The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been " called to the bar " or to have received "call to the bar". "The bar" is now used as a collective noun for barristers , but literally referred to the wooden barrier in old courtrooms, which separated the often crowded public area at the rear from the space near the judges reserved for those having business with the court. Barristers would sit or stand immediately behind it, facing the judge, and could use it as a table for their briefs .
81-529: Choor Singh Sidhu (19 January 1911 – 31 March 2009), known professionally as Choor Singh , was a Singaporean lawyer who served as a judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore and, particularly after his retirement from the bench , a philanthropist and writer of books about Sikhism . Born to a family of modest means in Punjab , India , he came to Singapore at four years of age. He completed his secondary education in
162-540: A godown near Boat Quay by the Singapore River . He attended Pearl's Hill Primary School and Outram Road School, at various stages walking 5 kilometres (3 mi) to school, sleeping along a five-foot way , bathing at a roadside pump and studying at night under a street lamp. He completed his secondary education and took the Senior Cambridge examination at Raffles Institution in the top class in 1929. There, he
243-520: A solicitor-advocate in order to acquire the same "higher rights" of audience as a barrister. In other jurisdictions, the terminology and the degree of overlap between the roles of solicitor and barrister varies greatly; in most, the distinction has disappeared entirely. Common law jurisdictions include Australia , England and Wales, New Zealand , Canada , Hong Kong , India , Nigeria , the Republic of Ireland , Northern Ireland and most jurisdictions in
324-643: A Court of Appeal, Court of Criminal Appeal and High Court. In moving the Second Reading of the Bill in Parliament , the then Minister for Law and National Development , Mr. E.W. Barker , noted that "the Supreme Court of Judicature Bill ... as its very name suggests, provides a proper basis for the administration of justice in our courts which should really have been introduced soon after we left Malaysia. Unfortunately,
405-676: A Judge of Appeal and as a judge of the SICC. Judicial officers currently in office are highlighted: judges and judicial commissioners in yellow, and senior judges in green. For a person to be appointed to be or to act as the Registrar, the Deputy Registrar or an Assistant Registrar, they must be a qualified person as defined in section 2 of the Legal Profession Act ( see above ). The Registrar, Deputy Registrar and Assistant Registrars of
486-582: A Judicial Commissioner to hear and determine a specified case only. A person qualified for appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court or a person who has ceased to hold the office of a Judge of the Supreme Court (for instance, due to retirement), may be appointed by the Chief Justice, or may sit as a Judge of the High Court or as a Judge of Appeal, if designated for the purpose (as occasion requires), and such person shall hold office for such period or periods as
567-529: A daughter, Manjeet Kaur Sidhu. Choor Singh was cremated at Mandai Crematorium after his funeral on 2 April 2009. The following self-written epitaph was published in his obituary notice in The Straits Times on 1 April 2009: I came here by His grace After toiling in many lower lives. I have done my duty to my State, To my community and my Faith. I leave now as ordained by my fate, To meet Him and sit at His Lotus feet. Judicial officers of
648-532: A judge of the Court of Appeal. The Judges of the Supreme Court take precedence in the following order: The other judicial officers are the Registrar, the Deputy Registrar, Senior Assistant Registrars, and Assistant Registrars. A person is qualified for appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court by being a qualified person within the meaning of section 2 of the Legal Profession Act for at least 10 years, or
729-527: A judge. In order to facilitate the disposal of business in the Supreme Court, the President concurs with the advice of the Prime Minister, may appoint a person qualified for appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court to be a Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court for such period or periods as the President thinks fit. A Judicial Commissioner so appointed may, in respect of such class or classes of cases as
810-582: A member of the Singapore Legal Service , or both. The Legal Profession Act defines a "qualified person" as any person who — The Chief Justice, Judges of Appeal and Judges of the High Court are appointed by the President with concurrence with the advice of the Prime Minister . The Prime Minister is required to consult the Chief Justice before providing the president advice as to the appointment of
891-640: A money matter, and sentenced her to ten years in jail. In an oral history interview, Singh said that one of the murder trials that he had presided over, the "Body in the Box" case, led to the abolition of jury trials in Singapore criminal cases. Following the trial of a young man, Freddy Tan, for the murder of his friend whose decomposed body was found stuffed into a box, Singh agreed with the jury to convict Tan of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and sentence him to life imprisonment . However, he later learnt that in
