THE following lines illustrate the kind of humane justice that can be achieved when a judge embraces mercy without compromising the law. This is a true story about an Egyptian judge who became the subject of widespread admiration. Counselor Hisham El-Sherif, who became known after this case as the “Judge of Mercy”, is its hero. The story began during a court session in Bab al-Khalq district, south of Cairo. The defendant, a distressed woman, stood before the court accused of squandering a sum of money based on a promissory note she had signed. Notably, this judge was known for his reluctance to place women in the defendant’s dock. The woman, in her late forties, had been imprisoned and remained detained for failing to pay bail. Her poor condition was striking.
The judge asked her, “Why didn’t you pay the seven thousand pounds?” With a voice trembling with tears and fear, she replied that the amount was not seven thousand pounds, but only one thousand. She explained that she had borrowed the thousand pounds to purchase goods from the merchant after signing a promissory note for seven thousand pounds. When she fell behind on payments, the merchant filed a complaint against her, and he was represented in court by his daughter, who was a lawyer. The woman said she had been paying installments of sixty pounds per month, but her circumstances prevented her from continuing. The merchant refused to wait and submitted the promissory note to the Public Prosecution.
Meanwhile, the judge turned to the lawyer and asked, “Is what the woman is saying true?” The lawyer replied that she did not know the truth. The judge then turned to the defendant and inquired about her social situation, learning that she was a widow raising three orphaned daughters. Looking at her, the judge said, “We will resolve this, God willing,” before adjourning the session. Before entering the deliberation room, the judge addressed the lawyers, saying, “I know you are honorable and compassionate people who will not hesitate to help.” He then took the money from his pocket and said, “This five hundred pounds is all I have. I don’t know which of the honorable counselors will join me in paying this woman’s debt.” Placing the amount on the table, the judge thanked those present and left for the deliberation room. At that moment, the lawyers began competing to donate toward paying the woman’s debt. One of them donated 1,000 pounds, and others quickly followed, ultimately raising more than 8,000 pounds.
Before that, the lawyer, who was the merchant’s daughter, had hurried out of the courtroom to call her father and inform him of the situation. She then returned to the courtroom, where the judge summoned her to the deliberation room. Sitting behind his desk, the judge gestured to her and said, “There are 7,000 pounds here. Come, take the money and reconcile with the defendant so we can release her.” He gestured again, inviting her to take the money. But to everyone’s surprise, the lawyer said her father had instructed her to accept no more than 500 pounds, the remaining balance of the debt.
The judge thanked the lawyer and smiled as he looked around at the lawyers who had filled the courtroom. He said, “I think she took the 500 pounds I put out of my pocket,” and everyone laughed. The judge then interrupted, saying, “I think you don’t want God to deprive you of the reward for your participation.” The lawyers responded with raised voices in agreement. Turning to the defendant, the judge held out the remaining eight thousand pounds and said, “This is from God to you.” The courtroom erupted in cheers of joy as everyone rushed forward to witness the moment. This was a testament to the presence of a compassionate judge.
