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Justice Teh Hwee Hwee: Speech delivered at the Family Justice Courts Workplan 2026
Speech delivered at the Family Justice Courts Workplan 2026
“Purpose in Action – Shaping Futures Together”
Friday, 13 March 2026
The Honourable Justice Teh Hwee Hwee
Presiding Judge of the Family Justice Courts
Chief Justice,
Fellow Judges,
Colleagues and Friends,
Welcome to the FJC Workplan and thank you for being here.
2 Let me begin with the Hunt for the Missing Judgment at our Corporate Retreat last June, a memory many of you will share. It was our very own Amazing Race. Do you remember how it all began? The challenge started with all of us seated around our tables, passing a token to decide who would captain each team. I was in Group 11. The music played, the token went round and round the table, and then the music stopped. As fate would have it, the token landed on me.
3 In that split second, many thoughts ran through my mind. I remember thinking: I am hardly built for sprinting, swivelling or scaling terrain at speed. In fact, my instinct in most situations is to negotiate first and run later. And in this race, the captain would have to dash to the facilitators for instructions and sprint back to brief the team. Speed mattered. Before I had even finished the thought of how not to slow down the team, Ms Kristen Ong and Ms Ho Li Ling from the Family Protection and Support Division, without missing a beat, volunteered to do the running. And run they did, all the way to, as you can see from this picture, winning the prize for completing the greatest number of challenges. This moment really stayed with me; the instinct behind it. There was no hesitation — only an immediate recognition from Kristen and Li Ling that this was where they could contribute, and they would give their all right away.
4 That same spirit carried us through the past year. 2025 was a demanding year. We managed increased caseloads while continuing to meet our KPIs. At the same time, we implemented major legislative reforms: enhancements to the domestic violence protection regime, maintenance enforcements and enforcement of child access orders. We engaged the Bar for feedback on the four sets of Family Justice Rules, addressing issues arising from implementation and commencing a broader review of these rules to identify further improvements.
5 We strengthened international collaboration with leading family jurisdictions, hosting Judges from more than 40 jurisdictions for several international gatherings in May 2025. These included meetings of the International Hague Network of Judges, the Inaugural Hague Conference on Private International Law Judicial Roundtable, the 3rd ASEAN Family Judges Forum and the Meeting of the CACJ (Council of ASEAN Chief Justices) Working Group on Cross-border Disputes Involving Children. The first two events had originally been planned for 2020 but were postponed due to the pandemic. We also strengthened bilateral partnerships with other judiciaries through closer cooperation, including an Exchange of Letters in July 2025 with the Malaysian Judiciary. These engagements continue to sharpen our practice and improve cross-border family justice processes.
6 Shortly after these gatherings, we celebrated the Official Opening and Open House of this very courthouse in July 2025. Although the Octagon had originally been scheduled for completion in December 2022, the project was delayed by pandemic-related constraints. The Opening was a huge success, graced by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and the Chief Justice, and attended by over 1,900 guests and visitors.
7 Ordinarily, these initiatives and events might have been spread across several years. Instead, they were delivered within one compressed period. If it felt busy, that is because it was. We brought to fruition initiatives and events planned for previous years, while continuing to deliver on our daily responsibilities. None of these achievements came about because one person carried the burden alone. They happened because, across divisions and roles, people stepped forward where they could contribute the most. Just as in that race. We have come to an important moment in our journey, having completed a significant phase of our work together. The reward is not a trophy, but something far more meaningful: the knowledge that what we built will endure. The reforms we implemented, the systems we strengthened, and the collaborations we deepened, these will serve families long after this year has passed.
8 This moment is one of strength, strength that reflects our shared conviction. It tells us that we can carry weight together, adapt under pressure, and still deliver with excellence by putting purpose into action. This is captured in the theme of the workplan this year — “Purpose in Action – Shaping Futures Together.” And it is from this place of shared strength and conviction that we set our direction for the future.
