Singapore — The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced on Thursday (Nov 26) that Mr Tai Wei Shyong will be appointed as a Deputy Attorney-General from Jan 1, 2021, for a three-year term.
Singapore now has two Deputy Attorneys-General, Mr Lionel Yee and Mr Hri Kumar Nair. According to a PMO statement, “the Deputy Attorney-General is accorded the status of a High Court judge”.
In more than 20 years of public service, Mr Tai has held a number of positions, including Chief Prosecutor in the AGC and Assistant Registrar of the Supreme Court.
He previously served as the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Director of the Internal Security Department.
Mr Lucien Wong, the Attorney-General, said: “I am pleased that Mr Tai will be appointed as Deputy Attorney-General. He brings deep experience and knowledge of the work of the Attorney-General’s Chambers, having previously served as Deputy Public Prosecutor as well as Chief Prosecutor of the then Criminal Justice Division.
“His appointment will greatly benefit the Attorney-General’s Chambers and I look forward to working closely with him.”
The PMO statement added that the office of the Deputy Attorney-General is a reflection of the greater volume and complexity of the Government’s legal work. The post was created in 2014.
The PMO also announced the appointment of Mr Kwek Mean Luck as a judicial commissioner on Jan 4, 2021. Mr Kwek has been the Solicitor-General for the past four years.
The Attorney-General thanked Mr Kwek for his work as Solicitor-General, saying: “During his tenure, Mr Kwek represented the Government and prosecuted a number of significant cases before the Singapore Courts. He also led key transformations in the Attorney-General’s Chambers, improving the capabilities of AGC officers, as well as the efficiency and quality of our work. We wish him all the very best in his new appointment.”
Mr Kwek was appointed as Second Solicitor-General on July 1, 2015 and Solicitor-General on Jan 14, 2017.
The third appointment announced by the PMO was of Judicial Commissioner Mavis Chionh becoming a High Court judge, which will take effect from March 12, 2021, a day after the end of her term as JC.
Ms Chionh has more than three decades of experience in the legal field and has been JC since March 12, 2018. Before that, she had served as Second Solicitor-General.
According to the PMO, Ms Chionh “had accumulated considerable and varied legal experience in both criminal and civil matters during her postings to the Supreme Court, State Courts and AGC”.
The appointments of Ms Chionh and Mr Kwek will increase the number of Supreme Court judges to 26. /TISG