SINGAPORE - Judicial Commissioners Pang Khang Chau, Audrey Lim Yoon Cheng and Ang Cheng Hock have been made High Court judges, bringing the number of Supreme Court judges to 23.

The appointments, which were made on Monday (July 15) by President Halimah Yacob on the advice of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, will take effect from Aug 1.

In its statement on Monday, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) also said retired Indian judge Arjan Kumar Sikri will be appointed an international judge to the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC) from Aug 1. His appointment is until Jan 4, 2021.

Judicial Commissioner Pang, 49, who was appointed to his current role in August 2016, specialises in cases involving shipping and insurance, intellectual property, as well as company, insolvency and trusts. He also hears criminal trials.

He was previously the director-general of international affairs in the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC), where he advised the Government on international law matters.

He also represented the Government in international negotiations and disputes.

In addition to his judicial duties, Judicial Commissioner Pang is the president of the International Law Association's Singapore branch and the vice-chairman of the Asean Law Association's Singapore national committee.

Judicial Commissioner Lim, 48, was the AGC's deputy chief legislative counsel before she took up her current role in August 2016.

Since 1994, she has served in various postings in the Supreme Court, State Courts and the AGC.

As a judicial commissioner, she handles civil matters, mainly in areas relating to companies, insolvency and trust, as well as criminal matters and family cases.

Judicial Commissioner Lim is also a board member of the Singapore Mediation Centre, and sits on various committees such as the Rules of Court Working Party, Family Justice Rules Working Party, Singapore International Commercial Court Rules Working Party and the Singapore Academy of Law's (SAL) law reform committee.

Judicial Commissioner Ang, 49, who was appointed in May 2018, was a senior partner in law firm Allen & Gledhill, and a member of its litigation and dispute resolution department.

His areas of expertise include civil and commercial litigation, international arbitration and corporate-related disputes.

He was appointed a senior counsel in 2009.

Outside of his judicial duties, Judicial Commissioner Ang is active in various leadership roles.

He is the vice-chairman of the SAL's professional affairs committee and chairman of the SAL's professional values chapter.

He is also a board member of the Singapore Institute of Legal Education, as well as a member of the Supreme Court's civil justice commission and the Ministry of Law's civil justice review committee.

Mr Sikri, 65, retired as the second most senior judge of the Supreme Court of India in March, after six years in the post.

During his time there, he issued a number of landmark judgments, particularly in the fields of commercial and arbitration law, tax law, intellectual property matters and economic law, the PMO said in its statement.

He was first appointed judge of the High Court of Delhi in July 1999 and served as the acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court from October 2011.

In September 2012, he was elevated to the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Mr Sikri is currently a visiting professor at two National Law Schools in India and conducts arbitration and mediation sessions.

He was conferred Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa in November 2013.

In 2007, he was selected by the Managing Intellectual Property Association as one of the 50 most influential persons in intellectual property in the world.

The 23 judges of the Supreme Court will include the four Judges of Appeal and the Chief Justice.

There will also be four judicial commissioners, four senior judges and 17 international judges.