The past year has been filled with both challenges and opportunities for the legal services sector. While we continue to manage the long tail of the pandemic as well as new challenges arising from the changing nature of legal practice, the gradual opening up of the world and rapid advances in technology have also broadened our horizons. The Academy has accordingly made significant investments to gear our profession up for the future of the practice of law.
The first area of investment is in the adoption of technology. We incorporated LawNet Technology Services Pte Ltd on 1 April 2022 to catalyse the Academy’s digital transformation. This transformation is well under way, with the launch of LawNet.com, which will serve as a single digital hub to access SAL’s content and services. To aid the profession as a whole in achieving a similar digital transformation, we launched the Lighten-Up programme, which offered smaller law firms a complimentary structured consulting programme to reimagine their work processes.
Secondly, we have also continued to invest in human and intellectual capital. We have extended the SAL Undergraduate Scholarship for another five years until 2027, and expanded eligibility to LLB and Juris Doctor candidates at SUSS. Meanwhile, Academy Publishing, which marks its 15th anniversary this year, has continued to drive scholarship and thought leadership on Singapore law, with 12 new titles published this year.
Finally, the Academy has flown the Singapore flag high in the region and the world. We have promoted the use of Singapore law internationally through an expanded suite of Venture Capital Investment Model Agreements and raised the profile of Singapore as a legal hub through the annual TechLaw.Fest, which can now be attended virtually.
With the legal profession’s continuing support for the Academy’s work and our combined commitment to gearing ourselves up for the future, I am confident that we can all emerge even stronger from the pandemic, ready to explore new horizons and fresh opportunities.
The work of SAL is largely driven by the SAL Executive Board which focuses on five key areas:
Legal Education, Legal Publishing & Knowledge, Legal Development, Legal Technology and Corporate Development and Statutory Services.
The SAL Executive Board was refreshed with effect from 2 June 2022.
View the current Executive Board here.
What We Do
The Singapore Academy of Law’s vision is to make Singapore the legal hub of Asia. We work with our stakeholders to set new precedents of excellence in Singapore law through developing thought leadership, world-class infrastructure and legal solutions.
As a body established by statute, SAL also undertakes statutory functions such as stakeholding services and appointment of Senior Counsel, Commissioners for Oaths and Notaries Public. For more information, please visit www.sal.org.sg.
Enabling Future-Ready,
Trusted Legal Professionals
“It is no longer enough to just know the law. There needs to be a mindset shift. Lawyers need a growth mindset, a client-centric approach and new disciplinary skill sets for innovative solutions. SAL’s work is geared towards providing the tools and resources to help our members navigate and thrive in the increasingly dynamic and complex future.”
Rama Tiwari
Chief Executive
“Academy Publishing serves as a knowledge hub for the legal community, providing practitioners with world-class law reports, books, journals, information and insights that underpin excellence in Singapore law.”
Bala Shunmugam
Senior Director, Academy Publishing
Academy Publishing
New e-reading service
Academy Library, a new digital library was launched in October 2021 with a free six-month trial available to all members. This gave them ready access to Academy Publishing titles as well as select LexisNexis publications. All Academy Publishing titles are also available for purchase in print, digital or bundle (print+digital) on LawNet e-store.
New references for practitioners
LawNet was completely re-designed as a one-stop hub for legal content and services. In addition to Academy Library, the new LawNet.com portal includes LawNet Asian Insights, the Intelligent Case Retrieval System featuring personal injury cases and awards, the Commercial Precedents database, which is populated with contributions from many leading law firms, and has proven to be useful and extremely popular with our members, and the Pleadings database, which provides access to actual pleadings selected by sitting Judges.
2
titles
2
SAL Practitioner articles
2
(+2%)
pages of Supreme Court cases
2
(+23%)
pages of State Courts cases
0
sets of pleadings in the pleadings database
0
Commercial precedents with 1,600 page views a month
0
items published on LawNet
“Our thought leadership activities help users build cross-border knowledge and advance their role as trusted advisors to their constituencies.”