9 Before we look ahead, we pause to honour those whose contributions have carved out the path we now continue on. We honour Justice Choo Han Teck, who retired last month after 31 years of distinguished service on the Bench. His kindness and compassion have reminded us all of the humanity that lies at the heart of law. We presented Justice Choo with a farewell card, and he has asked me to thank all of you for making him feel part of this family, and to tell you that he would treasure the card and all the thoughts behind it. We also honour Principal District Judge Muhammad Hidhir, who retired in November 2025 after leading significant reforms, including the establishment of the Family Protection Centre and the development of iFAMS (the Integrated Family Application Management System). We wish them every happiness and fulfilment in this next chapter of their lives.
10 Our work continues through those who join us and become part of this family. It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge Justice Alex Wong and Judicial Commissioner Low Siew Ling, who are with us today and have joined in serving on the High Court Family Law list. I am also delighted to welcome District Judge Maryam Rozlan and Magistrates Yvette Tay, Jasmine Loo and Nathaniel Tan, as well as 23 Court Administrators who have joined the FJC in the past year.
11 And so, as one chapter closes and another begins, we move forward. Workplan 2026 brings our efforts under three strategic thrusts: First, deepening therapeutic justice in our processes and as we move further towards a less adversarial family justice system. Second, strengthening our systems to deliver justice that is timely, accessible and responsive to the needs of court users. Third, investing in our people so that they continue to grow in capability and develop as leaders across the different dimensions of family justice.
Deepening therapeutic justice in our processes
12 The first thrust is to deepen therapeutic justice in our processes. We will do that through enhanced protocols and a broader suite of tools to guide our interventions. This will propel us towards a less adversarial family justice system and sharpen our focus on the needs of court users. While the issues in dispute may remain contested, the way parties engage is a separate matter and does not have to be confrontational or hostile. Our processes should help lower the temperature by fostering better understanding of different perspectives and by drawing on the support of the parties’ wider relational network, whenever appropriate. We will advance three key initiatives in the coming years.
13 Firstly, we will strengthen the child-centred approach in our counselling and mediation work. Courts have long recognised the importance of hearing children’s perspectives in appropriate cases. Over the years, child-inclusive sessions have helped our counsellors and judges better understand how children experience family conflict. Building on this experience, we will, in suitable cases, systematically integrate processes that allow children to participate in ways appropriate to their stages of development. This may be through drawings, play-based techniques and other methods that enable their authentic thoughts and feelings to emerge safely.
14 When parents genuinely listen to what children say, the impact can be profound.1 A child’s drawing or an unfiltered expression of worry or hope can cut through adult defensiveness in ways that legal arguments rarely can. It reminds parents of what truly matters: their children’s wellbeing and sense of security. Ms Sophia Ang, our Chief Specialist in Counselling and Psychological Services, shared a memorable case with me. She was handling an especially bitter custody dispute. The parents were locked in accusations against one another. Their young son was invited for a session with Sophia. In a simple “squiggle game”, where a child turns random lines into a drawing, he drew a puddle of water. When asked what he had drawn, he said: “I am the puddle. The puddle is naughty. He makes people fall. Mummy and Daddy slipped too.”
15 In that moment, the truth became clear. The boy believed he was the reason for his parents’ discord. He thought the conflict was his fault. When the drawing was shared with the parents, the dispute was no longer about fault or blame. It became a reckoning with how their conflict was affecting their son. Studies have demonstrated that hearing children’s perspectives frequently serves as a “wake-up call” for parents, emotionally engaging them, fostering shared understanding of their children’s needs, and triggering meaningful shifts in parental attitudes and in behaviour towards one another.2
16 The story did not end there. It emerged that both grandmothers of the boy had been anxious about losing their grandson. After discussing with Sophia, DJ Kevin Ng, the Judge Mediator, made the call to invite both grandmothers to participate in the mediation he was conducting. Under Kevin’s intervention, the grandmothers reconciled and resumed cooperation in caregiving support for their grandson. That moment revealed something important. Family conflict is rarely confined to two parties. It is important that we recognise that around the children stand grandparents, other relatives and caregivers, and that children’s wellbeing is shaped by this entire network of relationships.3
17 In suitable situations, therefore, carefully calibrated child-inclusive and family-inclusive approaches can restore perspective and unlock resolution. These approaches will be applied only when assessed to be appropriate and safe for the child. We will be mindful that these approaches may not be necessary or suitable in every case, and children must never be drawn unnecessarily into parental conflict. Similarly, introducing additional family members at mediations without a nuanced and realistic assessment of the underlying dynamics may also inflame tensions rather than resolve them. Given these considerations, all cases will be rigorously screened. Clear protocols, safeguards and guidelines will be developed for the process. There will also be specialised training for our judicial officers and Court Family Specialists. Such training will cover assessment and facilitation methodologies, as well as frameworks for integrating children’s perspectives and extended family support into counselling and mediation sessions. This will ensure that when these interventions are appropriate, they are deployed thoughtfully and executed effectively.
