Attorney-General of Singapore
Encyclopedia
The Attorney-General of Singapore is the legal
adviser to the government of the Republic of Singapore and its public prosecutor.
The office was founded in 1867 as the chief legal officer
of the British
crown colony
of the Straits Settlements
. The current requirements for appointment as Attorney-General are set out in the Singapore Constitution. Unlike some other countries that follow the Westminster parliamentary model
, in Singapore the Attorney-General is not a member of Parliament. He carries out his functions, with the assistance of his deputy, known as the Solicitor-General, through the Attorney-General's Chambers.
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
adviser to the government of the Republic of Singapore and its public prosecutor.
The office was founded in 1867 as the chief legal officer
Chief Legal Officer
A chief legal officer is the highest-ranking corporate officer concerning legal affairs of a corporation or agency. Chief legal officers typically hold the title of general counsel.- Skill requirements :...
of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
crown colony
Crown colony
A Crown colony, also known in the 17th century as royal colony, was a type of colonial administration of the English and later British Empire....
of the Straits Settlements
Straits Settlements
The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia.Originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Company, the Straits Settlements came under direct British control as a crown colony on 1 April 1867...
. The current requirements for appointment as Attorney-General are set out in the Singapore Constitution. Unlike some other countries that follow the Westminster parliamentary model
Westminster System
The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
, in Singapore the Attorney-General is not a member of Parliament. He carries out his functions, with the assistance of his deputy, known as the Solicitor-General, through the Attorney-General's Chambers.
Attorney-General of Singapore
- 1 Apr 1867 - 1 Jan 1883 Thomas BraddellThomas BraddellSir Thomas Braddell was an Irish lawyer, the first Attorney-General of Singapore.He was born in Rahingrany, County Wicklow and called to the bar at Gray's Inn in 1859. He took the role of Attorney-General of Singapore from 1 April 1867 to 1 January 1883...
- 2 Jan 1883 - 2 Oct 1883 John Augustus Harwood (Acting)
- 3 Oct 1883 - 6 Nov 1893 John Winfield Bonser
- 7 Nov 1893 - 4 Feb 1906 William Robert Collyer
- 5 Feb 1906 - 28 Feb 1907 John Robert Innes (Acting)
- 1 Mar 1907 - 31 Dec 1909 Walter John Napier
- 1 Jan 1910 - 20 Feb 1911 Frederick Belfield
- 21 Feb 1911 - 24 Jan 1913 Thomas de Multon Lee Braddell
- 25 Jan 1913 - 24 Apr 1913 Evelyn Campbell Ellis (Acting)
- 25 Apr 1913 - 18 Nov 1919 Gerald Aubrey Goodman
- 19 Nov 1919 - 9 Jul 1925 James William Murison
- 10 Jul 1925 - 12 Jul 1929 Michael WhitleyMichael WhitleySir Michael Whitley, Kt was a British colonial administrator who became a senior judge and later Attorney General in the Straits Settlements.-Education:...
- 13 Jul 1929 - 20 Apr 1933 Walter Clarence Huggard
- 21 Apr 1933 - 10 Aug 1936 Percy Alexander McElwaine
- 27 Oct 1936 - 14 Dec 1936 Newnham Arthur Worley (Acting)
- 11 Aug 1936 - 14 Feb 1942 Charles Gough Howell
Kensatku-Kan (Attorney-General and Public Prosecutor of the Japanese Administration)
- Feb 1942 - Sep 1945 Ichihara Kakka
Chief Legal Officer, British Military Administration
- Sep 1945 - 31 Mar 1946 Lt Col TC Spencer- Wilkinson
Attorney-General of the Crown Colony of Singapore
- 1 Apr 1946 5 Sep 1955 Edward John Davies
- 6 Sep 1955 1 Jul 1957 Charles Harris Butterfield
- 2 Jul 1957 24 Jun 1959 E P Shanks
State Advocate-General of the State of Singapore
- 25 Jun 1959 - 8 Aug 1965 Ahmad Mohamed IbrahimAhmad Mohamed IbrahimTan Sri Datuk Prof Ahmad Mohamed Ibrahim was a distinguished Singaporean law professor.He was educated at Kampong Glam Malay School , Raffles Institution, and Raffles College. He received the Queen's Scholarship in 1936 which enabled him to study at St. John's College, Cambridge...
Attorney-General of the Republic of Singapore
- 9 Aug 1965 - 31 Jan 1967 Ahmad Mohamed IbrahimAhmad Mohamed IbrahimTan Sri Datuk Prof Ahmad Mohamed Ibrahim was a distinguished Singaporean law professor.He was educated at Kampong Glam Malay School , Raffles Institution, and Raffles College. He received the Queen's Scholarship in 1936 which enabled him to study at St. John's College, Cambridge...
- 1 Feb 1967 - 31 Dec 1968 Tan Boon Teik (Acting)
- 1 Jan 1969 - 30 Apr 1992 Tan Boon Teik
- 1 May 1992 - 10 Apr 2006 Chan Sek KeongChan Sek KeongChan Sek Keong is the current Chief Justice of Singapore, having taken over from the former Chief Justice Yong Pung How on 11 April 2006. Chan was formerly the Attorney-General of Singapore, before being succeeded by Chao Hick Tin on 11 April 2006....
- 11 Apr 2006 - 11 Apr 2008 Chao Hick TinChao Hick TinChao Hick Tin is an appellate judge and former Attorney-General of Singapore. He was born in Singapore and studied at Catholic High School. He received his legal education at University College London, where he obtained his Bachelor and Masters of Law degrees in 1965 and 1966 respectively. He was...
- 11 Apr 2008 - 10 Apr 2010 Walter Woon
- 11 Apr 2010 - 30 Sep 2010 Koh Juat JongKoh Juat JongMrs. Koh Juat Jong is the former Registrar of the Supreme Court of Singapore and current Solicitor-General of Singapore. A President's Scholar, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Statistics from University College London in 1981. She then joined the Administrative...
(Acting) - 1 Oct 2010–Present Sundaresh MenonSundaresh MenonSundaresh Menon SC is Singapore's Attorney-General. He was sworn in on 1 Oct 2010. Menon graduated with first class honours from the law faculty of the National University of Singapore in 1986 and later obtained his LL.M. from Harvard University. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2008. He served a...