Two High Court judges' terms to be extended

The tenure of Justice Tan Siong Thye (left) will be extended from tomorrow while that of Justice Woo Bih Li will be effective from Dec 31.
The tenure of Justice Tan Siong Thye (left) will be extended from tomorrow while that of Justice Woo Bih Li will be effective from Dec 31.

Two High Court judges will have their appointments extended by two years after their current terms end, the Supreme Court announced yesterday.

Justice Tan Siong Thye's tenure will be extended from tomorrow while Justice Woo Bih Li's extension will be effective from Dec 31.

Justice Tan was appointed judicial commissioner in October 2013 and rose to become High Court judge nine months later.

He left the post in February 2015 to become deputy attorney-general before returning in April 2017.

As a judge, his areas of focus include matters related to building and construction, shipbuilding, company and insolvency, as well as tort claims.

Justice Tan was presented with the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2003 and Public Administration Medal (Gold Bar) in 2011.

He is currently chairman of the expert panel of Singapore Management University's Pro Bono Centre.

Justice Woo was appointed judicial commissioner in May 2000 and elevated to a High Court judge in January 2003.

His areas of speciality include banking and complex commercial cases, as well as tort claims, public law and judicial review matters.

He was in private practice before joining the Supreme Court, and was appointed a senior counsel in 1997.

With the two reappointments, the Supreme Court will have a total of 20 judges - including the Chief Justice and four judges of appeal - seven judicial commissioners, four senior judges and 16 international judges.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 21, 2019, with the headline Two High Court judges' terms to be extended. Subscribe