Indian-origin Singaporean judge joins Brunei apex court

SINGAPORE: An Indian-origin Singaporean judge has been sworn in by Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah as a judicial commissioner of the Supreme Court of the sultanate, a media report said on Monday.

Kannan Ramesh’s appointment is for a two-year period and the 54-year-old Justice will continue to hold his position as a full-time judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore.

“I am humbled by the invitation to be a member of the Brunei Darussalam judiciary. It is an honour and a privilege. I very much look forward to working with (the Brunei Supreme Court’s) Chief Justice Steven Chong and the many august members of the Brunei Bench,” Ramesh said.

As a judicial commissioner of the Supreme Court of Brunei, Justice Ramesh will spend up to a month in Brunei each year to read, hear and write judgments primarily on commercial cases and certain civil ones, The Straits Times reported.

All part-time judges appointed to the Supreme Court of Brunei are designated as judicial commissioners. This has no bearing on the judge’s seniority nor his jurisdiction, powers, duties or authority when hearing cases, the report said.

Welcoming Justice Ramesh’s new appointment, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said: “This appointment will strengthen cooperation between the two courts and deepen the already close ties between Singapore and Brunei. It will also raise the Singapore’s international standing and reputation as a legal and judicial centre.”

In the Singapore Supreme Court, Justice Ramesh was appointed judicial commissioner in May 2015. This is not the first time a Singaporean judge has been appointed in a foreign court.