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#1733104257111972-494: A solicitor. In Ontario , being called to the bar requires students to article (apprentice) with a law firm for ten months, but due to a shortage of articling positions available each year and an influx of articling candidates, a pilot alternative program available through the University of Ottawa and Toronto Metropolitan University was established. The Law Practice Program requires the articling students to spend four months in
1053-480: A virtual law office and to spend another four months in a work placement. Alberta and Prince Edward Island are the only common law jurisdictions with individual, rather than group, calls. The student's supervisor, referred to as his or her principal, makes an oral application to the Provincial Court of Alberta or Court of King's Bench , or the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island , respectively, to have
1134-519: Is a Sikh? (2004). Associate Professor Dr. Kirpal Singh, a writer and literary editor with the Singapore Management University , penned in the foreword to the 2001 edition of Understanding Sikhism that Singh had managed "to 'engage' the reader through the strategy of writing simply, honestly and without any pretense". Placing great importance on learning, Singh contributed to Sikh educational charities and other educational causes. He
1215-590: Is admitted as a "Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria ". Once admitted, Nigerian lawyers may argue in any federal trial or appellate court as well as any of the courts in Nigeria's thirty six states and the Federal Capital Territory. Lawyers are regulated by the Nigerian Bar Association . Prior to the partition of Ireland, barristers in what is now Northern Ireland were called to
1296-696: Is admitted as either a "barrister sole" or a "barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand ". Once admitted, New Zealand's "barrister and solicitors" are able to practise in either mode provided they hold a practising certificate, while barristers sole are entitled only to practice as a barrister. Admission is overseen by the New Zealand Law Society. As in New Zealand, there is no formal distinction between barristers and solicitors. A lawyer in Nigeria
1377-461: Is assisted by a Deputy Presiding Judge, who is also the Registrar of the State Courts. The other senior judicial officers are the principal district judges. For a person to be appointed to be or to act as a District Judge, they must have been for not less than seven years a qualified person as defined in section 2 of the Legal Profession Act ( see above ). For a Magistrate, the corresponding period
1458-639: Is liable in damages if acting within jurisdiction , even if they do so maliciously. Further, no judge of a superior court is liable for an act done outside jurisdiction, provided that this was done by the judge in the honest belief that the act was within jurisdiction. Liability only attaches in such cases if the judge knowingly acts outside jurisdiction. The Chief Justice, the Judges and Judicial Commissioners are, when sitting in open court or in chambers, addressed as "Your Honour", and on social occasions or other extrajudicial occasions as "Chief Justice" or "Judge", as
1539-432: Is three years. The Registrar, Senior Deputy Registrar and Deputy Registrars are generally also required to be qualified persons within the meaning of the Legal Profession Act, although they are not required to have that status for any minimum period of time. However, the Chief Justice may, at their discretion, appoint any person who is not a qualified person under that Act. District Judges and Magistrates are appointed by
1620-477: The Attorney-General may bring committal proceedings against a person for contempt of court by doing an act or publishing a piece of writing calculated to bring the court or a judge into contempt or to lower their authority (known as " scandalizing " the court or the judge); or calculated to obstruct or interfere with the due course of justice. At common law , no judge of a superior court or inferior court
1701-636: The Commonwealth of Nations and the United States (the See also section below contains links to articles on the laws of these jurisdictions). In Australia, the status of the legal profession differs from state to state: Most Australian barristers will have previously worked as solicitors prior to becoming barristers. Candidates wishing to become barristers may have to pass an examination and undergo further specialised training before those candidates are "called to
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#17331042571111782-706: The Court of Appeal with Chief Justice Wee Chong Jin and Justice Tan Ah Tah . An honorary member of the Law Society of Singapore , he retired as a judge on 30 November 1980. Impatient with nothing to do following his retirement, for about four and a half years from 1981 Choor Singh acted as a personal consultant for Tan Chin Tuan, the Chairman of the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC), and other companies in
