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 5 November 1937) is a very important legal expert from Singapore. He was the Chief Justice of Singapore from 2006 to 2012. This is the highest judge in the country. Before that, he was the Attorney-General of Singapore from 1992 to 2006. This role means he was the main legal advisor to the government.
Early Life and School Days
Chan Sek Keong was born in 1937 in Ipoh, which is in Malaysia. He was the third of five children in a Chinese family. His father worked as a clerk at a bank. During World War II, his family moved to Taiping to live with his grandfather for safety.
Chan and his older brother went to King Edward VII School in Taiping. After the war ended in 1945, he went back to Ipoh. He then studied at Anderson School. He was eight years old and joined other kids who had missed starting school at the usual age. Anderson School was a top government school in Ipoh. He got along well with students from different 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 he wanted to do something else. So, he continued his studies in the sixth form, hoping to get into a university.
During his second year, his English literature teacher, Dr. Alan Etherton, told him about a new law course. A law professor from the University of Malaya was visiting to encourage students to join. Dr. Etherton thought Chan would be good at law. Chan didn't know much about law careers, but he listened to his teacher. He went for an interview with Professor Lee Sheridan.
Becoming a Lawyer
Chan was part of the first group of students to join the Law Faculty at the University of Malaya in 1957. He finished his law degree in 1961. He then started working at a law firm in Kuala Lumpur.
Six months later, he found out his law degree wasn't yet officially recognized to become a lawyer. The necessary laws had not been passed yet. Once the laws were in place, Chan asked the Bar Council of Malaysia to let him finish his training faster. They said no. So, Chan took his case to court. The judge, Justice H.T. Ong, agreed with Chan. This meant Chan could finish his training sooner.
His Career in Law
After becoming a lawyer on 31 January 1962, Chan worked for several years. He worked at law firms in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
On 1 July 1986, he became the first Judicial Commissioner of Singapore. This is a special judge who helps with court cases. Two years later, he became a full Judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore.
In 1992, Chan was chosen to be the Attorney-General. In this role, he gave legal advice to the Singapore government. He held this important position until 2006.
On 11 April 2006, Chan became the Chief Justice of Singapore. This is the highest judge in the country. He led the courts until he retired in 2012. He had worked in legal service for 26 years. In October 2013, he joined the National University of Singapore's Faculty of Law as a special fellow. There, he worked on research and writing projects.
Awards and Special Honors
Chan Sek Keong has received many important awards for his work.
On 9 August 2008, the Singapore Government gave him the Order of Temasek (Second Class). This was for his great help in a legal case about a place called Pedra Branca. Singapore was in a dispute with the Malaysian government at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ is a court that settles disagreements between countries.
In the same month, he became the first Singaporean law graduate to be made an honorary bencher of Lincoln's Inn. This is a very old and respected group of lawyers in London, England.
On 21 November 2009, Chan received the International Jurists Award. He was the first Asian judge to get this award. It recognized his excellent work in making justice fair. The award said he had "enhanced the dignity of the judiciary in Asian countries."
In 1999, the Sultan of Perak, Azlan Shah, gave him a state award called Darjah Dato' Seri Paduka Mahkota Perak (SPMP). This award comes with the special title Dato' Seri.