Mark Fisher
Deputy Executive Director, Asian Business Law Institute
Law Reform
Two new law reform reports were published
- A new report Enactment of Non-Charitable Purpose Trusts (May 2021)
- Guide on Collaborative Contracting in the Construction Industry (January 2022)
Promotion of Singapore Law
- Project SG ComTrade was launched to develop standard form contracts for commodities trading governed by Singapore law. It is helmed by a newly formed International Trade Law subcommittee.
- To support start-ups in the early stages of their development, the current five model Venture Capital Investment Model Agreements (“VIMA”) were revised, and eight new standard form documents were developed. An extensive industry consultation was held to seek the views of 50 industry stakeholders including the Law Society, international and local law firms, venture capitalist firms and start-ups. This was followed by in-depth discussions by the working group members to ensure that the VIMA reflect updated and current industry norms.
- A consultation exercise was held on the construction law protocols to obtain feedback and buy-in from industry stakeholders.
- A series of four webinars entitled “Venture Business Considerations (VIMA Series Part II)” on topics related to early-stage fundraising such as taxation issues, valuation, IP and employee option schemes was held from July to October 2021. The series was well-received, garnering a total of 317 paid registrations and attended by 157 unique participants.
- A series of four webinars was organised targeted at foreign lawyers in Singapore and the region:
- A webinar on Singapore shipping law for the Indonesian market held in August 2021, attended by 136 participants, with over half from Indonesia.
- A webinar on Environmental, Social, and Governance and energy law targeted at the Vietnam market in February 2022, attended by 160 participants.
- Two webinars with a focus on Singapore law for Special Purpose Acquisition Companies and cross-border loans, organised in February 2022, received a total of 76 and 94 paid registrations respectively.
Providing Practical Guidance
Making an impact
ABLI’s Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency in Asia, which quickly sold out its print run, was cited as one of the two “notable sources” in a paper published by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in May 2021.
Growing stature and profile
The period reported saw an increasing number of opportunities for ABLI to present projects to, and exchange ideas with, various organisations including the European Law Institute, the France-based Open Diplomacy Institute, the American Bankruptcy Institute and the Asian Development Bank.
“As a catalyst for SAL’s digital transformation, we will continue to develop and drive the technology behind its products and services, both familiar and new.”
Kenta Kusano
Chief Executive-Designate, LawNet Technology Services
LawNet Asian Insights
LawNet Asian Insights was launched on 4 April 2022 to support legal professionals in navigating the complex and constantly evolving laws in Asia, by providing concise and commercially focused content. More than 500 pieces of content were available at launch and new content is uploaded weekly.
OpenLaw
OpenLaw was launched in April 2022. The portal provides free access for the public to Unreported Supreme Court Judgments from 1965, enhancing access to justice. Paying LawNet Legal Research subscribers have access to more content and more powerful search features to suit legal practitioners.
Online Dispute Resolution
Launched on 12 April 2022 as part of Infocomm Media Development Authority’s (“IMDA”) Consumer Telco dispute resolution scheme.
LawNet Technology Services Pte Ltd
LawNet Technology Services Pte Ltd was incorporated on 1 April 2022 and will act as the technology catalyst to drive SAL’s digital transformation while mitigating risks and equipping SAL’s members with the technology they need to stay on top of the many challenges they face in today’s fast-changing, globalised environment. LTS will also seek to accelerate SAL’s entrepreneurial and commercial activities.
Intelligent Case Retrieval System
In collaboration with State Courts, the Intelligent Case Retrieval System allows LawNet subscribers to search for personal damages awards by nature of injury through interactive visualisations.
Motor Accidents Claims Online
Both the Liability Simulator and Quantum Simulator on Motor Accidents Claims Online have been made available to the public since April 2021. The project team is collaborating with the Supreme Court’s Office of Public Affairs and CrimsonLogic to drive adoption of the service.
eLitigation
SAL also assisted the Courts with the changes to eLitigation resulting from changes to the Rules of Court arising from the Civil Justice Reform proposals.
Innovation and adoption of technology
SAL undertook a major overhaul of its IT systems. The result was improved efficiency, streamlined processes and a better member experience.
“In offering members a suite of conferences, seminars and workshops, we work with various industry stakeholders to tailor programmes which encourage professional excellence, deepening of skill-sets and innovative thinking.”
