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 Supreme Court for the Court of Appeal of Brunei Darussalam, The Honourable Sir Nicholas Blake.
Sir Nicholas Blake has been appointed and sworn in as Judicial Commissioner of the Court of the Supreme Court for the Court of Appeal of Brunei Darussalam with effect from 6 June 2026 and the appointment will be for a period of 2 years.
Sir Nicholas Blake is a retired judge of the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court of Justice in England and Wales. He was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1994 and became a Recorder in 2000. He was appointed a Deputy High Court Judge in 2002 and in November 2007 was then appointed to the High Court of Justice, Queen’s Bench Division. He retired from office in October 2017 but continued to serve as a Deputy High Court Judge authorised to sit in the Court of Appeal until June 2024.
Sir Nicholas Blake has been involved with in a range of international judicial projects. Until November 2025 he was a Trustee of the Slynn Foundation London, providing assistance on rule of law issues and has participated in judicial development and advisory work in Georgia (establishing a commercial court), Tanzania, the West Balkans and Saudi Arabia. He has been engaged as a consultant for UK Government sponsored projects on judicial improvement in Columbia, and most recently the Maldives (2024 to 2026).
The appointment of Sir Nicholas will strengthen the depth and breadth of the Judiciary in dispute resolution and it is expected that his appointment will enhance both international and local investors’ confidence in Brunei Darussalam’s ability to deal with disputes in an effective and efficient manner. 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 / 6 JUNE 2026