Media Release: Singapore Courts hosts International Association for Court Administration Conference held in Singapore for the first time

     SG Courts hosted the International Association for Court Administration (IACA) Conference which was held in Singapore for the first time. The annual conference was held in the Courts’ premises from 12 to 14 November 2024. Established in 2004, IACA was set up to promote professional court administration and management, and to serve as a resource for judges, court administrators and managers, and other government officials to evaluate and improve court and justice systems. This event, hosted by the Singapore Courts, brought together judges and senior court administrators from around the world to exchange insights and perspectives on the current developments and best practices in judicial and court administration.

2     The three-day conference was attended by 250 attendees from over 40 countries. The theme for this year’s conference is “Building Trust in The Judiciary”, and focussed on critical topics shaping the future of justice systems globally, such as:

• Navigating artificial intelligence (AI) in the justice system
• Disinformation and its impact on trust in the judiciary
• Access to justice
• Achieving excellence in the administration of justice 

3     The conference opened with welcome remarks by the President of IACA, Prof Dr Luis Maria Palma, and the keynote address by The Honourable the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Singapore, Sundaresh Menon. The plenary session that followed focussed on AI and the impact on the Judiciary, where speakers Mr Tan Ken Hwee, Chief Transformation and Innovation Officer of the Singapore Courts and Prof Giuseppe M. Fazari from Monmouth University, USA, discussed the topic in detail. The session was moderated by Mr Kevin J Bowling, Juris Doctor/Master of Science in Justice Administration/Institute for Court Management Fellow and Chief Administrative Officer, IACA. 

4     Prof Dr Luis María Palma, President of IACA, said: “We are deeply honoured to hold our international conference for the first time in Singapore, allowing us to celebrate our 20th Anniversary while learning from your remarkable experiences and advancements. Trust is a fundamental value for the judiciary, as it establishes its credibility within the society it serves. Nothing is more damaging than disinformation, which undermines the foundations of the judicial system. Upholding good faith, leading by example, fostering teamwork, and ensuring accountability are essential practices we must rely on. Court Administration must embody the professional development of these practices, and IACA is dedicated to continuously improving them to fulfil its mission and, in this way, to contribute to social peace.”.

5     In his keynote address, CJ Menon said, “Trust in our judiciaries is not only built on the courts’ adjudicative work in individual cases, but it increasingly rests on our ability to discharge our broader systemic role, which is assuming ever greater importance. This mission involves all parts and all levels of a modern judiciary. From judicial education and judicial policy, to communications and outreach, to technology and innovation, to access to justice – to name just a few of the areas I have touched on – court administrators and court administration are an indispensable part of our people, processes and systems for administering and delivering justice.” 

Issued by: SG Courts
12 November 2024