1863-506: The Federation of Malaya and Singapore. On 28 August 1963, he was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court . During Singh's 17-year career on the bench , 105 of his judgments were reported in the law reports. Particularly noted for his criminal judgments, he was known as "the Hanging Judge " for handing down a large number of capital sentences . He was the first judge in Singapore to impose
1944-548: The Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland and members of the Inner Bar are known as King's Counsel. In Sri Lanka , a lawyer must be admitted and enrolled as an attorney-at-law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka . This is referred to as the call to the bar. Generally, lawyer qualification is a U.S. state matter and a lawyer is said to have been " admitted to the bar " and become an " attorney at law "; some states still use
2025-588: The Privy Council , then Singapore's highest appellate court . Other cases like the Gold Bars triple murders , the Lee Kim Lai murder case and Pulau Ubin murder were also heard by Singh, who, in all three cases, also found the defendants guilty and sentenced them to death. Aside from this, Singh also heard the 1975 case of Sim Joo Keow , who was convicted of the manslaughter and dismemberment of her sister-in-law over
2106-417: The pupillage year. A barrister is called to the utter ("outer") bar or "appointed to the degree of the utter bar". Those appointed as King's Counsel (Queen's Counsel if the monarch is female) are entitled to plead from "within the bar" in court. In Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers. Candidates wishing to qualify as barristers must complete a series of examinations at
2187-430: The Chief Justice may specify, exercise the powers and perform the functions of a Judge of the High Court. Anything done by a Judicial Commissioner when acting in accordance with the terms of the appointment shall have the same validity and effect as if done by a Judge of that Court and, in respect thereof, shall have the same powers and enjoy the same immunities as being a Judge of that Court. A person may be appointed to be
2268-468: The Constitution in 1971 to permit the appointment of supernumerary judges. These were judges who were engaged to continue their duties on a contractual basis after having reached the constitutionally-mandated retirement age of 65. A subsequent amendment to the Constitution created the position of judicial commissioner . This amendment took effect on 4 May 1979. In 1993, a single permanent Court of Appeal
2349-572: The Deputy Registrars. The superior courts of Singapore are the Court of Appeal and the High Court , which are collectively known as the Supreme Court of the Republic of Singapore . The Court of Appeal is Singapore's highest court. It is headed by a President who is the Chief Justice , and the other members of the Court are the Judges of Appeal. The Chief Justice may appoint one or more of
2430-621: The Honorable Society of King's Inns. Successful candidates are called to the Bar by the Chief Justice in the Supreme Court. Upon being called to the bar, a barrister becomes a member of the Outer Bar, or "Junior Counsel". Some barristers may subsequently be called to the Inner Bar in a similar ceremony, gaining the title "Senior Counsel". As in Canada, the legal profession is fused . A lawyer in New Zealand
2511-399: The Judges of Appeal as vice-presidents of the Court of Appeal. The other senior judicial officers of the Supreme Court are the Judges and Judicial Commissioners of the High Court. The Chief Justice may request a Judge (but not a Judicial Commissioner) of the High Court to sit as a judge of the Court of Appeal, in which case the judge shall have all the jurisdiction, powers and privileges of
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2592-517: The Judges' Remuneration Act and issuing the Judges' Remuneration (Annual Pensionable Salary) Order pursuant to the Act. Upon retirement or death in office, a judge may be granted a gratuity granted by the President although there is no entitlement under the Act to such gratuity. To secure the independence of the judiciary , the Singapore Constitution makes the following provision: In addition,
2673-822: The OCBC group such as Great Eastern Life and Overseas Assurance Corporation. For many years, Singh was chairman of both the Probation Committee which supervises the work of probation officers, and the Detention Board, and vice-president of the National Kidney Foundation Singapore . He was also a member of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights and the Disciplinary Committee for advocates and solicitors . Choor Singh participated as
2754-613: The President on the recommendation of the Chief Justice. They hold concurrent appointments as the Registrar, Deputy Registrars, Coroners, and Referees of the Small Claims Tribunals. The Registrar, Senior Deputy Registrar and Deputy Registrars are appointed by the Chief Justice. District Judges, Magistrates and State Courts registrars are officers of the Judicial Branch of the Singapore Legal Service and are subject to
