CJ Menon unveils plans to strengthen Singapore judiciary

Singapore

SINGAPORE'S judiciary has moved to lay the foundation for a legal system of the future through various proposals announced at the opening of the legal year.

Among the plans shared by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon on Monday is the setting up of a network that connects courts of key commercial centres on a multilateral and bilateral basis, particularly relating to cross-border insolvency.

With globalisation, firms now operate in multiple countries and CJ Menon pointed to the need for courts of the various jurisdictions to develop guidelines on "the nature and extent" of collaboration and communication.

To provide greater clarity in practical aspects of criminal proceedings, the establishment of a new body - the Criminal Procedures Rules Committee - that could make rules governing matters such as bail procedures, subpoena of witnesses or the discovery of documents was ra…