Justice Tan Siong Thye

Biography

Justice Tan Siong Thye was appointed Judge of the High Court in July 2014. Subsequently, he served as Singapore’s first Deputy Attorney-General for a three-year term. On 1 April 2017, he resumed appointment as a High Court Judge. Justice Tan retired on 21 Jun 2019 and was re-appointed twice as Judge of the High Court after his retirement. On 22 June 2023, he was appointed as Senior Judge.

Justice Tan graduated with a Bachelor of Law (Honours) degree from the National University of Singapore in 1979 and obtained his Master of Laws (Merit) degree from the University College of London under the legal service postgraduate scholarship in 1992.

He started his legal career as a Deputy Public Prosecutor in the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) in 1979. In 1986, he was posted to the Subordinate Courts (renamed as State Courts in 2014) where he held various key appointments including Referee of the Small Claims Tribunals, Juvenile Magistrate and District Judge. He was posted to AGC as Senior State Counsel from 1998 to 1999.

In 1999, he assumed the post of Director of the Commercial Affairs Department until 2008 when he re-joined the State Courts as the Senior District Judge (later renamed the Chief District Judge in 2010). He was appointed Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court in October 2013, and subsequently Judge of the Supreme Court in July 2014. Shortly after, he was appointed Deputy Attorney-General on 1 Feb 2015 for a three-year term, before returning to the Supreme Court in 2017. In addition to his judicial work, Justice Tan is the Advisor to the Singapore Academy of Law’s Statutory and Corporate Services Committee and the Chairman of the Singapore Academy of Law’s Staff Committee. He is also the Chairman of the Singapore Management University’s Pro Bono Centre Expert Panel. 

For his sterling contributions, he was presented the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2003 and the Public Administration Medal (Gold Bar) in 2011.

In addition, Justice Tan was a member of the Military Court of Appeal and was also a field army commander with the rank of Colonel (reservist) in the Singapore Armed Forces. He received the Singapore Armed Forces National Serviceman of the Year Award in 1997 and the National Day Commendation Medal (Military) in 2002.