1. His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has consented to the appointment and swearing in of a new Judicial Commissioner of the Court of Appeal of Brunei Darussalam, The Right Honourable Sir Peter Gross.
2. Sir Peter Gross has been appointed and sworn in as Judicial Commissioner of the Court of Appeal of Brunei Darussalam with effect from 28 October 2023 and the appointment will be for a period of 2 years.
3. Sir Peter Gross is a leading international commercial judge with a legal career spanning over 40 years. He was appointed to the Court of Appeal of England and Wales in 2010 and was appointed Deputy Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales in October 2011. Thereafter, he was Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales from January 2013 to December 2015. He retired from the Court of Appeal of England and Wales in October 2019. Sir Peter specialises in international commercial, admiralty and arbitration disputes and he was appointed to the Court of Appeal of the Dubai International Financial Centre (‘DIFC’) in January 2021.
4. The appointment of Sir Peter Gross will strengthen the depth and breadth of the Judiciary in dispute resolution in commercial cases, particularly those with a cross border dimension.
5. It is expected that Sir Peter’s appointment will enhance both international and local investors’ confidence in Brunei Darussalam’s ability to deal with commercial disputes. This will be in line with the country’s aspiration to achieve a dynamic and sustainable economy under Wawasan Brunei 2035 and also to realise the Brunei Judiciary’s vision to establish a world class judiciary and a system of administration of justice that is efficient, effective, accessible and fair and that is committed to upholding the rule of law.
SUPREME COURT OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
SATURDAY 28 OCTOBER 2023
