MAY • ISSUE 1/2021 JUDICIARY TIMES P2 P3 P4 Opening of the Legal Year Family Justice Courts State Courts Hold 2021: Administering Justice in Workplan Seminar 2021: IFCE Workshops for the Face of Adversities A New Tomorrow ASEAN Judiciaries CONTENTS HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS Opening of the Legal Year 2021: 02 Opening of the Legal Year 2021: Administering Justice in the Face of Adversities Administering Justice in the On 11 January, the Opening of the Legal Year was streamed that the Courts, Prosecution and Bar play their part to Face of Adversities live from the State Courts' Havelock Hall to about 1,000 administer justice. Family Justice Courts Workplan 03 participants on Zoom. Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, The Chief Justice made observations on the post- Seminar 2021: A New Tomorrow Attorney-General Lucien Wong and President of the Law pandemic legal landscape, which included how processes State Courts Hold IFCE Workshops 04 Society, Gregory Vijayendran, delivered their customary could be optimised through the use of technology and for ASEAN Judiciaries speeches at the annual event via video conference for multi-disciplinary collaborations with stakeholders. the first time. On the advancement of the Rule of Law, the Chief Justice EVENTS AND INITIATIVES In his response, the Chief Justice outlined the Courts' outlined the work carried out in both the domestic and key developments and work done in the past year. international spaces. A One-stop Service Centre for Seamless 05 He covered aspects of the criminal justice system and Experience In closing, the Chief Justice encouraged the legal community highlighted that securing fairness in the system is crucial to continue to embrace the spirit of trust and collaboration Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon delivering his response at Third Meeting of the Standing International 06 to the attainment of justice and order in society. He added whilst preparing for the opportunities that were ahead. the Opening of the Legal Year 2021 Forum of Commercial Courts The 2021 Standing International 07 Forum of Commercial Courts Judicial A FAIR CRIMINAL INITIATIVES TO ADVANCE Observation Programme JUSTICE SYSTEM The Courts, the Prosecution and the Bar play their part to administer THE RULE OF LAW Singapore International Commercial Court 08 justice. Each institutional player has specific and complementary responsibilities to uphold the integrity of the system. At the individual level, Domestic Sphere Symposium 2021 they approach their calling to administer justice with devotion and a sincere openness to identifying and remedying any shortcomings. Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon 09 Civil Justice Appellate Division has come into operation, allowing Appointed as Member of the ICC Governing the Judiciary to utilise appellate judicial resources Body for Dispute Resolution Services more optimally. Forthcoming implementation of new Rules of Court. Justice Steven Chong Appointed as Expert 09 Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 Member of ICEC offers more affordable and efficient methods of restructuring and liquidation. Singapore and Rwanda Sign MOU on 10 A robust judicial Singapore Judicial College has been Increasing opportunities for Establishment of cross-court Judicial Cooperation and Money Judgments structure with a developing a Judicial Competency High Court Judges to knowledge management Family Justice Advisory Research Council established to bring system of corrective Framework to enhance training in mentor judicial officers in office to facilitate sharing of together international thought leaders to share FJC and ISCA Sign MOU on Setting Up 11 procedures such as the necessary competencies of the State Courts and Family knowledge and best practices perspectives on Therapeutic Justice. Panel of Financial Experts appeals. Judges and judicial officers. Justice Courts (FJC). across the Judiciary. FJC and Institute of Singapore Chartered Engaging the Media 11 Accountants to establish a Panel of Financial Experts. Family Judges’ Learning Week 12 THE POST-PANDEMIC Online portal to allow Litigants-in-Person Opportunity to Re-imagine our Processes and Harness to file for divorce by consent and connect with Celebrating Lunar New Year with 13 LEGAL LANDSCAPE the Power of Technology lawyer-mediators. LAWNET the Singapore Cheshire Home Forthcoming enhancements to LawNet. FJC is working with Ministry of Social and Family Re-examination of court processes and enhancing access to information Development to strengthen the maintenance The Courts leverage technology enforcement regime. to optimise our processes by the public (e.g. single Judiciary Website, e-service for simplified track NOTABLE VISITS 14 through multi-disciplinary divorce applications). Revised Family Justice Rules to be