Delphine Loo
Chief Legal Officer and Senior Director, Learning and Professional Development
Family Therapeutic Justice Certification Programme
The Family Therapeutic Justice Certification Programme was launched in October 2021 to a first cohort of 40 learners.
LIFTED-LinkedIn Learning
The LIFTED-LinkedIn Learning initiative was launched in mid-August 2021 as part of SAL’s Get Future Ready package for members. Eleven curated learning pathways and five original content collections have been rolled out. Together with the launch, SAL offered 5,000 free one-year licenses to members which were well-subscribed. Moving forward, by paying a license fee, members will be able to continue accessing these resources, including original courses that are developed by SAL.
TechLaw.Fest
One of the largest events in our annual legal calendar is TechLaw.Fest. In 2021, it was held as a fully virtual event from 22 to 24 September with over 4,500 registrations from 118 countries. 2,600 attendees participated in live sessions featuring 105 speakers and 43 exhibitors and partners. The themes for TLF were Cybersecurity, Data and Digital Economy. Second Minister for Law Mr Edwin Tong SC opened the discussions in a fireside chat session and Justice Aedit Abdullah delivered the closing remarks.
13th Junior College Law Programme
The 13th Junior College Law Programme was held virtually from 30 November to 2 December 2021 with 334 participants.
SAL-INSEAD Legal Leadership Programme
The updated SAL-INSEAD Legal Leadership Programme had its largest-ever cohort with 33 attendees comprising law firm leaders and in-house counsel in corporate and government agencies. The programme was conducted from 24 to 26 March 2022.
Annual Litigation Internship Programme
The annual Litigation Internship Programme was held in July 2021 for 30 interns and included, for the first time, undergraduates from the Singapore University of Social Sciences (“SUSS”) School of Law. The programme was a mixture of in-person and online interactions to learn more about the profession.
SAL and Sorbonne-Assas International Law School Seminars
SAL and Sorbonne-Assas International Law School (now known as Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas, Singapore Campus) organised a series of three online executive seminars on data protection, e-commerce and sustainability in the second half of 2021. The webinars received a total of 80 paid registrations.
Specialist Accreditation
Members with the requisite standards and performance are recognised through our specialist accreditation schemes, which certify their expertise and experience in a specialised area of law. In the period reported, the scheme was expanded to include data and the digital economy as its third track.
0
virtual programmes attended by about 7, 544 participants
>
0
participants from 118 countries attended the virtual TechLaw.Fest 2021
0
free one-year LIFTED-LinkedIn Learning licenses given to SAL members
0
legal practitioners were reaccredited as specialists in Building and Construction, 9 in 9 in Maritime and Shipping Law
Helping members through the pandemic
Throughout the pandemic, the SAL has been helping its members build skills and supporting them with tools so that they can emerge stronger as we move into the next phase of post-Covid 19 recovery. These support packages worth a total value of around $7 million, helped the profession in its efforts to continue both practising and learning the law. These included:
- An additional $150 of credits in March 2021 (worth $1.3m in total) for webinars or publications from the SAL Group. As of 31 March, 60% or 5,462 members used their credits.
- Free 1-year access to LIFTED-LinkedIn Learning for 5,000 members
- Free Academy Library access for close to 10,000 eligible members from December 2021 to end-March 2022.
- 18 law firms underwent the Lighten-Up Consulting programme and are targeted to complete the programme by end of August 2022.
- The Singapore Mediation Centre (“SMC”) launched an e-Filing system for adjudications on the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act which allowed the construction industry to have access to this critical dispute resolution mechanism.
- SMC also supported other government agencies in setting up bespoke dispute resolution processes under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act, such as those under the Ministry of Law’s Re-Align Framework.
New members
SAL welcomed 454 new members from the virtual mass call held on 23 and 24 August 2021.
Widening access to law schools
The SAL Undergraduate Scholarship was approved for another five years from 2022 to 2027. In addition to tuition fees, it includes an annual sum for living expenses. The programme has also been expanded to include students from SUSS’ LLB and Juris Doctor programmes.
New Senior Counsel
Three new Senior Counsel were appointed in 2022:
- Mr Tan Puay Boon SC (honoris causa)
- Ms Marina Chin Li Yuen SC
- Ms Koh Swee Yen SC
Giving kudos
Mr Mahesh Rai of Drew & Napier LLC won the Joseph Grimberg Outstanding Young Advocate award 2021.
