SENIOR District Judge Richard Magnus retires today, after 40 years in the legal service.

His role as the top judge in the Subordinate Courts will be taken over by former Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) director Tan Siong Thye.

Before his 16-year run as Senior District Judge, Mr Magnus, 63, was a District Judge and also head of the Defence Ministry's legal department.

He was awarded a Public Administration Gold Medal in 1994, and the Public Administration Gold Bar in 2003.

As Senior District Judge, he presided over many of the biggest cases in the lower courts.

He was the trial judge for rogue trader Nick Leeson and, in a landmark case in 2005, sentenced two young men to prison for posting racist remarks about Muslims and Malays on the Internet.

In 1998, he raised the sentencing benchmark for motor vehicle theft and snatch theft, while in 2004, he chaired a committee of inquiry into the collapse of Nicoll Highway, which killed four workers.

He also played a key role in transforming Singapore's judicial system into one of the most efficient in the world.

These include the setting up of a virtual court, laying the foundation for the Subordinate Courts' judicial education programmes and clinching the coveted Singapore Quality Award in 2006 for organisational excellence.

Lawyer Shashi Nathan said Mr Magnus left the Subordinate Courts in a 'very healthy state'.

'It's been extremely efficient and a lot of innovations, such as the Bail Court, have been introduced during his tenure. However, the new Senior District Judge is also a man of extensive experience. I think the transition should be very smooth,' he said.

Another lawyer, Mr K. Anparasan, a deputy managing partner at KhattarWong, described Mr Magnus as a 'compassionate and fair man' who administered justice efficiently by clearing a lot of backlogged cases.

'It will be a big loss,' he said.

Mr Tan, 54, will be sworn in to his new post tomorrow before Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong.

He had graduated from the then-University of Singapore law school in 1979 and joined the Attorney-General's Chambers.

Seven years later, in 1986, he was posted to the Subordinate Courts, where he stayed until 1998.

After pursuing an overseas postgraduate scholarship for his Master of Law degree in the University of London, he returned to the legal service here.

Soon after, Mr Tan was appointed head of the CAD, which deals with white-collar crime. He was awarded the Public Administration Gold Medal in 2003.

He left the post as CAD director in May this year and rejoined the Subordinate Courts as Principal District Judge.

limjess@sph.com.sg

Additional reporting by Sujin Thomas