New deputy attorney-general appointed; Hri Kumar to become High Court judge
High Court judge Justice Justice Ang Cheng Hock (left) will become Deputy Attorney-General, while Deputy Attorney-General Hri Kumar Nair has been appointed as High Court judge. (Photos: AGC)
SINGAPORE: The President has appointed High Court judge Justice Ang Cheng Hock as deputy attorney-general for a term of two years with effect from Oct 1, the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) said in a media release on Monday (Sep 26).
Moving in the opposite direction is Deputy Attorney-General Hri Kumar Nair. He was appointed as High Court Judge with effect from Jan 2, 2023, AGC said.
In other senior management appointments, Mr Lucien Wong has been reappointed as attorney-general for a further term of three years, from Jan 14, 2023 to Jan 13, 2026.
Mr Wong first took the role in 2017 and was reappointed in 2020.
In Singapore, the attorney-general plays the role of public prosecutor and has the powers to institute, conduct or discontinue any proceedings for any offence.
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Mr Lionel Yee has also been reappointed as deputy attorney-general for a further term of three years, from Jan 14, 2023 to Jan 13, 2026.
Mr Yee was first appointed as deputy attorney-general on Jan 14, 2017 for a term of three years and reappointed for a further three-year term on Jan 14, 2020.
"I am pleased that Justice Ang will be taking on the appointment of deputy attorney-general," Mr Wong said in a statement.
"He is a respected High Court judge and brings with him deep experience and extensive knowledge of Singapore’s legal and criminal justice system."
Mr Wong also expressed appreciation for Mr Nair's service, citing his involvement in several high-profile cases, including the appeal of the City Harvest case and the constitutional challenge to the Elected Presidency.
"He played a key role in AGC’s transformation, driving the restructuring of Crime Division to consolidate and strengthen its capabilities, and establishing specialist tracks in AGC to provide legal officers more opportunities to develop their professional expertise," Mr Wong said.
"We wish him all the very best in his new appointment."
Meanwhile in the judiciary, High Court judge Justice Belinda Ang has been appointed as Justice of the Court of Appeal from Nov 1, 2022 to Apr 23, 2024.
Justice Ang's areas of focus include arbitration, shipping and insurance. She is also the chairperson and director of the Board of the Singapore Mediation Centre.
Justice Andrew Phang will retire as Justice of the Court of Appeal with effect from Dec 15 after 17 years of distinguished service, the Supreme Court said in a statement on Monday.
He has been appointed as Senior Judge of the Supreme Court from Jan 2, 2023 to Jan 4, 2024.
To mark Justice Phang's retirement, the Chief Justice will convene a valedictory reference on Nov 28, the Supreme Court said.
A valedictory reference is a formal sitting of the full Supreme Court bench to mark significant events and pay tribute to distinguished members of the bench.