18 Second, we will enhance our multi-disciplinary approach working with all players and stakeholders in the family justice system to deepen understanding across the relevant disciplines. As a practical step towards this, Cross-Disciplinary “101” Guides will be developed. This will include Legal and Judicial Process Guides for social service professionals, and Social Science Guides for legal professionals. We started building a cross-disciplinary approach with a successful fireside chat at the Family Conference 2025 last September, where ninety per cent of participants at the fireside chat indicated that the session enhanced their understanding of how family law and the social sciences interact in practice. Building on this positive feedback, we convened another session just two weeks ago on extreme parental behaviour in access disputes. We will continue to work with the Law Society and other partners to organise more such sessions focused on practical learning and best practices.
19 Third, we will extend Therapeutic Justice (“TJ”) beyond divorce proceedings into other areas in which family conflict may be deep-rooted. Since the Chief Justice launched our TJ Model at FJC’s 10th Anniversary celebration in October 2024, we have achieved further progress. Today marks another milestone as we extend the TJ model beyond divorce litigation with the launch of the Youths Court Therapeutic Justice Model (“YC TJ Model”).
20 Youth offender and youth at-risk cases involve more than legal accountability. They raise questions of identity, relationships and the circumstances shaping a young person’s path. When we intervene well, we do more than dispose a case, we can help to redirect a life. Over the past year, the Youth Courts have been piloting TJ-informed tools that more deliberately structure and strengthen opportunities for youths to reflect on the impact of their actions and assume ownership of their future. Two examples illustrate this.
21 The first is a tool for reflection termed the Visionary Map, now formally incorporated into our Youth Court practice during Progress Presentation Reviews. At these sessions, guided reflection on their past and future could lead to youths making written pledges known as Promises for Change. In one such promise, a youth did not merely say he would “behave better”. He wrote detailed pledges to attend school punctually and comply with his probation conditions, and included a strongly worded commitment not to be identified as a criminal. This is what TJ looks like at its best – reflective, personal and transformative.
22 In addition to the existing Family Conferences for care and protection applications, the Youth Courts have begun piloting Care Conferences in youth offender cases and family guidance applications. These Care Conferences recognise that rehabilitation is rarely achieved by a youth in isolation. In one Youth Offender case involving a 15-year-old, the Care Conference allowed the youth and his parents to confront the consequences of his action in a way that court papers could not. The youth had helped a friend purchase multiple SIM cards, acting out of misplaced loyalty and fear of threats, and without understanding the legal ramifications. During the Care Conference, the family shared about the emotional toll, including how the father waited in distress at the police station, and how the incident had affected their entire family life. The youth came to accept responsibility for his action, showing genuine remorse, whilst his family expressed gratitude for the opportunity to speak openly. They described the experience as a turning point not only for the family, but crucially, for the youth himself. The premise is straightforward: Where further engagement with the youth, his or her family, and the relevant stakeholders is assessed to be appropriate and beneficial for the youth, the Youth Court will facilitate conversations to foster understanding, encourage responsibility, and bolster support networks.
23 These are not isolated anecdotes. They illustrate the direction we are taking. When a child or young person leaves our courtroom, we aim not merely to close the case, but to help set that child or young person on a better path. It is therefore an immense privilege to have the Chief Justice honour us with the launch of the YC TJ Model later this morning. The YC TJ Model will provide a stronger framework for how we engage youths and families, from setting expectations and surfacing underlying dynamics, to coordinating appropriate interventions. It reflects three core commitments: that (a) accountability must be understood, not merely imposed; (b) rehabilitation is strengthened when families are meaningfully engaged; and (c) the Court will steer the case towards the outcome that best protects both the young person’s future and the community.
