Dato’ Sri Mariana Hj Yahya is a Partner at Halim Hong & Quek and a distinguished former Judge of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia, with over four decades of experience in the Judicial and Legal Service and the Judiciary. Her extensive career encompasses appellate adjudication, civil and criminal proceedings, complex commercial disputes, judicial review, public law and judicial administration.

At HHQ, Dato’ Sri Mariana focuses on corporate social responsibility and voluntary service, while drawing on her extensive judicial experience to provide strategic legal insight where appropriate. Her background at the appellate level gives her a distinctive perspective on legal risk, case assessment, appellate strategy and the resolution of complex legal issues.

Following her retirement from the Bench on 2 June 2025, she was admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya on 10 November 2025. Her transition from the Bench to the Bar brings together decades of judicial experience with her present role in legal practice, allowing her to contribute both to client-facing matters and to the wider professional and institutional work of the firm.

Dato’ Sri Mariana brings more than four decades of distinguished experience in the Judicial and Legal Service and the Judiciary. Beginning her career in 1984, she served in a wide range of judicial and legal appointments, including as Magistrate, Assistant Director of the Legal Aid Bureau, Deputy Registrar of the High Court, Sessions Court Judge, Senior Federal Counsel at the Attorney General’s Chambers, and Senior Sessions Court Judge.

She was appointed Judicial Commissioner of the High Court in 2007 and elevated to Judge of the High Court of Malaya in 2010. In 2021, she was elevated to the Court of Appeal, where she served until her retirement in 2025. Her career reflects extensive experience across the courts, public law and government legal service, culminating in 18 years on the superior court Bench.

Throughout her judicial tenure, Dato’ Sri Mariana delivered 1,629 written judgments in civil matters and 113 in criminal matters. Many have been published in leading legal journals and continue to serve as authoritative references for legal practitioners. This substantial body of judicial work reflects the breadth and depth of her experience across civil and criminal proceedings, particularly at the appellate level.

Her reported decisions span civil, commercial, constitutional, administrative and criminal law. Amongst her reported decisions are Lim Tuck Sun v Celcom Malaysia Bhd & Ors and Another Appeal, Attorney General of Malaysia v Maria Chin Abdullah, Muthukumar M Sinnathamby v Public Prosecutor and Another Appeal, Residenmas Development Sdn Bhd v YM Raja Halinuddin Raja Halid, Muhammad Shafee Md Abdullah v Attorney General & Ors and Another Case, and Public Prosecutor v Asni Omar.

Beyond legal practice and judicial service, Dato’ Sri Mariana has maintained a longstanding commitment to the advancement of the legal profession and its institutions. She was a member of the Special Task Force Committee on the Establishment of the Intellectual Property Court of Malaysia, coordinated the Judicial Appointments Commission’s Outreach Programme from 2012 to 2013, and has served as an Executive Committee Member of the Inns of Court Malaysia since 2020. These roles reflect her continuing commitment to legal institutional development, professional education and service to the wider legal community.