Justice Vincent Hoong: Speech Delivered at the Official Opening of the State Courts Towers

Address by Justice Vincent Hoong,

Presiding Judge of the State Courts

Friday 14 July 2023

The President of the Republic of Singapore, Her Excellency Madam Halimah Yacob,
The Honourable the Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon,
The Honourable Minister for Culture, Community & Youth and Second Minister for Law, Mr Edwin Tong,
Attorney-General,
The Honourable Judges and Judicial Commissioners of the Supreme Court,
The Honourable Presiding Judge of the Family Justice Courts,
Deputy Attorneys-General,
Distinguished guests and fellow colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

1. A very good morning and thank you for joining us on this special day as we celebrate a defining milestone in the journey of the State Courts – the official opening of the State Courts Towers. This event is long overdue – by a little over three years to be precise. The opening was originally scheduled for 14 February 2020 but had to be postponed - twice - due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Since then, it has been a long and eventful journey, but I am glad that all of us can finally gather here today for this occasion. On behalf of every one of us here at the State Courts, I wish to specially thank the President of the Republic of Singapore, Mdm Halimah Yacob, for gracing this occasion as our Guest-of-Honour. I also wish to extend our sincere gratitude to all our stakeholders who helped bring what was once an abstract concept encapsulated in blueprint, into the magnificent reality we see today.

3. Having operated in the Octagon building next door for more than 40 years, the move to a new building to meet the growing needs of court users was not a matter of “if” but “when”. Our founding Prime Minister, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, once said that “if we want to be a top financial center, we must have lawyers and courts to match”.⁽¹⁾ The State Courts Towers, with its modern infrastructure and facilities, is a monumental step which we have taken towards fulfilling that vision. Our move to this new building was indeed timely. Shortly after our move in late 2019, COVID-19 struck. Our new technological and infrastructural capabilities were tested relentlessly on various fronts. Through it all, we held firm and emerged stronger than ever, proving ourselves equally relentless in our resolve to ensure continued access to quality justice, even in the face of unprecedented pandemic conditions.

4. The official opening video, which will be aired later, will showcase the exterior architecture and interior features of the State Courts Towers, as well as the ideas behind the construction and design of the new building. While the final product is impressive in its own right, what was even more inspiring was the dedication of my colleagues who toiled painstakingly for many years in overseeing the construction, and ultimately the operationalisation, of the State Courts Towers. I am very proud of them, and on this occasion, I wish to express my deepest gratitude towards Justice See Kee Oon, who is my predecessor, Ms Jennifer Marie, the former Deputy Presiding Judge of the State Courts, as well as members of their core team who poured their hearts into this massive endeavour. It was their vision, leadership and diligence which brought the State Courts Towers into fruition.

5. Even as we celebrate the opening of our new building, we must not forget where we came from. To that end, we launched the State Courts Heritage Gallery on Level 1 of our building, to showcase the evolutionary journey of the State Courts. The gallery includes a mock-up of a courtroom in the Octagon building. Visitors can look forward to an interactive and informative experience there. In addition, everyone here will also receive a coffee-table book to commemorate the Octagon’s unique places and spaces, as well as the faces who played a part in making the State Courts what it is today. The book incorporates augmented reality elements that allow you, with the aid of your mobile device, to participate in three-dimensional tours of areas within the Octagon that have not been opened to the public, such as the Judges’ corridors and the Lock-up.

6. Finally, allow me to conclude by emphasizing that in the midst of the many changes we are experiencing – whether in the form of a new building, increased use of courtroom technology, or growing complexities in our cases – the one constant in the State Courts that will never change is our mission to ensure access to quality justice. In fulfilling this mission, we will ensure that the judiciary remains an institution worthy of the trust that our people have reposed in it.

7. The striking presence of the State Courts Towers in the city skyline serves as a daily reminder to my colleagues and me of the critical role we play in maintaining the rule of law, which is in turn indispensable to maintaining peace and stability. Ultimately, that which defines the State Courts is not any physical building or structure, but our unwavering commitment to ensure that there is access to quality justice.

8. Thank you very much.

^{(1) Speech by former PM Lee Kuan Yew, Opening of the Singapore Academy of Law (31 Aug 1990)}