Navigating The Sensitivities of Cross-Examining Complainants in Sexual Offence Cases

The Honourable Justice Vincent Hoong
High Court Judge
Supreme Court of Singapore

Justice Vincent Hoong was appointed Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court on 10 April 2019 and High Court Judge on 3 January 2020. In addition to his appointment in the Supreme Court, he concurrently serves as the Presiding Judge of the State Courts and Deputy President, Industrial Arbitration Court. Justice Hoong’s main areas of focus are building and construction, shipbuilding, company, insolvency, trusts, shipping and insurance, tort claims as well as criminal cases.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) (2nd Class Upper Division) from the National University of Singapore in 1982 and was admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court in 1983. He had a short stint in private practice before he joined the Legal Service in 1984.

From April 1984 to August 1997, he held various appointments in the Supreme Court as an Assistant Registrar and in the Subordinate Courts (renamed as State Courts in 2014) as a Magistrate and District Judge.

Justice Hoong managed the Singapore Land Registry of the Ministry of Law from September 1997 to May 2001 before being seconded to the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) as Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Legal Officer, and eventually as Chief Executive from May 2009 to March 2015. During his tenure at the SLA, he also held concurrent appointments as the Registrar of Titles & Deeds and Controller of Residential Property from May 2000 to 31 March 2015 and as the Commissioner of Lands from August 2002 to April 2009.

He was appointed the Registrar of the Supreme Court in April 2015, a position he held before his appointment as a Judicial Commissioner. He has more than 34 years of experience in both judiciary and the legal service.

Justice Hoong currently sits on the Singapore Academy of Law’s LawNet Management Committee. In addition, he chairs the Criminal Law Advisory Committee (Hearing), Criminal Legal Aid Scheme Steering Committee as well as The Community Justice Centre Limited.

He was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2015.

Mr Ramesh Tiwary
Veteran Criminal Law Practitioner & Sole Proprietor
Ramesh Tiwary

Mr. Ramesh Tiwary is a seasoned criminal law practitioner in Singapore with over 35 years of experience. He is the sole proprietor of Ramesh Tiwary, a boutique law firm established in 2006.

Throughout his career, Mr. Tiwary has been involved in several high-profile criminal cases. Notably, he served as lead counsel in the 2010 Kallang slashings case, representing one of the accused in a trial that garnered significant public attention.

Beyond his courtroom work, Mr. Tiwary contributes to the legal community as a member of the Criminal Practice Committee of The Law Society of Singapore. He has also been an advocate for mental health awareness among legal professionals, speaking openly about the emotional toll of defending clients facing the death penalty.

Mr. Tiwary's extensive experience and dedication to criminal law make him a respected figure in Singapore's legal landscape.

Mr Tan Chee Meng SC
Deputy Chairman
WongPartnership LLP

Mr Tan is currently the Deputy Chairman of WongPartnership LLP. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2006. Mr Tan spent his earlier career as a civil engineer before becoming a qualified legal practitioner in 1987.He was formerly Deputy Senior State Counsel and Deputy Public Prosecutor in both the civil and criminal divisions of the Attorney-General's Chambers, and Deputy Director of the Commercial Affairs Department in Singapore. Mr Tan joined private practice in 1993.

Mr Tan has over 30 years' experience in the legal industry. His areas of practice include general civil litigation, construction and engineering dispute resolution, criminal law, insurance, professional indemnity, disciplinary proceedings, arbitration and mediation.

Ms Lee Lit Cheng
Principal District Judge
State Courts of Singapore

Ms Lee Lit Cheng is a Principal District Judge of the Criminal Courts Cluster of the State Courts.

Ms Lee began her legal career at the Attorney-General's Chambers of Singapore (AGC), where she served as a Deputy Public Prosecutor for nearly 20 years. In 2014, she assumed leadership of the Legal Division at the Ministry of Home Affairs, applying her prosecutorial expertise to policy and legislative matters. She returned to the AGC in 2016 and was later appointed Chief Prosecutor of the Criminal Justice Division, where she led teams of prosecutors specialising in homicide and serious sexual crimes.

In 2021, Ms Lee joined the Judiciary as a District Judge in the State Courts. She was appointed Principal District Judge in 2024. She also serves in tribunals as the Chairperson of both the MINDEF/SAF Appeal Tribunal and Compensation Board, and the Goods and Services Tax Board of Review.

Kevin Ho Hin Tat
District Judge
State Courts of Singapore

Mr Kevin Ho Hin Tat is a District Judge in the State Courts of Singapore. Prior to his judicial appointment, he practised at WongPartnership LLP and Drew & Napier LLC and served as Deputy Public Prosecutor and State Counsel at the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

Kevin graduated with First Class Honours from the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Law in 2016. During his time at NUS, he was a Kent Ridge Undergraduate Scholar and served as President of the NUS Mooting & Debating Club.

Ms Sruthi Boppana
Deputy Public Prosecutor
Attorney-General’s Chambers

Sruthi has been a Deputy Public Prosecutor with Singapore’s Attorney-General’s Chambers since 2013. She is a member of the Special Victims Group of the Crime Division, set up in July 2024, consisting of prosecutors trained in the management of vulnerable victims like young children, the mentally ill and those severely traumatized by crimes perpetrated upon them.

Sruthi’s work in the last ten years has centred around cases involving victims of serious sexual crimes and physical abuse, navigating the best means to elicit evidence from them, and ensuring that adequate measures are adopted, so these victims are well supported through the often-arduous process of testifying in Court.

Mr Hairul Hakkim
Deputy Public Prosecutor
Attorney-General’s Chambers

Mr Hairul Hakkim is a Deputy Senior State Counsel and Deputy Public Prosecutor at the Attorney-General’s Chambers of Singapore. He is currently seconded from the State Courts, where he previously served as a Magistrate.

Outside of his legal practice, Mr Hakkim is actively involved in community work, volunteering with youth development initiatives such as NorthLight School and the SINDA Youth Club.

He co-authored the book The Law on Sexual Offences in Singapore: A Commentary, published in 2025, which provides comprehensive analysis and commentary on sexual offence laws in Singapore.

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