Tan Boon Teik
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Tan Boon Teik ( ; 17 January 1929 – 10 March 2012) was a Singaporean judge who served as the second
attorney-general of Singapore The attorney-general of Singapore is the public prosecutor of the Republic of Singapore and legal adviser to the Government of Singapore. The attorney-general is the head of the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC), whose staff carries out the f ...
between 1969 and 1992. At the age of 39, Tan was the youngest person to be appointed as attorney-general, and was the longest-serving attorney-general after the
Independence of Singapore Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of a ...
, after 25 years in office. Tan attended
University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...
before he was called to the Bar in 1952 as a barrister-at-law of England and Wales by
Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...
, and became an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court of the
Federation of Malaya Malaya, officially the Federation of Malaya, was a country in Southeast Asia from 1948 to 1963. It succeeded the Malayan Union and, before that, British Malaya. It comprised eleven states – nine Malay states and two of the Straits Settleme ...
in 1954. He joined the
Singapore Legal Service The Singapore Legal Service is the collective body of lawyers who work in the courts, the Attorney-General's Chambers, and the legal departments of various government ministries and statutory boards in Singapore. Lawyers who are a part of the le ...
in 1955 as a police court magistrate. He was subsequently appointed Deputy Registrar and Sheriff of the High Court in 1956, Director of the Legal Aid Bureau in 1959, and Senior Crown Counsel in 1963. He also taught part-time at the
University of Singapore The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. It was officially established in 1980 by the merging of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University. The university offers degree program ...
when it was started in 1956. He became Solicitor-General in 1963, Acting Attorney-General in 1967, and Attorney-General in 1969. During his tenure, he prepared many legal opinions on important
constitutional A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these princ ...
and
administrative law Administrative law is a division of law governing the activities of government agency, executive branch agencies of government. Administrative law includes executive branch rulemaking (executive branch rules are generally referred to as "regul ...
issues, and was also the
Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
's lead counsel in a number of notable cases. The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) published the first reprint of the
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
in 1980, and revised editions of Singapore statutes in 1970 and 1985. In 1990, it launched LawNet, a computer database then containing the full text of Singapore legislation. Tan was involved in the establishment of the
Singapore Academy of Law The Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) is a promotion and development agency for Singapore's legal industry. SAL also undertakes statutory functions such as stakeholding services and the appointment of Senior Counsel, Commissioners for Oaths and No ...
, and was the first chairman of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, a post he held between 1991 and 1999. Tan was conferred the ''
Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang The Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang () is a Singaporean orders and decorations, Singaporean national honour instituted in 1968. It was created to replace the ''Pingat Bakti Chemerlang'' () and is awarded to any person who has performed within Sing ...
'' (Distinguished Service Order) in 1978. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 1989, and made an Officer of the French
Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
in 1998. Tan suffered from
Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...
towards the end of his life. Following
internal bleeding Internal bleeding (also called internal haemorrhage) is a loss of blood from a blood vessel that collects inside the body, and is not usually visible from the outside. It can be a serious medical emergency but the extent of severity depends on b ...
, he died on 10 March 2012.


Early life and education

Tan was born on 17 January 1929. in
Penang Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...
,
Straits Settlements The Straits Settlements () were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia. Originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Company, the Straits Settlements came under control of the ...
(now part of
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
),. and had his secondary education at the
Penang Free School Penang Free School (PFS), located at Green Lane, George Town, Green Lane in George Town, Penang, George Town, Penang, Malaysia, is the oldest English-medium education, English-medium school in Southeast Asia. Founded in 1816, its academic achiev ...
.. He graduated from
University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...
with a
Bachelor of Laws A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...
(LL.B.) degree with honours in 1951, and later a
Master of Laws A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is a postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in another subject. In many jurisdi ...
(LL.M.) in 1953. Between 1961 and 1962, he held a Rockefeller Research Fellowship at the
Institute of Advanced Legal Studies The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS) is a member institute of the School of Advanced Study, University of London. Founded in 1947, it is a national academic centre of excellence, serving the legal community and universities across the ...
of the
University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...
.. He was a barrister-at-law of England and Wales, having been called to the Bar by
Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...
in 1952, and became an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court of the
Federation of Malaya Malaya, officially the Federation of Malaya, was a country in Southeast Asia from 1948 to 1963. It succeeded the Malayan Union and, before that, British Malaya. It comprised eleven states – nine Malay states and two of the Straits Settleme ...
in 1954.


