Media Release – Chief Justice holds bilateral meeting with Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines and attends 2026 advanced courses of The Hague Academy of International Law (THAIL)

On Thursday 12 February 2026, The Honourable Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Brunei Darussalam, Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong, together with a delegation from the Supreme Court of Brunei Darussalam, paid a courtesy call and held a bilateral meeting with The Honorable Alexander G. Gesmundo, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, in Manila, Philippines.

Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong reaffirmed Brunei Darussalam’s commitment to deepening regional judicial engagement as part of its broader efforts to enhance judicial cooperation and capacity building within ASEAN. The Chief Justice also expressed interest in collaborating on judicial education and training with the Supreme Court of the Philippines and the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA), as a leading judicial education institution in the region. Both Chief Justices discussed avenues for closer collaboration, particularly in areas such as court-annexed mediation and dispute resolution, court administration, and training for court personnel such as bailiffs, clerks and process servers who support the work of the courts. 

The bilateral meeting was followed by the Chief Justice and delegation’s attendance at the 2026 Advanced Courses of The Hague Academy of International Law (THAIL) on The Role of International Law in Advancing ASEAN Judiciaries. The 2026 programme in the Philippines aims to provide specialised training on both public and private international law to enhance judicial capacity by equipping ASEAN judiciaries with advanced international law knowledge and tools to address complex cross-border and international law issues. The programme emphasizes the role of international law in advancing ASEAN judiciaries towards greater regional cooperation, stability and development.

The programme commenced with welcome remarks by The Honorable Rosmari D. Carandang, Chancellor of the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA). Opening remarks were delivered by The Honorable Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. Messages were also delivered by Professor Diego P. Fernández Arroyo, President of the Curatorium of the Hague Academy of International Law, Professor Jean-Marc Thouvenin, Secretary-General of the Hague Academy, and Dr Christophe Bernasconi, Secretary-General of the Hague Conference on Private International Law. The keynote address, titled ‘The Philippine Judiciary Approach to International Law’, was delivered by Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo.

On Friday 13 February 2026, the programme continued with a keynote lecture by Professor Diego P. Fernández Arroyo on contemporary developments in international law. This was followed by sessions on The General Relevance of International Law for ASEAN Judiciaries, covering both private international law aspects, presented by Dr Christophe Bernasconi, and public international law aspects, presented by Professor Jean-Marc Thouvenin.

The participation of the Chief Justice and delegation from Brunei Darussalam underscores the Supreme Court’s continued commitment to judicial education, regional cooperation, and the constructive engagement of international law in advancing the administration of justice within ASEAN.

Photos courtesy of Public Information office, Supreme Court of the Philippines
SUPREME COURT OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM / 13 FEBRUARY 2026