24 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the YC TJ team, led by DJs Amy Tung, Kimberly Scully and Kathryn Thong, with the guidance of Registrar Kenneth Yap and the inputs of DJ Yarni Loi and Chief Specialist Ms Sophia Ang. The work of the team, undertaken alongside the Ministry of Social and Family Development, the Ministry of Education, the Attorney-General’s Chambers, social service agencies and our TJ Consultative Committees, has been instrumental in developing and piloting these approaches. Looking ahead, we will continue to explore how TJ can be applied to other areas where family dynamics strongly shape behaviour and outcomes.
Timely and Accessible Justice
25 The second thrust strengthens our core mission: delivering justice in a manner that is timely, accessible and responsive to the needs of court users. At last year’s All-In event, we tried something different. We turned to you — our people — and asked: How can we do more with less? The response was remarkable. Your ideas did not just fill suggestion boxes; they sparked a wave of creative thinking that will strengthen how we deliver justice. These ideas now have a home and a champion. Our newly created Joint Operations Committee, chaired by Registrar Kenneth Yap, will breathe life into your suggestions. This is not a one-time exercise, but an ongoing commitment to review how we work and to implement improvements where they matter most.
26 At the same time, innovation must always serve our court users. We remain acutely aware that access to justice gaps must be minimised, particularly for those navigating our system without legal representation. To support them, we are progressively rolling out digital tools designed specifically for self-represented persons. I will only touch briefly on them here as our project leads for these initiatives will elaborate on them in a video to be presented shortly on the excellent work that they have done. These include the recently augmented Family Orders Guide with a Drafting Assistant, which generates suggested template orders based on responses to guided questions, as well as the FJC Quick Guide, which provides a single gateway to information and went live earlier today. Additional tools being developed include a Filing Toolkit offering step-by-step guidance for common applications. These are all examples of bridges to justice.
Investing in our people
27 We turn now to the third thrust on investing in our people. It recognises a simple truth: the strength of any justice system ultimately rests on its people. We want to be a place where those called to serve justice find purpose and thrive, where work is meaningful, the standards are high, and those who serve continue to grow in both capability and judgment.
28 If we are serious about shaping justice, we must be equally serious about shaping ourselves. Our strategy for people development begins with strengthening professional capability across our institution. Judges, Judicial Associates, Court Family Specialists and other court officers must operate from a shared understanding of the principles that guide family justice, including therapeutic justice, child development, trauma awareness and family systems dynamics. When professionals across different roles work from common foundations, families experience a system that is more coherent, more consistent and ultimately more compassionate. As I mentioned earlier when speaking about our cross-disciplinary exchanges, family justice benefits when different professions learn from one another. Our people development efforts will therefore continue to equip our officers in support of such collaboration.
29 At the same time, we will invest intentionally in the next generation of leaders. Some among us will develop deep judicial expertise in particular areas of the law. Others will take on broader organisational responsibilities in shaping how the system functions. Both paths are vital to the continued strength of our courts. Our responsibility as an institution is to provide opportunities for growth, exposure and leadership development.
30 But development is not something that simply happens to us. It is something we must participate in. I was reminded of this during my very first meeting with the Chief Justice in 2013. I was then the Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court and had gone to his office together with a fellow registrar. On that occasion, the then Justice Sundaresh Menon shared a piece of advice with us: Each of us must take ownership of our own career path. Growth is not something to be left to chance. Development does not simply happen to us. It is something we need to actively pursue. This insight has guided me through the years, and I now pass it on to you. The organisation can and will create pathways for development, specialisation and leadership. But each of us must decide to step forward and make the most of these opportunities.
31 Finally, we will continue to strengthen our culture of learning and reflection. The FJC will roll out customised courses on a range of topics essential to our work. We will also continue to maintain strong partnerships with academia, conduct process and outcome reviews, and strengthen feedback mechanisms that allow us to refine our practices over time. As has been observed before, a learning court is a resilient court. Excellence in family justice is never static. It evolves — with evidence, with experience, with learning and with humility.4
32 If we do this well, if we enhance capability, strengthen collaboration and nurture leadership, we will do more than improve performance. We will build an institution where the work refines us as we refine the work, where people with a heart for family justice want to belong, and where families can trust that justice is delivered not only with competence, but with compassion and care.
