Media Release: Singapore and Rwanda Held Second Bilateral Meeting To Strengthen Judicial Cooperation

Singapore and Rwanda held second bilateral meeting to strengthen judicial cooperation

         The Supreme Court of Singapore hosted a virtual bilateral meeting between the Singapore and Rwanda Judiciaries today. Co-chaired by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon and Chief Justice Dr. Ntezilyayo Faustin of the Supreme Court of Rwanda, this was the second meeting between the two Chief Justices following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for Judicial Cooperation and the Memorandum of Guidance as to the Enforcement of Money Judgments between both courts in April 2021.

2        The meeting was attended by Judges, senior officials and judicial representatives from the two Judiciaries, marking yet another milestone in judicial cooperation between Singapore and Rwanda, amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic.

3        At the meeting, both Chief Justices expressed their commitment to judicial excellence and the rule of law, and to pursuing greater levels of bilateral judicial exchanges and expanding the scope of judicial cooperation. They also shared perspectives and best practices in relation to how judicial integrity might be promoted at all levels of the Judiciary.

4        Acknowledging the close collaboration and good progress made by both courts on the ongoing key initiatives, Chief Justice Menon said: “Singapore and Rwanda share many similarities. For one, both nations are relatively small states which aspire towards punching above their weight regionally, if not beyond that, and this has given us an unwavering commitment to pursue excellence in all that we do, which is reflected in our respective judiciaries’ pursuit of judicial excellence. The continued pursuit of cross-border judicial cooperation, the sharing of best practice and mutual learning serve to keep us on the cutting edge of legal and judicial innovation so that our courts remain able to discharge their functions in the administration of justice amidst a rapidly changing legal landscape. I look forward to many more fruitful exchanges and opportunities for further collaboration between our two courts in the near future.”

5        Chief Justice Ntezilyayo added: “I am pleased to note that the cooperation between our two Judiciaries has already yielded tangible results especially in the area of judicial training.”

6        Following the bilateral meeting, Chief Justice Menon delivered a lecture on judicial leadership to participants at the meeting. The lecture, entitled “Judicial Leadership: From Adjudication to the Administration of Justice”, discussed three key elements which would fulfil the Singapore Judiciary’s vision of being a leading, trusted Judiciary that is ready for tomorrow. These include the importance of judge-led reform, the need to develop a culture of leadership at all levels of the Judiciary, and the importance of empowering every individual within the court system, particularly court administrators, to lead. Chief Justice Menon spoke about the need for a sustained, systematic effort to build a judicial ecosystem in which a genuine culture of leadership can thrive, and cited the International Framework for Court Excellence, a framework published by the International Consortium for Court Excellence, as an example of a useful tool to facilitate judicial reform and the pursuit of judicial excellence.

7        Chief Justice Menon’s lecture is part of a series of collaborative activities on capability development between the Supreme Courts of Singapore and Rwanda. Prior to this, in November 2021, the two Judiciaries jointly organised a virtual discussion forum on court technology.

          The two Chief Justices in discussion at the Singapore-Rwanda bilateral meeting.

ISSUED BY:

SUPREME COURT OF SINGAPORE

14 MARCH 2022