BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong has reaffirmed Brunei Darussalam's commitment to strengthening the rule of law and deepening judicial cooperation across Asean.
He made the remarks at the opening session of the 13th Meeting of the Council of Asean Chief Justices (CACJ), held in Bangkok from July 21 to 23.
Reflecting on the evolving role of Asean judiciaries, Chong said rapid technological and societal developments — including artificial intelligence (AI), digital assets and climate-related disputes — were reshaping the administration of justice.
He said the CACJ had responded by advancing initiatives on court technology and AI governance, expanding the CACJ E-Learning Portal and promoting dialogue on climate justice and digital assets.
These initiatives reflected the collective commitment of Asean judiciaries to remain adaptive, innovative and resilient in addressing future challenges, he said.
Emphasising that people remained at the heart of the justice system, Chong highlighted the council's ongoing work in judicial education and training, judicial wellbeing, victim-sensitive adjudication of trafficking in persons cases and therapeutic justice.
He said the initiatives supported the shared objective of ensuring that justice was delivered with dignity, fairness and compassion while strengthening judicial capacity across the region.
Chong also reflected on Brunei Darussalam's successful hosting earlier this year of the Second Asean Multilateral Judicial Knowledge Exchange on Victim-Sensitive Adjudication of Trafficking in Persons Cases.
He said the programme demonstrated the value of meaningful judicial cooperation through the exchange of experiences, mutual learning and the development of lasting professional relationships among Asean judiciaries.
According to a statement from the Supreme Court of Brunei Darussalam, Chong attended the CACJ meeting with a delegation of judges and judicial officers at the invitation of Thailand's Supreme Court President Adisak Tantiwong.
The meeting was attended by chief justices and heads of delegations from Asean member states.
During the meeting, the Asean chief justices and heads of delegation received reports on activities, achievements and work plans from the CACJ's various working groups and special interest groups.
The groups covered areas including judicial education and training, civil proceedings, case management and court technology, the Asean Judiciaries Portal, cross-border disputes involving children, Asean+ meetings, videoconferencing hearings, climate justice, insolvency, intellectual property, and the nature and status of digital and virtual assets.
The Brunei delegation also took part in a series of side meetings held alongside the CACJ meeting.
On July 21, Chong held a bilateral meeting with Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Singapore Sundaresh Menon and senior Singapore Judiciary judges. Both chief justices reaffirmed the close and longstanding ties between their judiciaries and their shared commitment to strengthening judicial cooperation.
The Brunei delegation also attended the Asean Insolvency Judges Meeting, the Asean Insolvency Judges and Practitioners Meeting, and the Asean Intellectual Property Judges and Practitioners Meeting on July 21.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the chief justices and heads of delegations signed the Bangkok Declaration. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