33 Before I move to close this address, let me briefly recap our direction ahead: First, deepening therapeutic justice in our processes to move further towards a less adversarial family justice system. Second, strengthening our systems to deliver justice that is timely, accessible and responsive to the needs of court users. Third, investing in our people so that they continue to grow in capability and develop as leaders across the different dimensions of family justice. And how do we take this plan forward together? In much the same way we approached the Hunt for the Missing Judgment, always by recognising where we each can contribute, stepping forward when needed and giving it our all.
34 As we pursue these priorities, I would like to say a very heartfelt and big thank you to each and every member of the FJC. Your exceptional commitment to this work forms the foundation on which all our efforts rest. Without your daily excellence and willingness to embrace change, none of what we have achieved, and none of what we aspire to achieve, would be possible.
35 Let me also express our deep gratitude to the many who sustain us with their unwavering support. As in the past two years, I take this opportunity to, on behalf of all of us in the FJC, thank the Chief Justice for his leadership and steadfast support at every stage of our development. His strategic guidance and active stewardship have been instrumental in shaping not only our institutional evolution but also our approach to family justice.
36 I also extend the FJC’s wholehearted appreciation to the wider judiciary family, including the Judges of the Supreme Court who hear family matters, whose steady guidance continues to shape our jurisprudence and provide direction to families seeking resolution. In addition, I convey our sincere gratitude to the Chief Executive and her dedicated team, who have not only met our expanding operational requirements but ensured the seamless and efficient functioning of our daily operations.
37 Last but certainly not least, I acknowledge the generous support of the Government, the Bar, all our stakeholders, partners and volunteers, who have firmly stood by us through this period of transformation and growth.
38 And if I may return to where I began. I am so thankful that each of you is part of this journey. Whether in a light-hearted corporate retreat involving a hunt for a missing judgment or in the serious work of transforming family justice, the lesson is the same. We move forward because we do so together. Thank you all for being part of this shared journey.
(1) JE McIntosh, YD Wells, BM Smyth and CM Long, “Child-Focused and Child-Inclusive Divorce Mediation: Comparative Outcomes from a Prospective Study of Postseparation Adjustment” (2007) 46(1) Family Court Review 105. In a prospective study comparing child-focused mediation (where discussion of children’s needs remained parent-based and generic) with child-inclusive mediation (which incorporated specialist consultation with children and structured feedback to parents), the authors found that the child-inclusive intervention was associated with reduced acrimony, improved parental alliance and more durable agreements over a one-year period. (2) JE McIntosh, YD Wells, BM Smyth and CM Long, “Child-Focused and Child-Inclusive Divorce Mediation: Comparative Outcomes from a Prospective Study of Postseparation Adjustment” (2007) 46(1) Family Court Review 105.
(3) United States, National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships (Working Paper No 1, Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 2004) at p 1, observing that healthy development depends on the quality and reliability of a young child’s relationships with the important people in his or her life, both within and outside the family, and that the development of a child’s brain architecture depends on the establishment of these relationships. In support, the authors draw on a substantial body of developmental and relational research, including E Berscheid & HT Reis, “Attraction and Close Relationships” in DT Gilbert, ST Fiske & G Lindzey (eds), Handbook of Social Psychology vol 1 (2nd ed, McGraw-Hill, 1998); WA Collins & B Laursen, “Relationships as Developmental Contexts” (1999) 30 Minnesota Symposia on Child Psychology; J Dunn, Young Children’s Close Relationships: Beyond Attachment (Sage, 1993); HT Reis, WA Collins & E Berscheid, “Relationships in Human Behavior and Development” (2000) 126(6) Psychological Bulletin 844.
(4) See eg, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Keynote Address at the Singapore Judicial College 10th Anniversary Celebration: “Our Learning Judges: A Continuing Judicial Education Journey” (26 May 2025) at paragraphs 11 to 13, where Chief Justice Menon emphasised that developing “Learning Judges” with a mindset of lifelong learning is a necessity for the judiciary to perform its systemic responsibilities and maintain public trust.
2026/03/18
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