is the foundation of fair, impartial and effective justice.

Annual commemorations follow implementation Nauru Declaration on the Welfare of the Judiciarydeveloped through United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) by 2024, which encourages courts and governments to recognize the importance of the well-being of the judiciary worldwide.

Deeper and wider

Judge Wimalasena argued that the welfare of his profession was misunderstood:

“When you say welfare of the judiciary, a lot of people think that it is the welfare of individual judges… making them live a very comfortable and happy lifestyle” he said. “But what is meant by judicial welfare is much deeper and broader.”

For generations, he explains, judges have been expected to carry the emotional burden of their work in silence.

“Judicial pressure considered taboo because society always expects…judges to be superhuman.”

This hope, according to Judge Wimalasena, ignores the fact that judges routinely deal with traumatic evidence, coupled with the large number of cases and decisions that can change the course of people’s lives.

If these pressures are not addressed, the consequences will go beyond the responsibilities of individual judges. “If judges do not maintain the welfare of the judiciary, this can actually affect the quality of justice,” he said.

Increased pressure

These pressures can be even greater in countries affected by conflict, political violence and environmental disasters.

This fact is one of the reasons the Nauru Declaration emphasizes that judicial welfare initiatives must reflect local conditions.

“Several countries experience situations of conflict and political violence, war, and even natural disasters,” explained Judge Wimalasena. “Judges face very unique and specific challenges in a context like this.”

Supporting judges in situations like these helps maintain the rule of law when it is under the most pressure.

Increased worry

Recent research has begun to measure the impact of judicial work on judges’ well-being.

Judge Wimalasena referred to research conducted by the Judicial Council of Canada in 2026 that found a link between poor sleep quality among judges and a lack of rest and higher levels of cognitive stress.

“Sleep is not a personal luxury according to the judge,” he said. “It supports concentration, memory, emotional regulation, and decision making.”

Simply put, according to him, the quality of a judge’s sleep can directly influence the quality of justice provided.

At the same time, traditional pressures are exacerbated by new challenges.

Judge Wimalasena highlighted the findings of a pilot study conducted through the Global Judicial Well-being Research Hub, which identified compulsive social media use and online harassment as emerging concerns for judges.

Many respondents said their institutions do not have clear procedures to support judges dealing with online attacks.

“Social media is an emerging challenge” he said, noting that online abuse and compulsive social media use is affecting judges’ “sleep, concentration and time management.”

Public trust

For him, the most important thing is the community served by the judge. Courts determine whether victims receive justice, families resolve disputes fairly, constitutional rights are protected and the government is held accountable.

Their decisions shape the economy, strengthen the rule of law and influence people’s trust in public institutions.

“The work of the judiciary affects every element of our society,” he said.

Protecting the people who deliver justice is ultimately an investment for everyone who depends on it.