Collin Lawrence Sequerah Biography: Age, Origin, Family, Wikipedia, Career And Controversy With With Ex-minister Najib Razak

Collin Lawrence Sequerah Biography

Collin Lawrence Sequerah was born on October 21, 1960, in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. He trained in law both in the United Kingdom and in Malaysia. Over the years he moved from private legal practice into the judiciary, steadily rising through the courts to reach the top levels of the Malaysian bench. His career has placed him at the center of several high-profile trials that shaped public debate about corruption, rule of law, and institutional reform in Malaysia. Collin Lawrence Sequerah is 65 years old as of 2025.

Sequerah combines international legal training with long experience in Malaysian courts. He holds degrees that show a mix of common-law education and local postgraduate study, a background that prepared him for both complex commercial cases and sensitive criminal trials. His name became widely known to the public when he presided over important parts of the 1MDB litigation, a case that drew attention around the world because of its size and political implications.

Collin Lawrence Sequerah Education

Collin Lawrence Sequerah’s legal formation mixes international and local training. He earned an LL.B (Hons) from the University of London in 1984, then was called to the Bar of England and Wales at Lincoln’s Inn on 26 November 1985. Seeking further study in Malaysia, he completed an LL.M with distinction from Universiti Malaya in 2006. These qualifications gave him strong grounding in common law principles and sharpened his skills in complex commercial and criminal law. His educational path—UK undergraduate law followed by postgraduate study at a leading Malaysian university—prepared him to handle both transnational legal questions and sensitive domestic trials.

Collin Lawrence Sequerah Career

Collin Lawrence Sequerah’s legal career began in private practice. He worked as a legal assistant and later became a partner in law firms where he dealt with corporate, finance and securities work. After nearly thirty years in private practice, he joined the bench as a Judicial Commissioner in June 2014 and was later elevated to High Court Judge and then to the Court of Appeal. In January 2023 he was listed as a judge of the Court of Appeal and in late 2025 he was appointed to sit at the Federal Court, marking his status among Malaysia’s senior jurists.

His judicial work covers a wide range of cases, from criminal law to business disputes. In recent years he became best known for handling complex and politically sensitive corruption trials. In the 1MDB-related proceedings, Sequerah took charge of multi-year hearings that examined whether high-level public figures had abused power and laundered public funds. In delivering rulings, he has focused on strict rules of evidence and on asking whether the prosecution proved a prima facie case before ordering a defendant to answer. His approach reflects a careful, detailed reading of evidence and a commitment to procedure, which judges say is vital in large, complicated trials.

Beyond courtroom decisions, Sequerah’s promotions through the judicial ranks reflect trust from the legal system in his competence and fairness. Being named to the Federal Court in December 2025 further positioned him to handle appeals and to sit on panels that resolve the most difficult points of law in Malaysia. His career path — from private practice to High Court, then Court of Appeal and Federal Court — is typical of judges who take on the country’s most important legal questions.

Collin Lawrence Sequerah Personal Life

Official records list his professional milestones and honors but do not widely report details about his family life, religion, or private relationships. In Malaysia, judges often maintain a low private profile to preserve public confidence in their independence and to avoid perceptions of partiality. What is clear from public information is that Sequerah has spent many years inside the legal world, first as a lawyer and then as a judge, and that he moved through roles that demand discretion and professionalism.

People describe judges like Sequerah as people who value procedural fairness and steady temperament. These qualities matter in cases with heavy political overtones, because the public watches closely and every step of the trial is scrutinized. While biographical summaries do not supply family details, they do emphasize Sequerah’s long service, academic credentials and awards that mark his standing in the legal community.

Collin Lawrence Sequerah Controversy With Minister Najib Razak

Collin Lawrence Sequerah’s name became linked with a controversy that gripped Malaysia and attracted global attention when he presided over parts of the 1MDB-related trials involving former prime minister Najib Razak. In the final rulings that concluded a long trial, the court under Sequerah’s authority found the defence explanation that the funds were a Saudi donation to be not credible and concluded that the money originated from 1MDB. The verdicts included findings that forged documents had been tendered to support the donation claim, and the judge delivered a strong condemnation of attempts to portray the accused as an unwitting victim. These findings formed the legal basis for a substantial conviction and sentencing that drew headlines worldwide.

In December 2025, Sequerah sentenced Najib to additional prison time and imposed very large fines and asset recovery orders after finding him guilty on counts tied to abuse of power and money laundering. The sentence added to the former prime minister’s earlier convictions, and the case formed a major chapter in Malaysia’s confrontation with the 1MDB scandal. The judge’s written and oral remarks in court were widely reported; he criticized the defence’s evidence and insisted that the origin and use of the funds had been proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Those statements drew strong reactions from both legal commentators and political actors.

Defence lawyers called parts of the judgment flawed and said they would appeal, while supporters of accountability welcomed the court’s insistence on proof and process. The trial also raised broader questions about judicial independence, the pace and fairness of proceedings in politically charged cases, and the role of the courts in restoring public trust after allegations of large-scale corruption. Sequerah’s rulings and the way he managed a long, complex trial will be studied for years by lawyers and scholars interested in how high courts handle cases that mix law, politics and public anger.

Conclusion

Collin Lawrence Sequerah is a senior Malaysian judge whose career moved from private law practice into the country’s higher courts. His education and long legal experience prepared him to handle difficult and high-profile cases. In recent years he became the presiding judge in parts of the 1MDB litigation, a role that placed him at the heart of debates about corruption, evidence and public accountability. The rulings he issued in those cases won both praise and criticism. His promotion to the Federal Court confirms his standing in the judiciary and means his decisions will continue to shape Malaysian law for the coming years.

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Dave

Dave Bred writes about loans, budgeting, and money management and has 17 years of experience in finance journalism. He holds a BSc and an MSc in Economics and turns complex financial topics into simple, practical advice that helps readers make smarter money decisions.