Skip to main content

Government officials will never ask you to transfer money or disclose bank log-in details over a phone call.

Call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799 if you are unsure if something is a scam.

The Istana

Mr Chao Hick Tin

Member in the Council of Presidential Advisers

Last updated 26 November 2025
Profile image of Chao Hick Tin

Tenure in CPA: Since Jun 2022
Tenure as Alternate Member*: -

Chao Hick Tin (赵锡燊), was born in Singapore in 1942. He studied at Catholic High School, Singapore and obtained his Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws from University College, London in 1965 and 1966 respectively. He was called to the English Bar at the Middle Temple in 1965 and was admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor in Singapore in 1971. He was appointed a Bencher1 of the Middle Temple in 2013 and was conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws by the National University of Singapore in 2018.

  1. Mr Chao began his career in the Public Service as a State Counsel in the Attorney-General’s Chambers (“AGC”) in 1967 and rose to the position of Senior State Counsel in 1979. His notable involvements while serving in the AGC were (i) representing Singapore at the UN Conference on the Law of Treaties held in Vienna in 1968 and (ii) being a member of the Singapore Delegation to the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea, from 1974 to 1982.

  2. He was appointed Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court in 1987 and elevated as a High Court Judge in 1990. He was subsequently appointed a Judge of Appeal in 1999. He concurrently served as the President of the Industrial Arbitration Court from 1993 to 1999 and the Chairman of the Singapore Mediation Centre from June 2003 to May 2006. He was also elected to serve as the President of the ASEAN Law Association, a regional ASEAN body, from December 2003 to November 2006.

  3. Mr Chao was appointed the Attorney-General of Singapore in 2006. In 2008, he returned to the Supreme Court as a Judge of Appeal and Vice-President of the Court of Appeal, a position he held until he retired in September 2017. During this period, he also served as the Vice-President of the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL).

  4. In January 2018 he was appointed as a Senior Judge of the Supreme Court, an adjunct position, which he held until the end of May 2022. In early 2019 he was appointed the Chairman of the Presidential Council for Religious Harmony as well as the Chairman of the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration, positions which he is still holding.

  5. Of the national awards he received are the Public Service Star (Bar) in 2006 and the Distinguished Service Order in 2018.

1 Benchers are responsible for the governance of the Inn. They are elected by their peers from the Inn’s members who have been called to the Bar. The majority of the Inn’s Benchers are Queen’s Counsel or senior members of the Judiciary.