BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Chief Justice Datuk Seri Paduka Steven Chong (pic), recently attending the 20th Conference of Chief Justices of Asia and the Pacific (CJAP), delivered his paper, ‘Adil Laila Bahagia: A Bruneian Perspective on Judicial Independence, Integrity, Public Trust and Confidence’, during the session on Judicial Integrity and Public Trust.
In Seoul, South Korea from September 16 to 19, 2026, participating Chief Justices and representative judges examined and explored diverse challenges facing judiciaries in different discussion sessions, with topics including the role of the judiciary, the use of artificial intelligence in law, the importance of judicial education, law and gender-based violence, judicial integrity and public trust, and the privatisation of justice.
The Chief Justice also held bilateral meetings with Chief Justice Jo Hee-de of South Korea and Chief Justice Andrew Bell of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Australia, and Chair of the Judicial Division of Law Association for Asia and the Pacific (LAWASIA), on the sidelines of the conference. The Chief Justice also visited the Supreme Court of Korea and the Judicial Research and Training Institute.
Acting Chief Registrar Hajah Hazarena Hurairah and Senior Registrar Noor Amalina Alaihuddin from the Supreme Court of Brunei were also in attendance.
Organised by the Judicial Section of the LAWASIA, the 20th CJAP was hosted by the Supreme Court of Korea. The conference is the leading international forum in the region where Chief Justices gather to share insights on judicial systems and advancements in their judiciaries.
The conference is a biennial event which provides Chief Justices from Asia and the Pacific region with a forum for discussing issues of common interest to judiciaries.
Since its inaugural meeting in Penang, Malaysia, in August 1985, the conference has served as a cornerstone for judicial cooperation.
The conference has become a forum for facilitating the professional exchange of ideas among the top judges in Asia and the Pacific region.
The 20th CJAP was attended by Chief Justices and representative judges from across 40 jurisdictions.
Representatives from international organisations were also in attendance, including the Asian Development Bank, the European Court of Human Rights, the European Law Institute, The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law, the Standing International Forum of Commercial Courts, OECD, UNCITRAL, UNDP, UNIDROIT, the World Bank, UNODC, WIPO and the World Justice Project. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
