• Due to the shortage of judges in the Singapore Supreme Court, the Supreme Court amended Article 94 of the Singapore Constitution in 1971 to permit the appointment of more judges.
• Under the amended Constitution in 1971, Supreme Court Judges who retire at the age of 65 are permitted to continue working as judges on a contractual basis for one to three years.
• As it can be challenging to appoint senior legal personnel, the Government amended the Constitution again in 1979 which led to the appointment of Judicial Commissioners (JC).
• A person may be appointed a Judicial Commissioner if he is deemed a “qualified person” under the Legal Profession Act or has been a member of the Singapore Legal Service for at least 10 years or both. Over the years, partners from major law firms and senior officers from the legal service have been appointed as JCs.
• The President, on the advice of the Prime Minister, appoints the Judicial Commissioners. The Prime Minister is required to consult the Chief Justice before tendering his advice on the appointment of Judicial Commissioners.
• Unlike the permanent role of a Judge in the Supreme Court, Judicial Commissioners only serve for a specific period.

President Halimah appointed a new International Judge and three current Judicial Commissioners of the Supreme Court as High Court Judges. Their appointment will commence from the first day of the coming month. (Lianhe Zaobao, 16/7/2019)