Singapore’s Supreme Court is set for a new judicial lineup as Justice Hoo Sheau Peng and Senior Counsel Goh Yihan take on new roles from October 1, 2026.
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam appointed Justice Hoo, currently a High Court judge, as a Justice of the Court of Appeal, while Goh, currently Deputy Attorney-General, will become a Judge of the Appellate Division. The appointments were announced by the Prime Minister’s Office on September 25.
Justice Hoo Sheau Peng Moves to the Court of Appeal
Justice Hoo brings more than a decade on Singapore’s Supreme Court Bench to the country’s highest appellate court.
She was appointed a Judicial Commissioner in 2014 and became a High Court judge in 2017. Her judicial experience has included criminal, family, public and civil law, as well as areas such as company law, insolvency, trusts and intellectual property.
Since September 2023, she has also served as Judge-in-Charge of the General Division of the High Court, assisting with its administration.
Hoo studied at the University of Cambridge before obtaining a Master of Laws in Intellectual Property and Technology and a Master in Public Management from the National University of Singapore.
Goh Yihan Returns to the Judiciary
Goh Yihan will move from his role as Deputy Attorney-General to the Appellate Division of the High Court.
He previously served as a Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court in 2022 and became a High Court judge in 2023. He was appointed Deputy Attorney-General in January 2025.
At the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Goh has overseen work involving the Civil Division and international legal cooperation.
His academic background includes legal studies at the National University of Singapore, where he also served as dean of the law school.
Singapore’s Supreme Court Lineup Changes
The appointments come after a series of changes to Singapore’s senior judiciary during 2026.
Two Court of Appeal judges, Justice Tay Yong Kwang and Justice Steven Chong Horng Siong, retired in September. Justice Sushil Sukumaran Nair was appointed to the Court of Appeal in June.
Following the October appointments, the Supreme Court will have 32 judges, comprising the Chief Justice, four Justices of the Court of Appeal, five Judges of the Appellate Division, 16 High Court judges, one Judicial Commissioner and five Senior Judges, according to the PMO.
The changes come as Singapore’s judiciary continues to undergo generational and structural changes, with senior judicial appointments shaping the country’s appellate and High Court system.
For Singapore’s legal community, October 1 will therefore mark more than two routine appointments—it will be another significant change in the composition of the country’s senior judiciary.
WWC ONE MEDIA G,A
