Appointment of Justice Steven Chong as an Expert Member of the International Commercial Expert Committee

Justice Steven Chong was formally appointed as an expert member of the International Commercial Expert Committee (ICEC) of the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on 8 December 2020.

2. At the “Second Seminar of International Commercial Expert Committee of the Supreme People’s Court of China & Appointment Ceremony for the Second Group of Expert Members” held yesterday, Justice Chong was officially conferred the Letter of Appointment by Chief Justice Zhou Qiang, President of the SPC.

Significant Milestone in the Deepening Singapore-China Judicial Relations and Cooperation

3. The appointment is yet another significant milestone in the deepening bilateral relations and cooperation between the Supreme Court of Singapore and the SPC. Justice Chong is amongst the group of experts appointed to the ICEC this year. The first group of 31 experts were appointed in 2018.

4. The ICEC was established by the SPC in 2018 to enhance international exchange and cooperation, particularly in relation to the resolution of international commercial disputes. Providing a vital international dimension to the expertise and resources available to the China International Commercial Court (CICC), the ICEC has a broad representation of eminent jurists from all around the world. Besides experts from within the PRC, ICEC members also include international experts who are accomplished jurists and possess extensive experience in international arbitration, mediation and commercial law.

5. ICEC members may mediate cases entrusted by the CICC to resolve international commercial disputes, provide advisory opinion on specific legal issues in international commercial dispute cases, and advise on relevant judicial interpretations and judicial policies formulated by the SPC.

6. Welcoming the appointment, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said, “I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to Chief Justice Zhou Qiang and the SPC for the appointment of Justice Steven Chong to the ICEC. The establishment of the ICEC is a significant endeavor by the SPC to enhance the resolution of international commercial disputes. I am confident that Justice Chong’s expertise, as a commercial judge and lawyer before this, will enable him to contribute positively to the work of the ICEC. The appointment will undoubtedly deepen the already strong relations between the two Supreme Courts and further advance our cooperation in the area of commercial law.”

7. On his appointment, Justice Steven Chong said, “The ICEC and the CICC are important initiatives by the SPC to enhance the effective resolution of international commercial disputes, towards the development of legal infrastructure supporting the Belt and Road Initiative. It is my honour and privilege to be appointed to the ICEC. I am delighted and look forward to contributing to the work of the ICEC as well as the CICC.”

SUPREME COURT OF SINGAPORE

9 DECEMBER 2020

Annex - Background on the ICEC

ANNEX

Fact sheet: Background on the ICEC

1. On 26 August 2018, the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) established the International Commercial Expert Committee (ICEC) to support the China International Commercial Court (CICC) in building a diversified dispute resolution mechanism that effectively links mediation, arbitration and litigation for international commercial disputes.

2. 31 Chinese and foreign experts were appointed in 2018 as members of the ICEC by the SPC. To ensure diversity, there was broad representation within the ICEC across different geographical regions with different legal traditions. Members include judges, arbitrators, members of the academia and leaders of relevant international organisations with expertise in international commercial law and who are considered eminent jurists. The first group of ICEC expert members include those from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Lebanon, the Netherlands, the PRC, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

3. This year, the SPC has invited and appointed a second group of expert members, including Justice Steven Chong who is also a Judge of Appeal with the Singapore Supreme Court.