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Becoming a judge or another juridical worker - Printable Version

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Becoming a judge or another juridical worker - Maximilian - 06-24-2017

Hello dear Rabbis and Community,

My question is:

Is it suitable for a Noahide to become a judge or another juridical person who works in court? As a judge you have to serve the national law, which sometimes contradicts the noahide law.
Doesn't a judge put the national law above the noahide law and isn't that some type of disrespect to G-d and the G-dly Law?

Thank you very much!


RE: Becoming a judge or another juridical worker - Director Michael - 06-25-2017

B"H.
This might be a potential conflict. Even if a Noahide becomes an official judge in the court system of his ruling government, he is not permitted to transgress, or lead others to transgress, the specific 7 Noahide Laws. So if a Noahide wants to become a judge or a court worker, he should find a type or level of judgeship that will not deal with cases in which the governmental law permits things that are forbidden by the 7 Laws. For example, if his position as a judge would require him to conduct or certify same-sex "marriages" (G-d forbid), he would be forbidden to do so. The same would apply to conducting or certifying a marriage of a Jew to a Gentile. Another problem would be conducting the court case of someone accused of a capital crime (under the government's law), in which the possible execution of the accused person would be decided by a jury of non-judges, or by evidence that is non-valid under Noahide Law. If there is a type of judgeship for matters of business law or civil law suits, or small-claims court, etc., there would be less chance of any such conflicting issues. In matters of commerce and torts, there is much more leeway for societies for enact relevant laws according to their own understanding, as long as those laws are consistent, fair and just.
On the other hand, if a Noahide is interested in participating in his society's political system, it is good to be elected or appointed to a political office - like a congressman or a member of parliament, who votes for or against new laws and policies. He can use his position as a law-maker to guide the laws of his society in the direction of consistency with the 7 Commandments. For example, he could work for laws to make elective abortions or euthanasia or same-sex marriage illegal. Those are positions that are usually taken by the "conservative" political parties.