2835-586: The President shall direct, if the President concurs with the advice of the Prime Minister. The Chief Justice and every person appointed or designated to sit as a Judge of the High Court or a Judge of Appeal or appointed as a Judicial Commissioner shall take, in the presence of the President, the following Oath of Office: I, [name] , having been appointed to the office of [Chief Justice, Judge of Appeal, Judge or Judicial Commissioner] , do solemnly swear [or affirm ] that I will faithfully discharge my judicial duties, and I will do right to all manner of people after
2916-508: The President, acting on the advice of the Cabinet and upon the Chief Justice's recommendation. They have overall responsibility for the administration of the State Courts. The Presiding Judge may act as a judge in any State Court and exercise all the jurisdiction, power and privileges of a State Courts judge, while also sitting in the High Court or Court of Appeal . Justice See Kee Oon was appointed as Presiding Judge in 2014. The Presiding Judge
2997-404: The Registrar is Foo Chee Hock , while the Deputy Registrar is Audrey Lim Yoon Cheng . The Registrar, the Deputy Registrar or an Assistant Registrar or other person acting judicially shall not be liable to be sued in any court exercising civil jurisdiction for any act done by them in the discharge of their judicial duty whether or not within the limits of their jurisdiction, provided that they at
3078-868: The Registrar of the Supreme Court, the Deputy Registrar, the Senior Assistant Registrars and the Assistant Registrars. The State Courts are headed by the Presiding Judge of the State Courts, and the senior judicial officers are the Deputy Presiding Judge, the Senior District Judges, the District Judges and Magistrates. The other judicial officers are the Registrar of the State Courts, the Senior Deputy Registrar, and
3159-587: The Republic of Singapore#List of judges of the Supreme Court The judicial officers of the Republic of Singapore work in the Supreme Court and the State Courts (known up to 6 March 2014 as the Subordinate Courts) to hear and determine disputes between litigants in civil cases and, in criminal matters , to determine the liability of accused persons and their sentences if they are convicted . In
3240-632: The Sikh community bestowed on him its highest honour by inviting him to lay the foundation stone for the new Gurdwara Sahib building at the Gurdwara Khalsa Dharmak Sabha at 18 Niven Road. Choor Singh Sidhu was born in Kotteh, Punjab , in India, on 19 January 1911. He came to Singapore at the age of four years with his mother and sister to join his father, who was already employed there as a night watchman in
3321-628: The Sri Guru Nanak Satsang Sabha at two schools on Saturday mornings, and were attended by about 400 Sikh children. On 18 January 1999, to celebrate his 88th birthday the next day, Singh donated S$ 25,000 to the National Institute of Education . About $ 15,000 was used to establish the Justice Choor Singh Gold Medal, which is awarded to the best student teacher in education studies with a distinction in practicum in
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3402-486: The Supreme Court are appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Chief Justice. These judicial officers are members of the Judicial Branch of the Singapore Legal Service , and it is the duty of the Legal Service Commission to appoint, confirm, emplace on the permanent or pensionable establishment, promote, transfer, dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over such officers. As of 15 April 2009
3483-452: The Supreme Court to be appointed as senior judges; and people who, in the Chief Justice's opinion, have the "necessary qualifications, experience and professional standing", to be international judges. Senior judges and international judges may be appointed to hear specific cases or class of cases, or for specified periods. Both senior and international judges may sit in the High Court and the Court of Appeal. The office of international judge
3564-593: The Supreme Court, the current senior judicial officers are the Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon , who is also the President of the Court of Appeal ; the Judge of Appeal Justice Andrew Phang Boon Leong who is also the Vice-President; the Judge of Appeal Justices Judith Prakash , Tay Yong Kwang and Steven Chong ; and the judges and judicial commissioners of the High Court . The other judicial officers are
3645-515: The act complained of. Call to the bar Like many other common law terms, the term originated in England in the Middle Ages , and the call to the bar refers to the summons issued to one found fit to speak at the "bar" of the royal courts. In time, English judges allowed only legally qualified men to address them on the law and later delegated the qualification and admission of barristers to
3726-561: The bar in the same manner as those in the rest of Ireland. The procedure remains much the same today, save that candidates wishing to qualify as barristers must complete a series of examinations at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies at Queen's University Belfast (under the supervision of the Honourable Society of the Inn of Court of Northern Ireland), barristers are called to the bar by