SAL Awardees
Other SAL awardees in 2021/22 were Ms Yuan Yang (NUS) and Mr Sasiy s/o Khrishnan (SMU) for the SAL Undergraduate Scholarship and Mr David Isadore Tan (Rajah & Tann) (above) for the Christopher Bathurst Prize.
Recording history
Eleven oral history interviews with representatives from the Government, Judiciary, law schools, practitioners and in-house counsel were recorded under an ongoing special project to document the impact of Covid-19 on the legal profession and the administration of justice. Five oral interviews on the history of Singapore’s legal development were also recorded.
“Continuing trends in the decentralisation and digitalisation of legal services are taking SAL’s statutory and trust-centric services like the Wills Registry, Legalisation and Conveyancing Stakeholding in exciting new directions for greater public benefit.”
Paul Neo
Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer
Supporting the public
On 20 January 2021, SAL took over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (“MFA”) role to legalise public documents for use overseas. The consolidation of legalisation services (authentication and legalisation of public documents) resulted in time and cost savings for the public, as this saves them an extra trip to MFA. Additionally, the $10 legalisation fee is waived for all notarised documents.
Apostille Convention
The legalisation process was further streamlined when SAL was appointed as Singapore’s Competent Authority for the Apostille Convention which was operationalised from 16 September 2021. Members of the public can proceed to submit their Singapore documents directly to the overseas recipient after the document has been legalised by SAL.
Remote commissioning
SAL worked with the Supreme Court’s Office of Transformation and Innovation to enable the remote commissioning and electronic signing of court affidavits using their Document Signing Service. This allows parties involved to sign documents with “Sign with SingPass”. SAL’s Commissioners for Oaths’ Manual and guidelines were updated to provide guidance on remote commissioning and electronic signing.
0
wills deposited in the Wills Registry
0
commissioners for oaths and 240 notaries public were appointed for the period 1 October 2021 to 30 September 2022
0
commissioners for oaths and 359 notaries public for the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023
“In the year reported, we made great strides towards making alternative dispute resolution tools like mediation more accessible through technology.”
Pradeep Paul
Chief Executive, Singapore Mediation Centre
Back on track
SMC’s mediation caseload continues to grow towards pre-COVID levels, with fully online and hybrid mediations being the most common setup.
Training matters
Government agencies were a source of increasing demand for in-house mediation courses. In the period under review, training was primarily hybrid, with only critical portions of the course being conducted in person.
0
matters mediated
0
Adjudication Review Application cases
0
adjudication applications and review applications filed under the Security of Payments Act
0
cases six lodged under the Singapore Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy which provides a framework for resolving ‘.sg’ domain name disputes.
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Workshops
0
mediation skills assessments
0
workshop participants attended
0
assessment candidates
News & Events
from the SAL Group
- Singapore Academy of Law
- Singapore Mediation Centre
- Asian Business Law Institute
Date | Event Name |
|---|---|
01 Apr 2021 | Resolving Disputes and Contentious Proceedings involving Crypto Assets |
