Prof Walter Woon takes over as Attorney-General from April 11
By S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 09 April 2008 1823 hrs

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SINGAPORE : Professor Walter Woon has been appointed the new Attorney-General (AG) for a two-year term from Friday.

Professor Woon, who is also a prolific writer, is currently the Solicitor-General. He was also the Vice-Dean of the Law Faculty at NUS.

The former diplomat was also a Nominated Member of Parliament from 1992 to 1996, and was instrumental in introducing the Maintenance of Parents Bill in Parliament. This remains, to date, the only bill passed by Parliament since 1965 that was not initiated by the government.

Professor Woon also served as the Legal Adviser to the President and Council of Presidential Advisers from 1995 to 1997. He was seconded to the Foreign Service in 1997 and has served as Singapore's Ambassador to Belgium and to Germany. In 2006, Professor Woon was appointed Second Solicitor-General and was re-designated as the Solicitor-General in July 2007.

Professor Woon replaces AG Chao Hick Tin, whose two-year term expires on Thursday. The Prime Minister's Office said Mr Chao is returning to the Bench. He has been appointed as Judge of Appeal of the Supreme Court for a two-year period.

Singapore's new Solicitor-General is Mrs Koh Juat Jong, the current Registrar of the Supreme Court.

Taking over her post is Mr Foo Chee Hock, who has been appointed as the Acting Registrar of the Supreme Court from April 11.

Mr Foo joined the Supreme Court in May 2001 as the Deputy Registrar. Prior to that, he was a District Judge at the Subordinate Courts. He has served 25 years in the Legal Service, with postings in the Ministry of Law's Appeals Board and the Legal Aid Bureau. - CNA /ls