3807-531: The bar" or "sign the roll of counsel". Both the examination and the further training are administered by the state's bar association: Upon completing the relevant training course, new barristers ("readers") are required to spend a period of months "reading" in the chambers of an experienced barrister, called the reader's "tutor" (in New South Wales) or "mentor" (in Victoria) (historically, this experienced barrister
3888-513: The case may be. In all cause lists, orders of Court, correspondence and other documents, the Chief Justice, the Judges and the Judicial Commissioners are described respectively as "Chief Justice", "Justice" or "Judicial Commissioner" without any accompanying gender prefix. The table below lists the judges that were in office on or after 9 August 1965, the date when Singapore left Malaysia and became an independent republic . Judges currently in office are highlighted. Singapore's full independence
3969-401: The certificate issued by the provincial Law Society to the newly qualified lawyer generally indicates his or her having been called to the bar and admitted as a solicitor. In Ontario and Manitoba, there are two certificates, one issued by the respective provincial Law Society for call to the bar and the other by the Superior Court (Ontario) or Court of King's Bench (Manitoba) for admission as
4050-476: The chairman of a disciplinary committee set up to investigate complaints against a lawyer named Kalpanath Singh in 1989. After making a report at the end of proceedings where cause of sufficient gravity for disciplinary action against Kalpanath Singh was found, Choor Singh was made the respondent to a motion for an order of certiorari filed by Kalpanath Singh in the High Court, where serious allegations that Choor Singh had shown bias against him in that he had: It
4131-529: The control of the Legal Service Commission. Before exercising the functions of their office, all judicial officers must take and subscribe the following oath of office and allegiance before the Senior District Judge or a Judge of the Supreme Court: I, [name] , having been appointed to the office of [Senior District Judge, District Judge, Magistrate, Registrar or Deputy Registrar] , do solemnly swear [or affirm ] that I will faithfully discharge my judicial duties and I will do right to all manner of people after
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#17331042571114212-426: The death penalty on a woman, Mimi Wong , a cabaret singer who murdered her Japanese lover's wife in 1970. Her husband Sim Woh Kum was also executed for helping Wong to kill the woman. In a 1996 interview with The Straits Times , he said: "I'm satisfied that I've made no mistake and that I've done my duty according to the law." All the five judgments he wrote as a member of the Court of Criminal Appeal were upheld by
4293-468: The disciplinary inquiry. The key finding was that the two private contacts with the material witness gave an appearance of a real likelihood of bias. On this basis, the High Court gave the order and quashed the finding of the disciplinary committee. The case was reported as Re Singh Kalpanath (1992). A keen cricketer when younger, Singh learned to play golf and took up gardening. He also continued his close involvement with Indian and Sikh affairs. One of
4374-445: The executive and legislative branches of the Singapore Government. However, no changes were immediately made to the judicial system. As a result, for about four years after independence appeals from the High Court of Singapore still lay to the Federal Court of Appeal in Malaysia. It was only from 9 January 1970, when the Supreme Court of Judicature Act came into force, that Singapore established its own Supreme Court, consisting of
4455-417: The final examination for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Primary or Secondary) programme. The remaining $ 10,000 went towards funding a research project on the Sikh community's contributions to education. In 2001, he donated $ 140,000 to the Singapore Management University 's Centre for Cross-Cultural Studies. The Sikh community bestowed its highest honour on Singh on 14 August 1994 by inviting him to lay
4536-401: The first Indian to hold such a position in colonial Malaya . He continued his law studies at Gray's Inn , and in 1953 was granted leave on a government scholarship to dine at Gray's Inn. After making four trips in two years, he became a Barrister-at-Law in 1955. In 1958, he was appointed a member of the Appeal Tribunal under the Preservation of Public Security Ordinance. Choor Singh was one of
4617-582: The foundation stone for the new Gurdwara Sahib building at the Gurdwara Khalsa Dharmak Sabha at 18 Niven Road. In August 1996, the Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong presented him with one of the inaugural Sikh Community Service Awards awarded by the Singapore Khalsa Association in recognition of his contributions to the community. For two years before his death, Singh had found it difficult to walk. He died in his bed on 31 March 2009 aged 98. Pre-deceased by his wife, Bhagwan Kaur, in 2004, he left behind two sons, Duleep Singh Sidhu and Dr. Daljeet Singh Sidhu, and
4698-401: The founding members of the Sri Guru Nanak Sat Sang Sabha (the Congregation of Sri Guru Nanak's Company), registered on 26 June 1953. The Gurdwara Sri Guru Nanak Satsang Sabha in Katong was built for this congregation in 1969. On 11 July 1960, Choor Singh became a district judge. In that year, he also published a book called Gaming in Malaya on the Common Gaming Houses Ordinances of
