Law Ministry to build on S'pore's legal hub status
A lawyer makes his way to a court in Singapore. Photo: Channel NewsAsia
SINGAPORE – Building on the Republic’s status as an arbitration hub, the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) will continue to drive Singapore’s development in international legal services and dispute resolution, said Law Minister K Shanmugam today (Jan 22).
With the establishment of the Singapore International Commercial Court, the Singapore International Mediation Centre and the continued growth of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, Mr Shanmugam said the Republic is “well positioned to offer commercial parties a comprehensive suite of dispute resolution options to support their business needs”.
MinLaw will also help develop expertise in key practice areas, enhance supporting infrastructure by expanding Singapore’s flagship dispute resolution facility, Maxwell Chambers, Mr Shanmugam said in his ministry’s addendum to the President Tony Tan’s address to Parliament on Jan 15.
Having signed the Hague Convention on Choice of Courts Agreements in March last year, the ministry said it will implement and ratify the agreement, which makes it easier for the judgements of the Singapore courts to be enforced in other countries in instances where a dispute is heard in a Singapore court.
“This goes in tandem with the overall review that we are undertaking on how the cross-border enforcement of Singapore judgments can be strengthened for the benefit of businesses and the legal industry,” added Mr Shanmugam.
With new developments in technology and to facilitate the growth of the creative sector, copyright and design-related services, MinLaw is also reviewing Singapore’s copyright and design protection regimes.
In addition, the ministry is looking into substantive reforms in civil and criminal law here, said Mr Shanmugam.
“Our aim is to improve the civil justice system, improve enforcement of civil judgments, and where possible, remove unnecessary complexities in the civil justice system.”
Within the family law sphere, MinLaw is working on reforms to the Guardianship of Infants Act, the Intestate Succession Act and the Inheritance (Family Provision) Act.
On the community legal services front, the ministry continues to fund the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, which is run by the Law Society’s Pro Bono Services Office. Law firms and the legal profession are encouraged to continue working with them to deliver legal aid to ensure “access to justice for less privileged Singaporeans”, said Mr Shanmugam.
To build up manpower in the legal sector, as announced previously, a new pathway for mid-career individuals to join the legal profession will be introduced in the UniSIM Law School. The school will also train lawyers in the areas of criminal and family law.
In line with SkillsFuture initiatives, the ministry, Singapore Academy of Law, Singapore Institute of Legal Education and Law Society will also develop initiatives that support the continuing professional development of lawyers, Mr Shanmugam added.
AT A GLANCE: MONEYLENDING REGIME TO BE STRENGTHENED
• Singapore law practices will be encouraged to raise productivity, deepen service and practice capabilities, encourage product innovation and adopt new technologies for the industry to remain “forward-looking”.
• In collaboration with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, Singapore will be pushed as a neutral venue for inter-state disputes and for maritime disputes to be heard here.
• To strengthen the moneylending regime, a centralised credit bureau, an aggregate unsecured borrowing cap, among other things, will be implemented. There will also be changes to the pawnbroking regime, such as requiring pawnbrokers to appoint an auditor to conduct audits annually.
• Apart from introducing a more rehabilitative system that allows bankrupts to be discharged within clearer timeframes, there will be reforms to have credit providers take on better risk assessments and have borrowers clear their debt responsibly. The individual bankruptcy and corporate insolvency regimes will be updated and combined into a single piece of legislation.
• Singapore Land Authority (SLA), a statutory board under MinLaw, will explore the greater use of subterranean space as Singapore becomes more built-up. It will also encourage the innovative use of unused state land, such as under viaducts, for sports, recreation and social purposes.
• Together with the Infocomm Development Authority, SLA will formulate the Geospatial Master Plan under the Smart Nation initiative. They will also tap on technology to improve business processes and land data management.
