Wee Chong Jin
Encyclopedia
Wee Chong Jin (28 September 1917 – 5 June 2005) was born in Penang
to parents Wee Gim Puay and Lim Paik Yew. He received his early education at the Penang Free School
, and read law at St John's College, Cambridge
. He was called to Bar at the Middle Temple
in November 1938, and was admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of Straits Settlements in 1940 upon returning to Penang.
Wee practiced law in Malaysia and Singapore
from 1940 to 1957, with the firm Wee Swee Teow and Co. He also became the first Asian lawyer to be appointed to the position of a judge at the Supreme Court
of Singapore on 15 August 1957, and subsequently appointed Chief Justice of Singapore on 5 January 1963. His appointment as Chief Justice, marked the end the century-old tradition of appointing British Chief Justices -the last of whom was Sir Alan Rose - for Singapore. Wee remained in the position for 27 years, making him the longest-serving chief justice not only in Singapore, but also in the Commonwealth.
He also served as the first chairman of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights
from 1973 and remained at its helm for 18 years. Wee assumed the post of the acting President of Singapore
for two days when Devan Nair
stepped down as President, and became the first president of the Singapore Academy of Law
in 1988. In April 1992 Wee was made an Honorary Member and Fellow of the Singapore Academy of Law for life - the highest honour made to a person by the Academy. He served as a legal consultant of the Supreme Court of Singapore after his retirement on 27 September 1990, and was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2004.
Wee was also known for his love for sports, as he was an outstanding cricketer for Cambridge University in 1937 and a keen golfer serving as President of the Singapore Golf Association from 1962 to 2002. Wee died on June 5, 2005 of complications from lung
and brain cancer, and a funeral was held at the Catholic Church of St. Ignatius at King's Road
before his body was cremated at the Mandai Crematorium. Wee is survived by his wife, Cecilia Henderson, three sons, Laurence, John and Patrick, and one daughter, Veronica, and grandchildren.
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
to parents Wee Gim Puay and Lim Paik Yew. He received his early education at the Penang Free School
Penang Free School
Penang Free School is a secondary school located on Jalan Masjid Negeri , George Town, Penang, Malaysia. Although the medium of instruction is now Malay, Penang Free School was the first English-medium school in South East Asia. It is widely recognised as one of Penang's premier schools and alumni...
, and read law at St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
. He was called to Bar at the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in November 1938, and was admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of Straits Settlements in 1940 upon returning to Penang.
Wee practiced law in Malaysia and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
from 1940 to 1957, with the firm Wee Swee Teow and Co. He also became the first Asian lawyer to be appointed to the position of a judge at the Supreme Court
Supreme Court, Singapore
The Supreme Court of the Republic of Singapore is one of the two tiers of the court system in Singapore, the other tier being the Subordinate Courts....
of Singapore on 15 August 1957, and subsequently appointed Chief Justice of Singapore on 5 January 1963. His appointment as Chief Justice, marked the end the century-old tradition of appointing British Chief Justices -the last of whom was Sir Alan Rose - for Singapore. Wee remained in the position for 27 years, making him the longest-serving chief justice not only in Singapore, but also in the Commonwealth.
He also served as the first chairman of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights
Presidential Council for Minority Rights
The Presidential Council for Minority Rights is a non-elected government body in Singapore established in 1970, the main function of which is to scrutinize most of the bills passed by Parliament to ensure that they do not discriminate against any racial or religious community...
from 1973 and remained at its helm for 18 years. Wee assumed the post of the acting President of Singapore
President of Singapore
The President of the Republic of Singapore is Singapore's head of state. In a Westminster parliamentary system, as which Singapore governs itself, the prime minister is the head of the government while the position of president is largely ceremonial. Before 1993, the President of Singapore was...
for two days when Devan Nair
Devan Nair
Devan Nair a/l Chengara Veetil, also known as C. V. Devan Nair , was the third President of Singapore and was elected by Parliament on October 23, 1981. He served as President until his resignation on March 28, 1985.-Youth:Nair was born in Malacca, Malaysia, the son of an Indian immigrant I.V.K...
stepped down as President, and became the first president of the Singapore Academy of Law
Singapore Academy of Law
The Singapore Academy of Law or is an organization in Singapore. This organization has nearly 8,000 members and provides legal services and information to Singapore's legal community....
in 1988. In April 1992 Wee was made an Honorary Member and Fellow of the Singapore Academy of Law for life - the highest honour made to a person by the Academy. He served as a legal consultant of the Supreme Court of Singapore after his retirement on 27 September 1990, and was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2004.