implemented by collaboration with stakeholders. Multi-disciplinary Skillsets and Upskilling of the mid-2022. Profession Singapore Academy of Law, with the support of Ministry of Law and International Sphere TRANSFORMATION AND 15 Singapore Institute of Legal Education, to launch SkillsFuture credit-eligible programme LIFTED-LinkedIn Learning Pathways. Singapore International INNOVATION IN THE JUDICIARY Commercial Court Law schools and continuing education frameworks equip the profession New standard-setting to harness the transformational potential of technology. procedural rules in final stages of development. Shift Towards Dispute Avoidance or Containment LITIGATION Scan the QR Code for WHAT'S NEW? 16 Mechanisms International Relations the full response by Promoting alternative dispute resolution processes for peacebuilding the Chief Justice and proportionality in dispute resolution. Continued contribution to international conversations and go.gov.sg/ Success of SGUnited Mediation Initiative. BEHIND THE SCENES 19 engagements. cj-oly2021-speech 1 JUDICIARY TIMES • MAY 2021 2 HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS Family Justice Courts Workplan Seminar 2021: State Courts Hold IFCE Workshops A New Tomorrow for ASEAN Judiciaries formation and development of the International d. The percentage of divorce Consortium for Court Excellence (ICCE), of which cases that went through the State Courts are one of the founding members, mediation and reached a full the origins and evolution of the IFCE and its holistic or partial settlement increased approach to evaluate court performance and over the years to 90% in 2020. continuous improvement methodology. On how parties could get to ‘A New The IFCE is a guide for the journey to court Tomorrow’, Justice Ong suggested On 4 February, the Family Justice excellence and reinforces those values and that this could be achieved Courts (FJC) held its seventh aspirations internationally recognised as critical to through: facilitating successful Justice Debbie Ong, Presiding Judge annual Workplan Seminar. The of the FJC an effective and publicly respected court. It was transitions to post-breakdown life; theme this year was “A New first developed in 2008 and has since undergone facilitating parties to discharge Ms Jennifer Marie, Deputy Presiding Judge of the State Tomorrow”, following the themes two revisions. Each edition builds on the foundation their parental responsibility; and Courts (top left), Judges and senior court administrators from "Today is a New Day” in 2020, and the State Courts delivered presentations covering the IFCE of the previous editions, with enhancements based facilitating problem-solving and “Every Outcome, A Way Forward” on feedback obtained and updates to maintain its managing future issues or conflicts. in 2019. Over 50 participants comprising judges and court relevance in the present operating environment. The She shared that these aspects tied administrators from the 10 ASEAN judiciaries latest third edition was launched last year. in nicely with FJC’s three strategic The Workplan was graced by the attended the inaugural International Framework for thrusts: Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon as Court Excellence (IFCE) Train-the-Trainer Workshop The IFCE Train-the-Trainer Workshop aimed to help the Guest-of-Honour and attended on 8 and 9 April. build up a core team in ASEAN member states with a. Furthering TJ in a Multi- by staff and invited guests from IFCE expertise. In addition to the useful pointers Disciplinary Environment; the Judiciary by video conference. Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon The one-and-a-half-day workshop, which was on the implementation of the IFCE, it allowed for organised by the State Courts, covered theoretical the exchange of ideas with members of the ICCE b. Facilitating Court Processes, In her address, Presiding Judge and practical aspects of the IFCE, including the Executive Committee. Settlement, and Enforcement; of the FJC, Justice Debbie Ong, it means to have ‘hardware’ and outlined the various projects and and ‘heartware’ and for His Honour’s initiatives to be undertaken by the constant encouragement towards Workshop with the c. Fortifying Judges’ and Lawyers’ FJC in the coming year, following fulfilling FJC’s mission. Administrative Court of Thailand the announcement of FJC's Capacity and Capability. A one-day workshop held on 23 March served as a renewed vision on Therapeutic Following Justice Ong's Workplan platform for the State Courts and the Administrative Justice (TJ) in 2020. She further Justice Ong highlighted the FJC address, FJC staff participated in Court of Thailand to cover the latest developments shared FJC's statistical highlights initiatives rolled out in response a dialogue with the Chief Justice of the IFCE and its application to court operations.