Criminal Justice Forum: Discovery to Even the Playing Field

Justice Aedit Abdullah 

Justice Aedit Abdullah was appointed Judicial Commissioner in 2014 and High Court Judge on 30 September 2017. Justice Abdullah obtained a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 1994, as well as a Bachelor of Civil Law (First Class) from the University of Oxford in 1998 and a Master in Public Management from NUS in 2007. He joined the Singapore Legal Service in 1995 and began his career as a Justices’ Law Clerk. He then taught at the Faculty of Law, NUS, before re-joining the Singapore Legal Service.

He has held various appointments, such as Deputy Public Prosecutor, Deputy Senior State Counsel and District Judge of the Subordinate Courts (renamed as State Courts in 2014). He was appointed Chief Prosecutor (Economic Crimes and Governance Division), and subsequently Chief Prosecutor (Criminal Justice Division) at the Attorney-General’s Chambers in 2011 and served as special counsel at the Monetary Authority of Singapore from January 2008 to June 2009. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2012.

He is the Judge in charge of Transformation and Innovation in the Judiciary, and is also Chair of the Promotion of Legal Technology Innovation Committee of the Singapore Academy of Law. 

Mr Ramesh Tiwary 
Sole Proprietor, Ramesh Tiwary Advocate & Solicitor 

Ramesh Tiwary has been practicing at the criminal bar since 1990 and in the law practice of Ramesh Tiwary since 2006.He has also been an advocacy trainer with the Law Society and a trainer in Part B for many years now and an active volunteer on the Supreme Court’s Legal Assistance Scheme for Capital Offences (LASCO) panel. 

Johannes Hadi 

Partner, Eugene Thuraisingam LLP 

Johannes is “highly recommended” by clients as a “top notch” litigator who has a “persuasive way with words” and is “always well-prepared”. 

He is a disputes specialist, focusing on civil and commercial litigation, criminal litigation, and contentious investigations. He has been successful at all levels of the courts up to the Court of Appeal, from high profile acquittals at first instance to landmark appellate decisions in novel or publicly important areas of the law. 

His civil and commercial practice centres on banking and financing disputes, employment disputes, shareholders and directors’ issues, and enforcement of creditors’ rights. He recently acted as lead counsel for a private investor in a High Court investment dispute arising from the initial public offering of GoTo Group, a merger between Indonesian ride-hailing giant Gojek and e-commerce company Tokopedia, and successfully obtained judgment against the defendant company for the entire claim of S$1.5 million. 

His criminal practice covers complex international fraud, corruption and money-laundering, and other serious crimes like murder, sexual assault and drug trafficking. His cases are frequently reported in the law reports and the press. 

He recently advised a director of a local company in investigations by the Commercial Affairs Department into fraud allegations involving more than US$1 billion, in what was described as the “highest-profile corporate investigation under way” in Singapore at the time. He has also successfully guided clients through investigations and disciplinary proceedings by bodies such as the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), Council for Estate Agencies (CEA), Singapore Medical Council (SMC), and CPA Australia (formerly known as the Incorporated Institute of Accountants in Australia). 

Johannes read law at University College London (UCL) where he won the inaugural inter-university Human Rights Moot 2014. He then topped his cohort in several classes at the London School of Economics (LSE), where he graduated with a Master of Science (Distinction) in political theory. 

Mr Jiang Ke-Yue 
Deputy Chief Prosecutor 
Attorney-General’s Chambers

Ke-Yue is a Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Crime Division, Attorney-General’s Chambers. He leads a cluster of prosecutors who conduct prosecutions for a broad range of offences, including homicide, serious sexual offences, and drug offences. He also has experience prosecuting complex financial crime. Before joining public service, he was a commercial disputes lawyer and regularly volunteered with the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme.

He is an experienced advocate, having led prosecutions and conducted civil cases at all levels of the Singapore Courts.

Ms Diana Ngiam 
Deputy Director (Legal), Ministry of Home Affairs 

Diana started her legal career as a criminal defence lawyer and has practised for more than 10 years, since she was called to the bar in 2012. Diana pupiled under Mr. Subhas Anandan, whose values and approach continue to guide Diana’s career. Diana believes strongly in the need for fair representation and that every accused person should be given the chance to have their voices heard.

Following her secondment at the Ministry of Law and Ministry of Home Affairs from 2022 to 2023, Diana recently joined the Ministry of Home Affairs as a legal officer with the view of contributing to our system, on a broader level. Diana sits on several committees including being a member of the Singapore Medical Council Inquiry Committee, and the Co-Chair of the Criminal Justice Working Group under the auspices of the Singapore Academy of Law Professional Affairs Committee.

Diana has also been a facilitator for the Criminal Litigation module and Advocacy module of the Part B Bar course for more than 5 years. In 2023, Diana was appointed the Principle Examiner of the Criminal Litigation and Procedure module of the Part B Bar Course. 

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