Career

Initially in private legal practice in Penang after being called to the Bar there, Tan joined the
Singapore Legal Service The Singapore Legal Service is the collective body of lawyers who work in the courts, the Attorney-General's Chambers, and the legal departments of various government ministries and statutory boards in Singapore. Lawyers who are a part of the le ...
in 1955 as a police court magistrate, and subsequently served as Deputy Registrar and Sheriff of the High Court (appointed November 1956),. the Director of the Legal Aid Bureau (1959), and Senior Crown Counsel (1963). He also taught part-time at the
Faculty of Law A faculty is a division within a university or college comprising one subject area or a group of related subject areas, possibly also delimited by level (e.g. undergraduate). In North America, academic divisions are sometimes titled colleges, sc ...
of the
University of Singapore The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. It was officially established in 1980 by the merging of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University. The university offers degree program ...
when it was started in 1956. In 1961, he represented Singapore at the Seminar on the Protection of Human Rights in the Administration of Criminal Justice organised by the United Nations in
Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
, New Zealand.Tan, "Judicial Review", p. 71. With effect from 1 September 1963, he became the Solicitor-General, succeeding T. Kulasekaram who had been appointed a Supreme Court judge. He was then appointed Acting Attorney-General from 1 February 1967 to 31 December 1968, and as Attorney-General from 1 January 1969 to 30 April 1992. Tan was 39 years old when he became Attorney-General, and is believed to have been the youngest person to hold this post. As of 10 March 2012, he was the longest serving Attorney-General of post-independence Singapore, having held office for just over 25 years. During his tenure, he prepared many legal opinions on important
constitutional A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these princ ...
and
administrative law Administrative law is a division of law governing the activities of government agency, executive branch agencies of government. Administrative law includes executive branch rulemaking (executive branch rules are generally referred to as "regul ...
issues. He was also the
Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
's lead counsel in a number of notable cases, including ''Lee Mau Seng v. Minister for Home Affairs'' (1971), which involved four executives of the ''
Nanyang Siang Pau ''Nanyang Siang Pau'' or ''Nanyang Business Daily'' is a Malaysian Chinese daily newspaper. Originally founded in Singapore on 6 September 1923 by philanthropist-entrepreneur Tan Kah Kee, its original newspaper circulated across the Straits ...
'' (''South Seas Business Newspaper''), a Chinese-language newspaper, who had been detained without trial under the Internal Security Act ("ISA") for "glamorising communism and stirring up communal and chauvinistic sentiments over Chinese language, education and culture". Upon an application by the detainees for ''
habeas corpus ''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a legal procedure invoking the jurisdiction of a court to review the unlawful detention or imprisonment of an individual, and request the individual's custodian (usually a prison official) to ...
'', the High Court held that the
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
, when acting on
Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...
's advice to detain a person under the ISA, exercises a subjective discretion as to whether the person is a risk to
national security National security, or national defence (national defense in American English), is the security and Defence (military), defence of a sovereign state, including its Citizenship, citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of ...
, which is not
justiciable Justiciability concerns the limits upon legal issues over which a court can exercise its judicial authority. It includes, but is not limited to, the legal concept of standing, which is used to determine if the party bringing the suit is a par ...
by the courts. Although the judgment was later disapproved by the
Court of Appeal An appellate court, commonly called a court of appeal(s), appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to Hearing (law), hear a Legal case, case upon appeal from a trial court or other ...
in ''
Chng Suan Tze v. Minister for Home Affairs ''Chng Suan Tze v. Minister for Home Affairs'' is a seminal case in administrative law in Singapore, administrative law decided by the Court of Appeal of Singapore in 1988. The Court decided the appeal in the appellants' favour on a technical g ...
'' (1988), in 1989
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
amended the
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
and the ISA to "freeze" the law relating to detentions under the Act to that applying in Singapore on the date when ''Lee Mau Seng'' was decided. In the 1970s, the financial collapse of two companies, Gemini Chit Fund Corporation and Stallion Corporation, led to criminal charges being brought against their executives. The companies operated
chit fund A chit fund is a type of rotating savings and credit association system practiced in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and other Asian countries. Chit fund schemes may be organized by financial institutions, or informally among friends, rela ...
