SINGAPORE - Judicial commissioner Vincent Hoong will become a High Court judge in January next year, the Prime Minister's Office announced on Friday (Nov 15).

His appointment by President Halimah Yacob, on the advice of the Prime Minister, comes after he became a judicial commissioner of the Supreme Court in April this year.

With over 34 years of experience in both the judiciary and legal service, Mr Hoong was previously a registrar, district judge and the chief executive of the Singapore Land Authority.

The President also appointed, on the advice of the Prime Minister, Mr Mohan Ramamirtha Subbaraman as a judicial commissioner of the Supreme Court from January next year, for a period of two years.

Mr Mohan, who is the managing director of Resource Law, was called to the Bar in 1993.

Besides specialising in maritime, shipping and international trade disputes, he has acted as counsel in contentious commercial matters involving employment law, shareholder disputes and insolvency.

He was also among the first group of legal practitioners to be accredited as senior accredited specialists in maritime and shipping law this year by the Singapore Academy of Law. He is also on the panel of arbitrators of the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration and a fellow of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators.

With the new appointments, the Supreme Court will have a total of 24 judges - including four Judges of Appeal and the Chief Justice - as well as four judicial commissioners, four senior judges and 18 international judges.

The swearing-in ceremony for both appointees will take place on Jan 3 at the Istana.