DOHA • Male lawyers in Qatar are opposed to women being appointed as judges and say if at all, they should be restricted to family courts.

A woman is emotionally and physiologically not geared to fit in the role of a judge since the job demands a balanced disposition, said Waleed Abu Nida, a lawyer.

Women are showing excellence in almost every field in Qatar and walking shoulder to shoulder with men, but dispensing justice is not their cup of tea. "It is entirely the male's domain," said Lawyer Mohsen Thiyab Al Suwaidi.

"We, however, support the idea of women judges in the family courts," he said. Women are physiologically not geared to be in a judge's role since their performance can be affected during menstrual cycle, pregnancy and delivery," argued Al Suwaidi.

The Peninsula was seeking the views of the legal fraternity on whether women should be appointed as judges in the Qatari courts after media reported yesterday the UAE had decided to have females in the profession, triggered a debate here.

According to Abu Nida, even if a woman is picked as a judge, her performance would be good for a limited period. "It's rare to have a female judge with a stable track record throughout her career," he said.

Isam Mehfooz, from Mohamed Nasser Fudala's Lawyer's Firm, said he was not opposed to women being inducted as judges but quickly referred to the family courts where he said he saw a more important role for them.

As for criminal courts, Mehfooz said he didn't think that would be the kind of court where a female would be able to fit in as a judge.

"I think there are enough signs here indicating that women may soon begin entering the judicial profession. The number of women lawyers is increasing and, recently, a female has been picked as a Public Prosecutor," said Mehfooz.

Having women as judges in the Arab world is not a new development, according to Abu Nida. "Five months ago, a woman was appointed a judge in Egypt," he said. "But they shouldn't be. They are emotionally disposed which can be disadvantageous for a judge's job," argued Abu Nida.

Historically, all religions in the world are opposed to having females as judges, he said.

There are verses in the Holy Quran and some Hadith (Traditions of the Prophet-PBUH) against women being appointed as judges, Al Suwaidi said.

But a woman lawyer, who asked not to be named, was highly critical of her male counterparts and said their opinion that females should not be allowed to become judges was biased.

"A judge has to base his or her decision on points of law and evidence, so where is the question of emotion and physiology being involved in it. There is no reason why we can't become judges," she said.

"In Qatar, women have proved their worth in every conceivable field, so why they shouldn't be allowed to enter the judicial profession," she asked.