s, which were schemes in which investors paid sums of money by instalments to the companies in exchange for the entitlement to be allotted a larger return from the fund. The allotment was determined by lot or by auction. Following their collapse, it was estimated that 40,000 investors had lost about S$50 million. Under Tan's leadership of the Attorney-General's Chambers, Gemini's managing director Abdul Gaffar Mohamed Ibrahim pleaded guilty to criminal breach of trust of $3.2 million and was sentenced to life imprisonment, and its chairman V.K.S. Narayanan received nine months' imprisonment for two charges under the Companies Act. Stallion's executive director Martin Ler Cheng Seng pleaded guilty to authorising his firm to unlawfully bid at a Stallion chit fund sale, and was jailed for a year. Tan also successfully brought proceedings for scandalising the court against Wong Hong Toy, the Chairman of the
Workers' Party of Singapore The Workers' Party (WP) is a major social democratic political party in Singapore and one of the two contemporary political parties represented in Parliament, alongside the governing People's Action Party (PAP). The WP sits on the centre-left o ...
, in 1983, and against respondents involved in publishing, printing and distributing articles that appeared in the ''
Asian Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal Asia'', a version of ''The Wall Street Journal'', was a newspaper that provided news and analysis of global business developments for an Asian audience. Formerly known as ''The Asian Wall Street Journal'', it was founde ...
'' in 1985 and 1991. Where
public international law International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of Rule of law, rules, norms, Customary law, legal customs and standards that State (polity), states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generall ...
matters were concerned, in 1966 Tan attended the Sixth Committee on International Law at the 21st Session of the
United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; , AGNU or AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its Seventy-ninth session of th ...
in New York, and chaired a meeting of law ministers to review extradition arrangements among
Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
nations at
Marlborough House Marlborough House, a Grade I listed mansion on The Mall in St James's, City of Westminster, London, is the headquarters of the Commonwealth of Nations and the seat of the Commonwealth Secretariat. It is adjacent to St James's Palace. The ...
, London, in 1982. He also regularly attended Commonwealth Law Ministers' Conferences and
ASEAN The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated as ASEAN, is a regional grouping of 10 states in Southeast Asia "that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its ten members." Together, its member states r ...
Law Association Conferences. While Tan headed the Attorney-General's Chambers, it published the first reprint of the
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
in 1980, and revised editions of Singapore statutes in 1970 and 1985. A 1990 revised edition of
subsidiary legislation Primary legislation and secondary legislation (the latter also called delegated legislation or subordinate legislation) are two forms of law, created respectively by the legislative and executive branches of governments in representative democr ...
was subsequently published in 1992. In January 1990, the Attorney-General's Chambers launched LawNet, a computer database then containing the full text of Singapore legislation, at the cost of $4.3 million. Tan was involved in the establishment of the
Singapore Academy of Law The Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) is a promotion and development agency for Singapore's legal industry. SAL also undertakes statutory functions such as stakeholding services and the appointment of Senior Counsel, Commissioners for Oaths and No ...
, a professional association of judges, lawyers, Legal Service officers and law academics, and served as its vice-president from 1992. Tan was appointed the Chairman of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) when it was formed in July 1991, and held the post until August 1999. In March 1992, he appointed a committee to review Singapore's arbitration laws, which then dealt only with domestic
arbitration Arbitration is a formal method of dispute resolution involving a third party neutral who makes a binding decision. The third party neutral (the 'arbitrator', 'arbiter' or 'arbitral tribunal') renders the decision in the form of an 'arbitrati ...
, to bring them "in line with international developments". The committee's work led to the enactment of the International Arbitration Act in 1994. In addition to his Attorney-General post, Tan was the Chairman of the
Singapore Petroleum Company Singapore Petroleum Company Limited, in short SPC, is a subsidiary of Chinese state-owned company PetroChina. It is involved in the exploration and production of petroleum, refining, trading and petroleum product distribution. History The com ...
(SPC; 1971 – August 1999), a director and deputy chairman (from 1985) and later chairman (June 1990 – 1994) of the Insurance Corporation of Singapore (ICS), Vice-president (from 1972) and President (from 1992) of the Singapore Musical Society, and a fellow of the Singapore Institute of Directors.


