Chan Sek Keong facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dato' Seri
Chan Sek Keong
SC SPMP DUT DUBC
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| 陈锡强 | |
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Chan in 2012
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| 3rd Chief Justice of Singapore | |
| In office 11 April 2006 – 6 November 2012 |
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| President | S. R. Nathan Tony Tan |
| Preceded by | Yong Pung How |
| Succeeded by | Sundaresh Menon |
| 3rd Attorney-General of Singapore | |
| In office 1 May 1992 – 10 April 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Tan Boon Teik |
| Succeeded by | Chao Hick Tin |
| Judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore | |
| In office 1 July 1988 – 30 April 1992 |
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| Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court of Singapore | |
| In office 1 July 1986 – 30 June 1988 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 November 1937 Ipoh, Perak, Federated Malay States |
| Nationality | Singaporean |
| Alma mater | National University of Singapore |
| Chan Sek Keong | |||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 陳錫強 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 陈锡强 | ||||||||||||||
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Chan Sek Keong, born on November 5, 1937, is a famous Singaporean legal expert. He served as the Chief Justice of Singapore from 2006 to 2012. Before that, he was Singapore's Attorney-General from 1992 to 2006. He was the first person to hold both these important jobs.
Contents
Early Life and School
Growing Up in Malaya
Chan Sek Keong was born in Ipoh, Malaya, in 1937. He was the third of five children in a Chinese family. His father worked as a clerk. During World War II, his family moved to Taiping to stay with his grandfather for safety.
School Days and Learning
Chan and his older brother went to King Edward VII School in Taiping. After the war ended in 1945, he returned to Ipoh. He continued his studies at Anderson School. Chan was eight years old then. He was placed with other children who had missed starting school at age six. Anderson School was a top government school in Ipoh. Chan got along well with students from all backgrounds.
In 1955, Chan did very well in his Senior Cambridge School Certificate exams. He got eight distinctions, which was one of the best results in Malaya that year. He was offered a scholarship to become a teacher. But Chan wanted to do something else. So, he continued his studies in the sixth form to try and get into a university.
Discovering Law
During his second year of sixth form, Chan's English literature teacher, Alan Etherton, told him about a new law course. A law professor from the University of Malaya was visiting to encourage students to study law. Mr. Etherton saw Chan's potential and told him to consider it. Chan didn't know much about law careers. But he listened to his teacher and went for an interview with Professor Lee Sheridan.
Chan was part of the first group of students to join the Law Faculty of the University of Malaya in 1957. He finished his degree in 1961. He then started his career at a law firm in Kuala Lumpur.
His Career in Law
Starting as a Lawyer
After working for six months, Chan found out his law degree was not yet officially recognized. This meant he couldn't become a full lawyer yet. Once the law changed, Chan asked the Bar Council of Malaysia to shorten the time he needed to train.
His request was turned down. So, Chan took his case to court. A top lawyer, R. Ramani, argued against Chan. But the judge, H.T. Ong, decided in Chan's favor. The judge said that even one good reason was enough to shorten the training period.
Becoming a Judge
On January 31, 1962, Chan officially became a lawyer. He worked at different law firms for several years. Then, on July 1, 1986, he became the first Judicial Commissioner of Singapore. This was a very important step. Two years later, he became a Judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore.
Attorney-General and Chief Justice
In 1992, Chan was appointed Attorney-General. This role means he was the main legal advisor to the government. He held this position until April 11, 2006. On that day, he was appointed Chief Justice. This is the highest judicial position in Singapore. He retired in 2012, after serving 26 years in legal roles.
In October 2019, Chan suggested that a certain law, Section 377A, should be reviewed to see if it was still valid under the country's constitution.
Academic Work
In October 2013, Chan joined the National University of Singapore's Faculty of Law. He became their first Distinguished Fellow. This was an honorary role for three years. In this position, Chan worked on research and writing projects about law.
Awards and Honors
Important Awards
Chan received the Order of Temasek (Second Class) from the Singapore Government on August 9, 2008. This award was for his great help in a legal case. He was part of the team that represented Singapore in a land dispute against the Malaysian government. This case was heard at the International Court of Justice.
In the same month, he became the first Singaporean law graduate to be made an honorary bencher of Lincoln's Inn. This is a special honor from a famous legal society in London.
On November 21, 2009, Chan received the International Jurists Award. He was the first Asian legal expert to get this award. It recognized his excellent work in making justice fair. The president of the International Council of Jurists said Chan had "enhanced the dignity of the judiciary in Asian countries."
Royal Recognition
In 1999, Chan was given a state award called Darjah Dato' Seri Paduka Mahkota Perak. This award comes with the title Dato' Seri. It was given to him by Azlan Shah, who was the Sultan of Perak.