4779-590: The four Inns of Court . Once an inn calls one of its members to its bar, they are thereafter a barrister. They may not, however, practise as a barrister until they have completed (or been exempted from) an apprenticeship called pupillage . After completing pupillage, they are considered to be a practising barrister with a right of audience before all courts. England and Wales and some other jurisdictions distinguish two types of lawyers , who are regulated by different bodies, with separate training, examinations, regulation and traditions: A solicitor must qualify as
4860-431: The jury room a bullying Dutch juror had wanted to impose the death penalty , but because the other jurors disliked his attitude they voted to impose a lower verdict on Tan. The father of the deceased felt an injustice had been done and went to see the Prime Minister , Lee Kuan Yew . Lee then sent for Singh, and Singh informed him of what had happened with the jurors. Lee asked Singh, "Well what do you think. Shall I abolish
4941-457: The jury?" Singh replied that if he had tried Tan without a jury, he would have convicted him of murder without hesitation. Following a public inquiry, jury trials were abolished for all criminal cases in 1969. Between 1967 and 1979, Singh was also Commissioner of the Land Acquisition Appeals Board. In 1972, in the case of Gian Singh & Co. Ltd. v. Banque de L'Indochine , Singh wrote a dissenting opinion – uncommon in Singapore – when sitting in
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#17331042571115022-466: The laws and usages of the Republic of Singapore without fear or favour, affection or ill-will to the best of my ability, and I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Republic of Singapore. Judicial officers are not liable to be sued for any act done by them in the discharge of their judicial duty whether or not within the limits of their jurisdiction, provided that they at the time in good faith believed themselves to have jurisdiction to do or order
5103-434: The laws and usages of the Republic of Singapore without fear or favour, affection or ill-will to the best of my ability, and will preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore. A judge of the Supreme Court holds office until one of the following takes place: Parliament is required by the Constitution to provide for the remuneration of the judges of the Supreme Court, and it has done so by enacting
5184-518: The many and varied problems which we had to deal with upon leaving Malaysia had forced us to continue with the existing system of administration of justice until the present day. All that the Bill purports to do is to set out logically the consequences that flow from our becoming independent on our own with an independent system of administration of justice separate from the system that was introduced to us while we were part of Malaysia ..." A shortage of High Court judges led to an amendment to Article 94 of
5265-440: The older term "attorney and counselor (also spelled 'counsellor') at law", upon taking his or her oath of office. Historically, the institution of attorney was similar to that of the solicitor, whereas the office of the counselor was almost identical to that of the barrister, but today this distinction has disappeared. The phrase "called to the bar" is still sometimes used informally by U.S. attorneys to refer to their qualification as
5346-430: The procedure required for constitutional amendment , and changed various nomenclatures to bring the Constitution in line with Singapore's independent status. Finally, the Republic of Singapore Independence Act 1965 (Singapore) provided, among other things, that certain provisions of the Malaysian Federal Constitution were to apply to Singapore. It also vested the powers relinquished by Malaysian executive and legislature in
5427-416: The student called to the bar. Gowns are worn and the ceremony is public, with the presiding judge (or judges) welcoming the new member with a speech written specifically for that call. In Quebec , a civil law notary is very similar to a solicitor. In England and Wales, a call ceremony takes place at the barrister's Inn of Court (or at Temple Church for members of the Inner Temple ), before or during
5508-399: The time in good faith believed themself to have jurisdiction to do or order the act complained of. The State Courts of Singapore are the District Courts, Magistrates' Courts, Coroners' Courts, Small Claims Tribunals and Employment Claims Tribunals. The most senior judge of the State Courts is the Presiding Judge, who is a judge or judicial commissioner of the Supreme Court appointed by
5589-454: The top class at Raffles Institution in 1929, then worked as a clerk in a law firm before becoming a civil servant in the Official Assignee 's office. Encouraged by the Assistant Official Assignee, James Walter Davy Ambrose (who was later appointed a High Court Judge), to study law, Choor Singh enrolled as an external student at the University of London , passing the matriculation examination and intermediate LL.B. examination. In 1948 he
