NUS Honorary Degree conferred upon NUS Law alumnus Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon

Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon of the Supreme Court of Singapore, who is an NUS alumnus, was conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws, in recognition of his distinguished leadership and outstanding contributions to the practice and adjudication of law in Singapore and the legal profession locally, regionally and internationally.

The Honorary Degree was conferred during the Main Ceremony of the National University of Singapore (NUS) Commencement 2024, which was presided by Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the President of Singapore and NUS Chancellor.

The Honorary Degree is the University’s highest form of recognition for outstanding individuals who have rendered distinguished service and had a great impact in Singapore and globally.

Professor Andrew Simester, Dean of NUS Law, who spoke at the ceremony, underscored the significance of this distinction: “Today, we honour not an office, not just a great judge, but a man. A man who has demonstrated exemplary service through leadership. A man who has predicated that leadership upon excellence. And a man who has led with a commitment to justice and the rule of law.”

Mr Peter Ho, Senior Advisor to the Centre for Strategic Futures and Senior Fellow in the Civil Service College, was conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters at the same ceremony.

NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye said, “It is with great pride that we confer honorary degrees on two illustrious trailblazers–Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon and Mr Peter Ho–who have made an indelible mark on their respective fields, and contributed significantly to the advancement of society both in Singapore and beyond. Their commitment to excellence and exceptional dedication to serving others will be an inspiration to the NUS community as we celebrate their distinguished accomplishments and impact today.”

About Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon

Chief Justice Menon, who graduated from NUS Law in 1986 with First Class Honours, has had a stellar legal career over thirty years in private practice and public service.

After his graduation, he began his legal career with Shook Lin & Bok, later becoming a partner at the firm. He co-founded WongPartnership in 1992; subsequently he helped to build another firm, Rajah and Tann, in 1995. He moved to international law firm Jones Day in 2003, before returning to Rajah and Tann, where he became managing partner in 2009. In 2010, Chief Justice Menon became Singapore’s sixth Attorney-General. By 2012, he was a Justice of the Supreme Court and became Chief Justice a few months after that.

As Attorney-General, Chief Justice Menon implemented and oversaw key advances in Singapore’s rules of criminal procedure, and especially in the law governing disclosure of evidence to defendants. As Chief Justice and President of the Singapore Academy of Law, he introduced rigorous training programmes for practitioners. As part of the Steering Committee for the Legal Education Curriculum Reform project, he initiated major reforms in legal education, which significantly enhanced the skill-sets of future lawyers. Through those efforts, Chief Justice Menon has championed the cause of making Singapore a leading provider of legal services, locally and internationally.

As a practitioner, Chief Justice Menon was a noted expert across multiple fields, including commercial litigation, insolvency, and construction law. He was also an internationally-recognised arbitrator, sought after both at home and abroad. In 2012, he was appointed to the Governing Board of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration based at the Peace Palace in the Hague, reflecting his prominence in this field.

As a judge, Chief Justice Menon’s judgments have helped to shape Singapore’s private law into probably the purest common-law jurisdiction in the world, a jurisdiction that is increasingly significant overseas.

For the full Citation for Chief Justice Menon, click here.