Wee was also known for his love for sports, as he was an outstanding cricketer for Cambridge University in 1937 and a keen golfer serving as President of the Singapore Golf Association from 1962 to 2002. Wee died on June 5, 2005 of complications from lung
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
and brain cancer, and a funeral was held at the Catholic Church of St. Ignatius at King's Road
King's Road, Singapore
The nearest Mass Rapid Transit station is Queenstown. King's Road is located in the Bukit Timah District in Singapore. It was named in recognition of the various Kings of England as Singapore was a former British Colony. It is located next to Queen's Road, which was named in recognition of the...
before his body was cremated at the Mandai Crematorium. Wee is survived by his wife, Cecilia Henderson, three sons, Laurence, John and Patrick, and one daughter, Veronica, and grandchildren.
Quotes
- The qualities that one should look for in a judge are a burning desire to be fair and impartial; the courage to uphold the law and strike down injustice; compassion, coupled with an understanding of human frailties; and lastly, love for the law. -- Wee Chong Jin
- A man of few words, he nevertheless 'came down hard' if anyone deliberately or through ignorance tried to mislead the court. He loved the moot point and relished a fine argument. I remember an appeal I did for a client sentenced to six years' jail, inter alia, for importing a-go-go dancers and it was on the sole ground of misjoinder of charges. Hardly five minutes into my opening address, the 'Chief' in his usual soft, calm voice asked the Deputy Public Prosecutor if he was 'seriously' upholding the conviction. It was a rare occasion when that gentleman was bereft of words! Although he showed a somewhat stern demeanour in court, apart from his prodigious memory, he had, as others have said, a sensitive and kind heart. -- Geoffrey Abisheganaden, lawyer
- He is remembered with fondness by lawyers for his patience, tolerance and sense of fairness and justice. He has a quick grasp of the law and understands the frailty of human weakness. -- Leo Cheng Suan, Executive Committee Member, Law Society of SingaporeLaw Society of SingaporeThe Law Society of Singapore is the organisation that represents all lawyers in Singapore. It publishes the Law Gazette and operates a scheme for needy people to benefit from legal services free-of-charge. The Society also sets out rules for how lawyers should advertise. The Law Society is...
- We all lived with my father in his house even after we had our own apartments. It was becoming a bit of a joke, because we were already in our 30s and 40s. People tell us 'you guys should be moving out', but we loved to live there. My father was such a nice guy and we are a very closely-knit family. My father spent a lot of time at home with us. As the CJ, he had to separate the social side of things from work. He had to be a little anti-social, so that there won't be innuendoes on his impartiality. It was one of the disadvantages of the job. So we spent lots of time at home, having dinner and watching TV. -- Patrick Wee, on his father being a loving family man.
- He was never short-tempered or impatient. He was a good and loving father, who worked long hours and had no extravagant needs. ... My one favourite and recent memory is of him singing Baa Baa Black Sheep to my 18-month-old daughter, Nicole.
See also
- Chief Justice of SingaporeChief Justice of SingaporeThe Chief Justice of Singapore is the highest post in the judicial system of Singapore. The Chief Justice is appointed by the President, chosen from candidates recommended by the Prime Minister. The present Chief Justice is Chan Sek Keong....
- Judicial officers of the Republic of SingaporeJudicial officers of the Republic of SingaporeThe judicial officers of the Republic of Singapore work in the Supreme Court and the Subordinate Courts to hear and determine disputes between litigants in civil cases and, in criminal matters, to determine the liability of accused persons and their sentences if they are convicted.In the Supreme...
- Judicial system of SingaporeJudicial system of SingaporeThe full Judicial power in Singapore is vested in the Supreme Court as well as subordinate courts by the Constitution of Singapore. The Supreme Court consists of the Court of Appeal and the High Court. The Court of Appeal exercises appellate criminal and civil jurisdiction, while the High Court...