Kadis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A judge or magistrate in Islamic law responsible for deciding cases according to Sharia principles and legal precedents
2. An official empowered to preside over legal disputes and administer justice within an Islamic judicial system; one who interprets religious and civil codes to deliver rulings
3. A judicial authority figure in Muslim communities who evaluates evidence and arguments to resolve civil or criminal matters under religious law guidelines

Etymology: "Kadis" is simply the plural of "kadi," an Islamic religious judge. The singular came into English through Ottoman Turkish, where the word was written قاضی (kadı), and it ultimately derives from the Arabic qāḍī, meaning "judge." Arabic qāḍī comes from a root associated with judging and deciding, so the word traces back to the same idea of adjudication that runs through the legal vocabulary of the Islamic world. Because the word passed through Ottoman Turkish before reaching English, it reflects the legal administration of the Ottoman Empire as much as classical Arabic usage. English speakers often met the term in travel writing and accounts of Ottoman courts, which is where the Turkish spelling and sound left their mark.

Synonyms: judge, magistrate, justice, jurist, arbiter

Antonyms: defendant, accused, litigant