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Joint Media Release: Indonesia and Singapore Judiciaries jointly organise Inaugural Masterclass Programme for Commercial Judges in Asia

More than 60 participants from 16 courts and jurisdictions including Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, People’s Republic of China and Singapore, have just completed the inaugural Masterclass Programme for Commercial Judges in Asia (Masterclass) held at the Judicial Training Centre of the Supreme Court of Indonesia in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. 

2          Held from 9 to 12 September 2024, the Masterclass was a four-day intensive course jointly organised by the Judicial Training Centre and the Singapore Judicial College, covering key topics in commercial law that are of concern to many judiciaries; namely technology and law, arbitration, cross-border insolvency, shipping and maritime law, and intellectual property. 

Masterclass is testament to strong bilateral ties between Indonesia and Singapore judiciaries

3          The idea for a Masterclass was first seeded in November 2023 when Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon of Singapore visited the Judicial Training Centre of the Supreme Court of Indonesia. These plans crystallised further when Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Indonesia, Prof Dr Muhammad Syarifuddin met with Chief Justice Menon in February this year. The Chief Justices jointly invited jurisdictions in the Asia-Pacific region to nominate participants for the Masterclass, which is intended for High Court judges with two to three years of experience.

4          Chief Justice Menon said: “In these challenging times of constant change, it is even more important that we choose to come together to gain a better understanding of and think collectively about the critical issues we all face. It is a testament to the strong bonds of trust and goodwill between our judiciaries that the seeds of this Masterclass were brought to fruition in less than a year. This would also not have been possible without the outstanding generosity and support of Chief Justice Syarifuddin and the Supreme Court of Indonesia, and the immense hard work and dedication of all involved.”

5          In his welcoming speech, Chief Justice Syarifuddin said “The Supreme Court of Indonesia and Singapore firmly believe that judicial training and capacity building are fundamental to maintaining the integrity and effectiveness of our courts. This belief has driven our active participation in regional and international judicial networks, and we are proud to co-host this Masterclass training with the Supreme Court of Singapore, an institution renowned for its leadership in judicial education and innovation”.

Masterclass faculty

6          The faculty for the Masterclass comprised eminent international commercial judges who are experts in their respective fields. Speakers and facilitators included Justice I Gusti Agung Sumanatha, Justice Syamsul Marif and Justice Nani Indrawati (Indonesia), Chief Justice Menon, Justice Aedit Abdullah, Justice Philip Jeyaretnam, Justice Kannan Ramesh, Justice S Mohan, Justice Dedar Singh Gill (Singapore), Justice James Allsop (Singapore International Commercial Court), Chief Justice (Ret) Geoffrey Ma (Hong Kong SAR), Justice David Goddard (New Zealand), Justice Dai Yiting (China) and Prof Jansen Calamita from the National University of Singapore. 

The changing landscape of commercial law and the unique value proposition of the Masterclass

7          In a keynote address titled “The Changing Face of Commercial Law: New Frontiers in an Asian Century”, Chief Justice Menon outlined how changes affecting core commercial areas were transforming the realities of commercial law and practice, and offered a vision of convergence between judiciaries across the Asia-Pacific region in key commercial areas, which could assist our legal systems in managing these changes.   

8          Chief Justice Menon also highlighted the “unique value proposition” of the Masterclass and four distinctive features that made it an important platform for judicial education and exchange in the Asia-Pacific region; namely its scope, its methodology, its participants and the network that it aims to establish. 

9          The role of judges in economic growth becomes critical. Chief Justice Syarifuddin addressed that the demands on commercial courts have grown exponentially, driven by the complexities of cross-border trade, international contracts, and global financial systems. “The decisions we make as judges can have far-reaching implications, influencing economic activity and the confidence of international investors in our legal systems”. 

Issued by: Supreme Court of Indonesia and Singapore Courts

 

About Supreme Court of Indonesia

The Supreme Court is the highest state court of all judicial matters, which in carrying out their duties regardless of government and other influences. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over the general court, religious/sharia court, military court and state administrative court.

About SG Courts

The Singapore Courts - comprising the Supreme Court, State Courts and Family Justice Courts - is one of the three constitutional pillars of government in Singapore. Known collectively as SG Courts, we are integrated and coordinated to serve as one judiciary. As an organ of state, the judiciary’s function is to independently administer justice. Headed by the Chief Justice, we are a forward-looking, innovative and trusted judiciary. Built on judicial professionalism and transparency, we maintain the highest standards of integrity in safeguarding our community. We pledge to ensure equal and continuous access to justice, and we are committed to deliver justice that is fair and impartial.

With the vision of realizing court excellent, the Supreme Court continues to carry out transformation by significantly modernizing case administration based on modern IT. This is to ensure that case resolution is carried out simply, quickly, at low cost and accountably.

2024/09/13

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