5670-508: The young Sikhs who founded the Singapore Khalsa Association in 1931, and having been its president in the 1960s, he served as its patron and honorary chairman of the board of trustees. He was also a patron of the Singapore Indian Association and a trustee of the Sikh Welfare Council, He also wrote several books on Sikhism, including Bhai Maharaj Singh: Saint-soldier of the Sikh Faith (1991; later edition, 1999), The Sikh Gurus (1991), Understanding Sikhism (1994; later edition, 2001) and Who
5751-405: Was a classmate of David Marshall , the first Chief Minister of Singapore; they became good friends. Initially unemployed between 1930 and 1934 due to the Great Depression , he subsequently worked for three years as a clerk in the law firm of Mallal & Namazie for a monthly salary of 20 Straits dollars . Thereafter, he joined the Government Clerical Services for 60 Straits dollars a month and
5832-759: Was a trustee of the Singapore Sikh Education Foundation that was inaugurated in 1990 to teach Punjabi to children, and a life member of the Singapore Indian Education Trust which provides financial assistance to Singaporean Indians for their education. As Chairman of the Sikh Advisory Board, he persuaded the Government to allow the use of government school buildings for the teaching of the Punjabi language . Classes were conducted by
5913-407: Was able to enrol as an external student at the University of London and passed the matriculation examination and, in 1948, the intermediate LL.B. examination. However, he could not be called to the Bar as a barrister as he did not have time to keep the required dining terms . On 20 May 1948, he was appointed a coroner . In December 1949, Singh was elevated to the post of magistrate, becoming
5994-401: Was appointed a coroner , and the following year was elevated to the post of magistrate, becoming the first Indian to hold such a position in colonial Malaya . Following law studies at Gray's Inn on a government scholarship, he became a Barrister-at-Law in 1955. He was appointed a district judge in 1960 and a judge of the Supreme Court in 1963. Especially noted for his criminal judgments, Singh
6075-424: Was called the new barrister's "pupil master"). This "reading" period serves as a kind of practical apprenticeship for the new barrister, who works in the same chambers as their tutor/mentor and is able to learn by observing their tutor/mentor, as well as actively seeking their guidance. In common law Canadian provinces, despite the unified legal profession (lawyers are qualified as both barristers and solicitors ),
6156-606: Was created to enable foreign judges, lawyers and academics to be appointed to hear cases in the Singapore International Commercial Court ("SICC"), a new division of the High Court established on 1 January 2015. At present, international judges are only permitted to hear cases in the SICC and appeals from such cases. From 5 January 2015, five retired judges, including the former Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong, were appointed as senior judges, and 11 people were appointed as international judges. Chan will sit both as
6237-546: Was effected by three statutes, one enacted by Malaysia and two by Singapore. The Constitution and Malaysia (Singapore Amendment) Act 1965 (Malaysia) effectively transferred all legislative and executive powers previously possessed by the Federal Government to the new Government of Singapore . The Constitution of Singapore (Amendment) Act 1965 (Singapore) amended the Singapore State Constitution to alter
6318-455: Was established for Singapore with its own President and Judges of Appeal, replacing the Court of Appeal and Court of Criminal Appeal. The Court of Appeal is constituted by the Chief Justice and the Judges of Appeal. The first Judges of Appeal to be appointed, on 1 July 1993, were the late Justice M. Karthigesu and Justice L.P. Thean . With effect from 1 January 2015, the Constitution was amended to enable people who have ceased to be judges of
6399-500: Was found that Choor Singh had two private contacts with a material witness in the course of the disciplinary proceedings, even though it is a well-established rule that a decision-maker should not have contact with any party to the proceedings or any of his witnesses in the absence of the other party or his counsel. The High Court found that there was no actual bias, but there was evidence on which reasonable people might believe that Choor Singh might or could not bring an unprejudiced mind to
6480-510: Was posted to the Official Assignee's office, which was in charge of administering the estates of bankrupt persons. The Assistant Official Assignee, James Walter Davy Ambrose (later a High Court Judge), advised Choor Singh to study law. Singh read law books in his leisure time and began saving money to study law in England. This proved to be unnecessary; following a change in the rules, he
6561-580: Was the first Singapore judge to impose the death penalty on a woman . Following his retirement in 1980, Choor Singh continued his close involvement in Indian and Sikh affairs. One of the young Sikhs who founded the Singapore Khalsa Association in 1931, he served as its patron and honorary chairman of its board of trustees. He also contributed to educational charities and causes, both Sikh and non-Sikh, and wrote several books on Sikhism. In 1994,
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