The International Association for Court Administration's Conference(IACA ) has recently taken place at the Singapore Courts. This is an IACA event to have been held for the first time in Singapore. This conference occurred from 12 to 14 November, 2024, at the Courts premises, where various judges, senior court administrators, and other judicial officials from different parts of the world attended. Founded in 2004, IACA fosters professional court administration and management as a preeminent resource for court professionals and government officials looking to strengthen justice systems globally.
This year's conference, themed 'Building Trust in The Judiciary', had in attendance over 40 countries and a total of 250 participants. The discussions focused on the latest developments and best practices in judicial and court administration with special emphasis on ways of further strengthening public trust in justice systems. This three-day event was seen as a platform for global exchange of insights and strategies for how courts and judiciary may be able to address the evolving challenges they face.
The conference opened with welcome remarks by the President of IACA, Prof Dr Luis Maria Palma, and the keynote address by The Honourable the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Singapore, Sundaresh Menon. The plenary session that followed focussed on AI and the impact on the Judiciary, where speakers Mr Tan Ken Hwee, Chief Transformation and Innovation Officer of the Singapore Courts and Prof Giuseppe M. Fazari from Monmouth University, USA, discussed the topic in detail. The session was moderated by Mr Kevin J Bowling, Juris Doctor/Master of Science in Justice Administration/Institute for Court Management Fellow and Chief Administrative Officer, IACA.
Prof Dr Luis María Palma, President of IACA, said: “We are deeply honoured to hold our international conference for the first time in Singapore, allowing us to celebrate our 20th Anniversary while learning from your remarkable experiences and advancements. Trust is a fundamental value for the judiciary, as it establishes its credibility within the society it serves. Nothing is more damaging than disinformation, which undermines the foundations of the judicial system. Upholding good faith, leading by example, fostering teamwork, and ensuring accountability are essential practices we must rely on. Court Administration must embody the professional development of these practices, and IACA is dedicated to continuously improving them to fulfil its mission and, in this way, to contribute to social peace.”.
In his keynote address, CJ Menon said, “Trust in our judiciaries is not only built on the courts’ adjudicative work in individual cases, but it increasingly rests on our ability to discharge our broader systemic role, which is assuming ever greater importance. This mission involves all parts and all levels of a modern judiciary. From judicial education and judicial policy, to communications and outreach, to technology and innovation, to access to justice – to name just a few of the areas I have touched on – court administrators and court administration are an indispensable part of our people, processes and systems for administering and delivering justice.”
