The Honourable Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong together with a delegation of judges and judicial officers from the Supreme Court of Brunei Darussalam attended the 13th Meeting of the Council of ASEAN Chief Justices (CACJ) from 21-23 July 2026 at the invitation of The Honourable Adisak Tantiwong, President of the Supreme Court of the Kingdom of Thailand. The meeting was attended by the Chief Justices and Heads of Delegations from the ASEAN member states.
At the opening session of the 13th Meeting of the CACJ on 22 July, Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong delivered his opening speech alongside fellow ASEAN Chief Justices, Heads of Delegation and the ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General.
In his opening speech the Chief Justice affirmed Brunei Darussalam’s steadfast commitment to strengthening the rule of law and enhancing judicial cooperation across ASEAN. Reflecting on the evolving role of ASEAN judiciaries, the Chief Justice observed that rapid technological and societal developments, including artificial intelligence, digital assets and climate-related disputes, are reshaping the administration of justice. He noted that the CACJ has responded proactively by advancing initiatives on court technology and artificial intelligence governance, expanding the CACJ E-Learning Portal, and fostering dialogue on climate justice and digital assets. These initiatives demonstrate the collective commitment of ASEAN judiciaries to remain adaptive, innovative and resilient in meeting future challenges.
Emphasizing that people remain at the heart of the justice system, the Chief Justice highlighted the importance of the Council’s ongoing work in judicial education and training, judicial well-being, victim-sensitive adjudication of trafficking in persons cases, and therapeutic justice. He underscored that these initiatives reinforce the shared objective of ensuring that justice is delivered with dignity, fairness and compassion while strengthening judicial capacity throughout the region.
The Chief Justice also reflected on Brunei Darussalam’s successful hosting of the Second ASEAN Multilateral Judicial Knowledge Exchange on Victim-Sensitive Adjudication of Trafficking in Persons Cases earlier this year. He noted that the programme reaffirmed the value of meaningful judicial cooperation through the exchange of experiences, mutual learning and enduring professional relationships among ASEAN judiciaries.
During the meeting, the ASEAN Chief Justices and Heads of Delegation were presented with reports regarding the activities carried out, achievements made and work plans submitted by the CACJ’s various workstreams, which include:
i. Working Group on Judicial Education and Training;
ii. Working Group on Civil Proceedings;
iii. Working Group on Case Management and Court Technology;
iv. Working Group on the ASEAN Judiciaries Portal;
v. Working Group on Cross-Border Disputes Involving Children;
vi. Working Group on ASEAN+ Meetings;
vii. Working Group on the Conduct of Videoconferencing Hearings;
viii. Working Group on Climate Justice;
ix. Special Interest Group of ASEAN Insolvency Judges;
x. Special Interest Group of ASEAN Intellectual Property Judges; and
xi. Special Interest Group on the Nature and Status of Digital and Virtual Assets
Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong and the delegation and also participated in a series of side-line meetings alongside the 13th CACJ Meeting. On 21 July, the Chief Justice held a bilateral meeting with The Honourable Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon of the Supreme Court of Singapore and senior judges of the Singapore Judiciary, where both Chief Justices reaffirmed the close and longstanding ties between their judiciaries and their shared commitment to strengthening judicial cooperation. The Brunei Darussalam delegation of judges and judicial officers also attended the ASEAN Insolvency Judges Meeting, the ASEAN Insolvency Judges and Practitioners Meeting and the ASEAN Intellectual Property Judges and Practitioners Meeting held on 21 July.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Chief Justices and the Heads of Delegations signed the Bangkok Declaration, as a result of the 13th CACJ Meeting.
SUPREME COURT OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM / 24 JULY 2026