Senior Counsel to be new A-G
Mr Menon will take office from Oct 1, after he has cleared his other commitments, said a statement from the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday. -- PHOTO: SUPREME COURT
View more photos
SENIOR Counsel Sundaresh Menon, 47, has been appointed the next Attorney-General, taking over from Professor Walter Woon, who is completing his two-year term on April 10 and is returning to the National University of Singapore's Law Faculty to resume teaching.
Mr Menon, managing partner of Rajah & Tann LLP, will take office from Oct 1, after he has cleared his other commitments, said a statement from the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday. His term will be for two years in the first instance.
Mrs Koh Juat Jong, Solicitor-General, will serve as Acting Attorney-General from April 11 to Sept 30.
Mr Menon has been in practice for more than 20 years and is on the rise as one of Asia's foremost arbitrators. Leading international guide to lawyers, Chambers Global, in 2006 named him among the 40 top international arbitration lawyers in the world.
Prof Woon, who was appointed the Attorney-General on April 11, 2008, has made important contributions to the A-G's Chambers during his tenure, said the PMO statement.
Listing his contributions, the statement said he created a separate division for subordinate courts prosecution to enhance the development of criminal litigation skills. He also took a keen interest in the induction of talent into the Legal Service and ensured the recruitment of many young and talented lawyers into the Service. During his term, several officers from AGC were appointed as Senior Counsel, in recognition of their contributions and abilities.
Prof Woon represented Singapore in the negotiation of the Asean Charter, which is a landmark constitutional document for Asean.
'He has raised Singapore's international profile by hosting the International Association of Prosecutors Conference in Singapore in 2008 and playing an active role in various international legal fora. He also played an instrumental role in setting up the Centre for International Law at NUS to build international law expertise in Singapore and the region,' said the statement.