Media Release: Retirement of Justice Choo Han Teck as Judge of the High Court

1.  Justice Choo Han Teck (朱汉德) will be stepping down as Judge of the High Court of the Supreme Court of Singapore upon the completion of his current term. His last day of service will be on 20 February 2026.

2. With a distinguished judicial career spanning three decades, Justice Choo was first appointed as a Judicial Commissioner in 1995 and later as a High Court Judge in 2003. Throughout his tenure, Justice Choo has presided over a diverse range of cases with significant contributions to the development of Singapore’s jurisprudence in criminal law, revenue law, employment law and the law of tort. In recent years, Justice Choo has been a cornerstone of the Family Division of the High Court, where his judgments have been instrumental in shaping family justice in Singapore. 

3. Justice Choo earned his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Singapore (renamed as National University of Singapore in 1980) in 1979, followed by a Master of Laws from the University of Cambridge in 1986. He began his legal career in 1980 as a legal assistant at M/s Murphy & Dunbar before transitioning to academia as a lecturer at the National University of Singapore in 1984. Returning to private practice, he served as a partner at M/s Allen & Gledhill starting in 1988, later joining M/s Helen Yeo & Partners in the same capacity in 1992. His distinguished service includes appointments as President of the Military Court of Appeal in 2004 and as a member of the Singapore Academy of Law’s Publication Committee in 2006.

4. The Honourable the Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said: "I wish to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Justice Choo on his retirement after more than three decades of distinguished service. Throughout his illustrious tenure, Han Teck has been held in the highest regard by the profession and by his judicial colleagues for his exemplary judicial temperament, his fairness in the conduct of proceedings and for his clear and concise judgments. He played a vital role during a formative period for our legal system, and his many and diverse contributions helped build the foundation on which our justice systems stands. His departure will be keenly felt throughout the judiciary and the broader legal fraternity. On behalf of the Singapore Courts, I express our profound gratitude for his invaluable contributions and wish him a most fulfilling and happy retirement."

5. Justice Choo said: “I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the colleagues who have supported and assisted me throughout my years in the public service and at the Supreme Court. My time on the Bench has been truly memorable. Having witnessed the law and the administration of justice undergo significant transformation over the years, I depart with full confidence that our legal system will continue to evolve in service of the public good.”

Issued by: Singapore Courts