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Senior lawyer Philip Jeyaretnam appointed Supreme Court judicial commissioner

SINGAPORE — Former Law Society president Philip Jeyaretnam has been appointed a judicial commissioner of the Supreme Court, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement on Monday (Dec 7).

Mr Philip Jeyaretnam, 56, has been appointed a judicial commissioner of the Supreme Court.

Mr Philip Jeyaretnam, 56, has been appointed a judicial commissioner of the Supreme Court.

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SINGAPORE — Former Law Society president Philip Jeyaretnam has been appointed a judicial commissioner of the Supreme Court, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement on Monday (Dec 7).

He was appointed by President Halimah Yacob on the advice of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. His one-year term will begin from Jan 4 next year.

A judicial commissioner of the Supreme Court is appointed for a specified period and has the powers of a judge.

Mr Jeyaretnam, 56, is currently global vice-chairman and Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) chief executive of international law firm Dentons, the world’s largest by the number of lawyers, and is managing partner of the Singapore-based Dentons Rodyk and Davidson.

He was called to the Singapore Bar in 1988, two years after graduating with first-class honours in Law at Cambridge University in Britain.

In 2003, at age 38, he became one of the youngest lawyers to be appointed senior counsel.

He has been described in all major legal publications as a leading expert in arbitration, construction law and litigation, the PMO said in its statement.

Mr Jeyaretnam chairs the board of Maxwell Chambers, an integrated alternative dispute resolution complex, and is a member of the Public Service Commission, which oversees the civil service. He was president of the Law Society from 2004 to 2007.

He is the son of the late opposition icon JB Jeyaretnam, who was the first opposition party candidate to be elected as a Member of Parliament in 1981. His brother Kenneth Jeyaretnam heads the opposition Reform Party.

“Philip’s appointment to the Supreme Court brings immense pride to Dentons Rodyk,” said Mr Gerald Singham, who will take over as the firm’s managing partner next year.

“Together with his judicious temperament and insightful mind, I am confident that in his commitment to public service he will serve Singapore with distinction,” he said in a statement.

With the appointment, the Supreme Court will have six judicial commissioners in total.

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Supreme Court judicial commissioner Philip Jeyaretnam Kenneth Jeyaretnam

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