| 06 Apr 2021 - 08 Apr 2021 | Managing Conflicts & Resolving Disputes Effectively Through Mediation (Frontline): MOE (3 runs) |
| 21 Apr 2021 | Constitutional and Administrative Law: Cases, Materials and Commentary |
| 29 Apr 2021 - 30 Apr 2021 | Family Justice Courts Family Mediation |
| 03 May 2021 - 06 May 2021 | Strategic Conflict Management for Professionals (Module 1) – Online |
| 04 May 2021 - 05 May 2021 | Family Mediation Workshop & Co-Mediation Training: AiBA |
| 04 May 2021 | What the Construction Industry can Expect Once the Temporary Reliefs End |
| 05 May 2021 | The Importance of Ethics in the Practice of Mediation |
| 17 May 2021 - 21 May 2021 | Strategic Conflict Management for Professionals (Module 2) - Hybrid |
| 18 May 2021 | Sports Arbitration and Resolution of Sports Disputes |
| 19 May 2021 | Valuation of Technology Companies |
| 20 May 2021 - 21 May 2021 | Family Justice Courts Family Mediation |
| 01 Jun 2021 | HCCH 1970 Evidence Convention and Remote Taking of Evidence by Video-link |
| 17 Jun 2021 | Business Valuation of Companies with Incomplete Information |
| 23 Jun 2021 | SAL Annual Review of 2020 Cases on Land Law |
| 30 Jun 2021 | SAL Annual Review of 2020 Cases on Confidential Information and Data Protection |
| 05 Jul 2021 - 21 Jul 2021 | Strategic Conflict Management for Professionals (Module 1) - Online |
| 08 Jul 2021 | Venture Business Considerations (I) : Tax Considerations for Startups |
| 12 Jul 2021 - 16 Jul 2021 | Strategic Conflict Management for Professionals (Module 2) - Hybrid |
| 19 Jul 2021 | SAL Annual Review of 2020 Cases on Criminal Law |
| 22 Jul 2021 | SAL Annual Review of 2020 Cases on Competition Law |
| 27 Jul 2021 | SAL Annual Review of 2020 Cases on Tort Law |
| 28 Jul 2021 | SAL Annual Review of 2020 Cases on Intellectual Property Law |
| 02 Aug 2021 - 05 Aug 2021 | Strategic Conflict Management for Professionals (Module 1) - Online |
| 11 Aug 2021 | SAL Annual Review of 2020 Cases on Muslim Law |
| 16 Aug 2021 - 20 Aug 2021 | Strategic Conflict Management for Professionals (Module 2) - Hybrid |
| 18 Aug 2021 | Introduction to Mediation: Northland Primary School |
| 18 Aug 2021 - 28 Aug 2021 | Maritime and Shipping Law Course for Legal and Industry Practitioners |
| 24 Aug 2021 | Venture Business Considerations (II): IP Protection for Startups – Best Practices and Top Tips |
| 26 Aug 2021 - 20 Aug 2021 | (Mis)Conceptions About Singapore Shipping - Indonesia |
| 31 Aug 2021 | Conducting E-Commerce in Europe and Asia: Navigating the Legal and Regulatory Landscape |
| 06 Sep 2021 | Singapore Mediation Lecture 2021 |
| 06 Sep 2021 - 09 Sep 2021 | Strategic Conflict Management for Professionals (Module 1) - Online |
| 09 Sep 2021 | Venture Business Considerations (III) : Employee Option Schemes |
| 09 Sep 2021 | Rise of Pre-Packs as a Restructuring Tool — Global and Regional Perspectives |
| 13 Sep 2021 - 17 Sep 2021 | Strategic Conflict Management for Professionals (Module 2) - Hybrid |
| 14 Sep 2021 | Perspectives from the Bench – Civil Appeals against Decisions in the State Courts |
| 22 Sep 2021 - 24 Sep 2021 | TechLaw.Fest 2021 |
| 25 Sep 2021 | Managing Conflicts & Resolving Disputes Effectively Through Mediation: OnePeople.Sg |
| 27 Sep 2021 | Mediation Skills Assessment |
| 27 Sep 2021 - 30 Sep 2021 | Negotiating Your Way to Success: An Executive Programme on Effective Negotiation: MAS |
| 28 Sep 2021 | Mediation Skills Assessment |
| 02 Oct 2021 - 30 Oct 2021 | Part B Mediation Advocacy |
| 04 Oct 2021 - 07 Oct 2021 | Strategic Conflict Management for Professionals (Module 1) - Online |
| 07 Oct 2021 | Criminal Law Advocacy Workshop - Voir Dire: Hurdling Threats, Inducements and Promises |
| 12 Oct 2021 | Tune-in to Tune-up your Wellbeing in the Hybrid Workplace |
