MFA Press Statement: Appointment of Singapore's Representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights

The Government has appointed Mr Richard R Magnus as Singapore's Representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR).

The AICHR is an organ of ASEAN established in accordance with the ASEAN Charter as the overarching human rights institution in ASEAN with overall responsibility for the promotion and protection of human rights in ASEAN. It will be inaugurated by the ASEAN Leaders at the 15th ASEAN Summit in Thailand on 23 October 2009, following the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' approval of the Terms of Reference for the AICHR at the 42nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Phuket in July 2009.

Mr Magnus retired as the Senior District Judge after 40 years of distinguished public service. He has a rich experience in public service including successfully representing Singapore in a number of international law negotiations and conferences. He was conferred the Meritorious Service Medal at this year's National Day Awards. His CV is attached.

Mr Magnus is married to Mrs Eileen Magnus. They have two grown children and three grandchildren.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
22 OCTOBER 2009
SINGAPORE

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BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY

Mr Richard R Magnus retired as the Senior District Judge after a 40-year distinguished public service career with the Singapore Legal Service. In the course of his service, he held headship appointments in several Legal Departments. He was Director in some Government-linked companies. He had lectured in law. He was on the editorial board of several legal practitioners' books, and had contributed research articles and international conference papers. Mr Magnus has successfully represented Singapore in four international law negotiations and 15 international law conferences.

Mr Magnus graduated with an LLB (Hons) and LLM from the National University of Singapore, and is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School and the John F Kennedy School of Government.

The Chief Justice, in his Foreword to the Subordinate Courts Annual Report 2008, acknowledged that "[t]he excellent state of the Subordinate Courts has been due to the untiring work of Senior District Judge [SDJ] Richard Magnus...SDJ Richard Magnus has left a legacy that our judicial system can be proud of...[H]is...workplans produced such impressive results in transforming the court process and the delivery of justice in Singapore that the World Bank decided to commend these judiciary-led reforms as a model of public sector governance that could be applied to countries whose court systems needed reforms to bring them to the age of the internet."

In recognition of his sterling contributions to the nation, he was conferred the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 1983, the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 1994, the Public Administration Medal (Gold) (Bar) in 2003 and the Meritorious Service Medal in 2009.

Mr Magnus is currently the Chairman of the Casino Regulatory Authority; Chairman of the Political Films Advisory Panel; Chairman of the Public Guardian Board; and Chairman of Temasek Cares CLG Limited. He is a Board Member of the Land Transport Authority; Chairman of the Human Stem Cell and Chimera Sub-Committee of the Bio-ethics Advisory Committee; and Member of the Public Service Commission. He is also on the Appeal Advisory Panel under five securities, corporate, trusts, business and insurance legislation.

He is married to Mrs Eileen Magnus. They have two grown children and three grandchildren.

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