In a historic appointment, Justice Prathiba M. Singh of the Delhi High Court has been selected as the Chair of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Advisory Board of Judges for the term 2025–2027. This marks the first time an Indian—and indeed someone from Asia—has been appointed to this prestigious global role, representing a significant recognition of India’s growing leadership in intellectual property (IP) law and policy.
What is WIPO and Its Advisory Board?
- The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations, headquartered in Geneva, that works globally to protect and promote intellectual property rights across countries.
- Its Advisory Board of Judges consists of legal luminaries and judges from around the world, who guide WIPO in aligning its policies with judicial standards across legal systems.
- As Chair, Justice Singh will lead this influential body, offering strategic direction for WIPO’s global judicial engagement, especially in an era where intellectual property is central to innovation, digital governance, and economic development.
Justice Prathiba Singh’s Legal and Judicial Contributions
Justice Singh has had a long and distinguished career in law,
- She began practicing law in 1991 and has argued cases before the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, and IP Appellate Board.
- Appointed a permanent judge of the Delhi High Court in 2017, she has presided over landmark IP cases and served as Chair of the Delhi High Court’s first-ever Intellectual Property Division in 2021–22.
- She has authored a peer-reviewed two-volume book on Patent Law, underlining her academic expertise in IP.
Her work has gone beyond the courtroom. She played a critical role in,
- Reforming the Copyright Office and patent examination systems
- Advising Parliamentary Committees on IP legislative changes
- Co-chairing the WHO Working Group on AI in Health Regulation, reflecting her versatility in legal-technical domains
Significance of the Appointment
This development holds major importance for multiple reasons,
- It puts India on the global map as a serious contributor to IP governance.
- It offers WIPO a unique legal perspective from the Global South, where IP law is increasingly important amid digital growth and indigenous innovation.
- It creates opportunities for greater engagement between Indian judiciary and international legal forums, especially in emerging domains like AI, data, and pharmaceuticals.
- For India, this is a soft-power milestone—demonstrating that its judicial leadership is globally respected, especially in complex, technical legal areas.