The Hon James Allsop AC has been appointed as an International Judge of the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC).
The Singapore Prime Minister’s Office announced James’s appointment by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam in December and he was officially sworn in on the 8th January 2024 for a three-year term. James will continue to practise as arbitrator, mediator, early neutral evaluator, chair of inquiries and legal expert from Atkin Chambers.
The Hon James Allsop AC was Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia from 1 March 2013 to 6 April 2023; President of the New South Wales Court of Appeal from 2 June 2008 to 28 February 2013; and a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia from 7 May 2001 to 1 June 2008.
As a barrister from 1981, and as Senior Counsel (in New South Wales) from 1994 and as Queen’s Counsel (in Western Australia) from 1998, James practised in a wide variety of areas in commercial law.
James’ expertise, as an advocate and judge, includes company law and business and partnership disputes, taxation, restrictive trade practices (anti-trust), patents, intellectual property, contract and building and construction disputes, with specialties in insurance, intellectual property, maritime law, insolvency, public and constitutional law, equity, and common law, in particular professional negligence of auditors, solicitors and insurance brokers.
James was made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 2023 for eminent service to the judiciary and to the law, to organisational and technological reform, to legal education, and to insolvency law. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2013.
David Barnes, Chief Executive and Director of Clerking, commented that “Chambers is delighted by The Hon James Allsop AC’s appointment as an International Judge of the Singapore International Commercial Court. It reflects the esteem in which he is held internationally, and his existing practice will continue alongside his appointment.”
The SICC is a division of the General Division of the High Court and part of the Supreme Court of Singapore. James joins fellow Atkin Chambers’ door tenant Professor Doug Jones AO on the SICC bench. Professor Jones was appointed in 2019.