Later years

Tan's service as Attorney-General was extended by the Government twice to enable them to find a replacement for him – the first time for five years when he was 55, and again for three years when he was 60 years old.. He eventually retired with effect from 30 April 1992; the post was taken up by
Chan Sek Keong Chan Sek Keong (born 5 November 1937) is a Malayan-born Singaporean jurist who served as chief justice of Singapore between 2006 and 2012 when he was appointed by President S. R. Nathan. He is the first Chief Justice to have previously serv ...
.; . In September that year he was named Ambassador to Hungary resident in Singapore, and in January and May 1994 the non-resident ambassadorships of Austria and the Slovak Republic were respectively added to his portfolio. During his retirement, Tan remained Chairman of the SPC, the ICS and the SIAC, positions which he had assumed when he was the Attorney-General. An accomplished pianist, he also continued as chairman and Honorary Chairman of the Singapore Symphonia Company Ltd., the corporation managing the
Singapore Symphony Orchestra The Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Singapore. Its principal concert venue is the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. The orchestra also gives concerts at the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, and performs ...
which he had helped to found in 1979, until September 1999.. In July 1992, Tan was appointed a director of United Industrial Corporation Ltd. (UIC) and its property arm, Singapore Land Ltd. He became Chairman of Morgan Grenfell Asia Ltd. in November 1993. In addition, he was Chairman of Deutsche Asia Pacific Holdings. Tan, who had suffered from
Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...
for the last 15 years of his life, collapsed suddenly from
internal bleeding Internal bleeding (also called internal haemorrhage) is a loss of blood from a blood vessel that collects inside the body, and is not usually visible from the outside. It can be a serious medical emergency but the extent of severity depends on b ...
and died on 10 March 2012, aged 83.. The funeral was held on 13 March at the
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
Church of Saint Ignatius, followed by a private cremation at Mandai Crematorium.. Tan was survived by his wife Mrs. Tan Sook Yee, his son Pip Tan Seng Hin and daughter Tan Sui Lin, and five grandchildren. Tan Sook Yee taught
property law Property law is the area of law that governs the various forms of ownership in real property (land) and personal property. Property refers to legally protected claims to resources, such as land and personal property, including intellectual prope ...
at the Faculty of Law of the
National University of Singapore The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national university, national Public university, public research university in Singapore. It was officially established in 1980 by the merging of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University ...
from 1964 to 2005 and was its dean between 1980 and 1987, while both of Tan's children are members of the legal profession. The
Minister for Law The Ministry of Law (MinLaw; ; zh, 律政部; ) is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for the advancement in access to justice, the rule of law, the economy and society through policy, law and services. Organisational struc ...
,
K. Shanmugam Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam (born 26 March 1959), better known as K. Shanmugam, is a Singaporean politician and lawyer who has been serving as Minister for Law from 2008 to 2025 and Minister for Home Affairs since 2015 and Coordinating Minister ...
, said on 11 March that Tan had "contributed greatly during the formative years of our independence and the development of the AGC". The Attorney-General's Chambers itself released a statement saying that Tan had held office "during a crucial period in Singapore's history in the years after independence. During that period, the seeds were sown for an uncompromising law and order framework. ... Mr Tan played a pivotal role in shaping the legal landscape of Singapore and upholding the rule of law which has underpinned much of Singapore's success." In a letter of condolence to Tan's widow, former Prime Minister
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean politician who ruled as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He is widely recognised ...
said that he held Tan in high esteem and had found him to be "efficient, competent and always ready to find a solution to difficult problems" when he was Attorney-General.


Honours and awards

In 1978 Tan was awarded the ''
Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang The Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang () is a Singaporean orders and decorations, Singaporean national honour instituted in 1968. It was created to replace the ''Pingat Bakti Chemerlang'' () and is awarded to any person who has performed within Sing ...
'' (Distinguished Service Order), the citation stating that he had "steadfastly shunned the rewards of private practice" to devote many years of distinguished and dedicated service to Singapore. He was appointed Senior Counsel with effect from 21 April 1989 when the scheme was introduced, under a provision of the Legal Profession Act stating that persons holding office as the Attorney-General and Solicitor-General immediately before that date were deemed to have been so appointed. On 8 June 1998, Tan was conferred the rank of Officer in the
National Order of the Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...
of France for his contributions towards increasing commercial ties between France and Singapore as co-chairman of the France–Singapore Business Council since 1995. He was also an honorary fellow of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators..


Selected works

* * the text of a lecture to the
International Maritime Bureau The International Maritime Bureau is a specialized department of the International Chamber of Commerce. The IMB's responsibilities lie in fighting crimes related to maritime trade and transportation, particularly piracy and commercial fraud, and ...
at
Queen Mary College, University of London Queen Mary University of London (QMUL, or informally QM, and formerly Queen Mary and Westfield College) is a public university, public research university in Mile End, East London, England. It is a member institution of the federal University ...
, on 4 June 1985. It was reprinted as *, the text of the Fourth ''Singapore Law Review'' Lecture at the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore, on 4 December 1987.


References


Bibliography

*.. {{DEFAULTSORT:Tan, Boon Teik 1929 births Singaporean people of Chinese descent 2012 deaths Malaysian emigrants to Singapore People who lost Malaysian citizenship Naturalised citizens of Singapore Academic staff of the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law Alumni of University College London Ambassadors of Singapore to Austria Ambassadors of Singapore to Hungary Ambassadors of Singapore to Slovakia Attorneys-general of Singapore Members of the Middle Temple Officers of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang People with Parkinson's disease Singaporean Roman Catholics Singaporean Senior Counsel Solicitors-general of Singapore People from Penang Alumni of the UCL Faculty of Laws