Court of Appeal judges Tay Yong Kwang and Steven Chong to retire in September

Justice Tay Yong Kwang and Justice Steven Chong Horng Siong will be stepping down as Justices of the Court of Appeal in September after decades of service.

Their last days of service — on September 2 and September 22 respectively — were announced by the Singapore Courts in a statement on Thursday (Aug 20).

Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, on behalf of the judiciary, expressed his gratitude to the two retiring justices, noting that they have made "immense contributions" to the administration of justice in Singapore.

'An exception character'

Justice Tay's judicial career has spanned more than four decades.

He started his judicial career with the Supreme Court in 1981, and became an assistant registrar and then a deputy registrar.

The 69-year-old later served as a district judge at the Subordinate Courts, now known as the State Courts, for six years from 1991.

In January 2003, Justice Tay was appointed judicial commissioner and later a High Court judge. He became a Justice of the Court of Appeal in August 2016.

Justice Tay specialises in criminal law, public and administrative law. He also serves as chairman of an advisory board under the Internal Security Act, the sentencing advisory panel, and the legal assistance scheme for capital offences appointments committee.

Chief Justice Menon noted that Justice Tay's judicial career of more than four decades has been marked by the highest standards of judicial excellence and integrity.

He said that Justice Tay is a judge of exceptional character, adding that his approach has always been calm, measured and conscientious.

"His judgments have made a lasting impact on Singapore’s jurisprudence, and his tireless leadership of key committees beyond the Bench has been a testament to his commitment to the administration of justice," Chief Justice Menon said.

Incisive, rigorous and analytical legal mind: Justice Steven Chong

Justice Steven Chong, who formerly served as Singapore's seventh attorney-general between 2012 and 2014, was appointed judicial commissioner of the Supreme Court in October 2009.

In June 2010, he became a High Court judge.

After serving as attorney-general, Justice Chong returned to the bench and was reappointed as High Court Judge in June 2014. He was later made Justice of the Court of Appeal in April 2017.

Justice Chong specialises in finance, securities, banking, banking, complex commercial cases, arbitration, company, insolvency, trusts, shipping and insurance.

He also chairs the Admiralty Court Users' Committee, the specialist accreditation scheme for shipping law and the working group of the professional conduct council.

Since December 2020, Justice Chong has been the appointed expert member of the International Commercial Expert Committee of the Supreme People’s Court of the People's Republic of China, which supports the China International Commercial Court.

Chief Justice Menon said Justice Chong brought to the bench a breadth of experience that few can match. 

"Known for his incisive, rigorous and analytical legal mind, Justice Chong has made significant contributions across a wide range of legal disciplines," the Chief Justice said, adding that the 68-year-old's appointment to the International Commercial Expert Committee reflects the international recognition of his judicial acumen.

The Chief Justice also noted that Justice Chong is much admired for his humility, warm and patience.

"(He) is held in great esteem by all who have worked alongside him," Chief Justice Menon added.

Justice Teh Hwee Hwee's appointment as Presiding Judge of the Family Justice Courts extended

In its Thursday statement, the Singapore Courts also announced that President Tharman Shanmugaratnam has extended the appointment of Justice Teh Hwee Hwee as the Presiding Judge of the Family Justice Courts for a period of three years, from Oct 1.

Justice Teh was appointed to this role in October 2023.

According to the Singapore Courts, Justice Teh has been instrumental in driving a number of major reforms including championing the use of mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution in the resolution of legal disputes. 

She is also said to have played a key role in the setting up of the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC) and leading the team responsible for the development and implementation of the SICC Rules 2021, and overseeing the establishment of the Appellate Division of the High Court.

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editor@asiaone.com