PUBLISHED ONOctober 01, 2025 7:45 AMBYSean LerThe State Courts will see a leadership change with Justice Christopher Tan succeeding Justice Vincent Hoong as Presiding Judge of the State Courts from Jan 1, 2026.
According to the judiciary's website, the Presiding Judge has overall responsibility for the leadership and management of the State Courts which consist of the coroners', district and magistrates' courts, and the tribunals for community disputes resolution, employment claims and small claims.
Justice Tan was one of three new Supreme Court judges appointed on Aug 1.
Prior to his appointment as Judicial Commissioner in 2023, he concurrently held the positions of registrar of the State Courts and deputy presiding judge of the State Courts.
A career legal service officer, he has served in various agencies including the Attorney-General's Chambers, Competition Commission of Singapore and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Justice Tan's areas of focus include criminal trials, defamation and professional negligence.
Welcoming Justice Tan as the new Presiding Judge of the State Courts, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said: "I am confident that the State Courts will continue to advance their mission towards accessible justice through quality judgements, appropriate dispute resolution and innovative court services under his leadership."
Justice Hoong was appointed Presiding Judge of the State Courts in April 2020. His appointment as a High Court judge and Presiding Judge of the State Courts was extended in April 2022 upon reaching the retirement age of 65.
In April this year, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam again extended Justice Hoong's appointment till the end of 2025.
Justice Hoong held various judicial appointments in the Supreme Court and then-Subordinate Courts before being posted in 1997 to the Singapore Land Registry, a department of the Ministry of Law.
He was then seconded to the Singapore Land Authority four years later, including serving as its chief executive between 2009 and 2015.
Justice Hoong was appointed Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court in April 2019 and became a High Court Judge in Jan 2020.
He was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2015.
In his tribute, Chief Justice Menon said Justice Hoong "has contributed significantly" to our jurisprudence having authored a number of important and influential judgements especially in sentencing".
The veteran judge is no stranger to high-profile cases, including increasing sentences of offenders upon appeal.
Justice Hoong was the sentencing judge in the case of Xavier Yap, who killed his autistic twin sons in 2022.
He was also the sentencing judge for former Transport Minister S Iswaran in 2024.
Said Chief Justice Menon: "I am deeply grateful to Justice Hoong who has led the State Courts with great distinction. He successfully led the State Courts through the pandemic, and ensured the operational stability of the Courts, thus preventing the build-up of a substantial backlog and then led the effort to rapidly clear what had accumulated.
"He has my deepest appreciation for his distinguished service to the judiciary and to the wider public service."
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