| 14 Oct 2021 | Managing Conflicts & Resolving Disputes Effectively Through Mediation (Frontline): MOE |
| 18 Oct 2021 - 22 Oct 2021 | Strategic Conflict Management for Professionals (Module 2) - Hybrid |
| 19 Oct 2021 | SMC’s Presentation to NTU Business students |
| 19 Oct 2021 | Perspectives from the Bench - To appeal or not to appeal |
| 21 Oct 2021 - 27 Oct 2021 | Family Therapeutic Justice Certification Programme |
| 21 Oct 2021 | Playbook on China’s Corporate Restructuring Tools and Their Cross-border Implications |
| 29 Oct 2021 | Venture Business Considerations (IV): Valuation of Startups |
| 02 Nov 2021 | Implication of Climate Change Laws on Compliance, Risk and Cost of Business |
| 05 Nov 2021 - 13 Nov 2021 | Family Therapeutic Justice Certification Programme |
| 08 Nov 2021 - 11 Nov 2021 | Strategic Conflict Management for Professionals (Module 1) - Online |
| 09 Nov 2021 - 10 Nov 2021 | Managing Conflicts & Resolving Disputes Effectively Through Mediation (Frontline): MOE (2 runs) |
| 09 Nov 2021 | Tune-in to Tune-up your Professional Online Profile |
| 10 Nov 2021 | [Fireside Chat] Perspectives from the Bench – Appeals Against Decisions in the Family Justice Courts |
| 15 Nov 2021 - 19 Nov 2021 | Strategic Conflict Management for Professionals (Module 2) - Hybrid |
| 16 Nov 2021 | A cross-border overview of consent in data protection regulation: understanding when and how to obtain it |
| 18 Nov 2021 | Specialist Insight Series: Down the Digital Rabbit Hole – Investigations, Injunctions and Associated Remedies involving Crypto Assets |
| 18 Nov 2021 | Specialist Insight Series: Old Story New Twist - Insolvency and Valuation Issues involving Crypto Assets |
| 22 Nov 2021 - 23 Nov 2021 | Mediation Skills Assessment (2 runs) |
| 23 Nov 2021 | Policing Ethics in Arbitration - Pipedream or Imperative? |
| 29 Nov 2021 | Legal Leaders Dialogues - Justice System Transformation: Public-Private Partnership Journeys |
| 30 Nov 2021 - 02 Dec 2021 | [Cyber Edition] 13th Junior College Law Programme |
| 01 Dec 2021 | Legal Leaders Dialogues - Legal Business Transformation: New Approaches to Legal Services Delivery |
| 03 Dec 2021 | Legal Leaders Dialogues - Legal Talent Transformation: Enabling Trusted Future-ready Legal Professionals |
| 07 Dec 2021 | Tune-in to Tune-up your Journey as a Young Legal Professional |
| 03 Jan 2022 - 06 Jan 2022 | Strategic Conflict Management for Professionals (Module 1) - Online |
| 19 Jan 2022 | Upcoming Indonesia Personal Data Protection Law—Key Provisions to Know and How It May Affect Businesses |
| 25 Jan 2022 | Mediation Skills Assessment |
| 07 Feb 2022 - 10 Feb 2022 | Strategic Conflict Management for Professionals (Module 1) - Online |
| 10 Feb 2022 | Hot Topics in ESG and Energy Law – The Singapore Experience |
| 12 Feb 2022 - 12 Mar 2022 | LAW 403 Mediation Advocacy (SUSS) |
| 12 Feb 2022 | Managing Conflicts & Resolving Disputes Effectively Through Mediation: OnePeople.Sg |
| 16 Feb 2022 | SPACs - Current Trends in the US and Singapore |
| 21 Feb 2022 - 25 Feb 2022 | Strategic Conflict Management for Professionals (Module 2) - Hybrid |
| 25 Feb 2022 | Singapore Law for Cross-border Loans |
| 07 Mar 2022 - 10 Mar 2022 | Strategic Conflict Management for Professionals (Module 1) - Online |
| 09 Mar 2022 | Introduction to Company Law and Foreign Investment of Cambodia and Vietnam |
| 12 Mar 2022 | LAW 403 Mediation Advocacy (SUSS) |
| 24 Mar 2022 - 26 Mar 2022 | SAL-INSEAD Legal Leadership Programme |
| 28 Mar 2022 | Mediation Skills Assessment |
| 29 Mar 2022 | Tune in to Tune up: Technology as a Tool in Legal Education |
| 31 Mar 2022 | Season 2: Utilising Singapore (and Other Offshore Jurisdictions) to Restructure Indonesian Companies |