Feedback for Law Reform
The Law Reform Committee of the Singapore Academy of Law invites all practitioners to feedback on deficiencies or errors in the law encountered in the course of your work. The Committee will review all feedback received and make recommendations to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for amendments in due course. You can share your thoughts and ideas with us by sending an email to lawreform@sal.org.sg. We look forward to hearing from you.
 
 
The pursuit of a system of laws for a global city means that constant revitalisation and innovation of our laws are always called for. While courts exert a very powerful law-shaping force in a common law system, judges cannot adjudicate on legal issues not before them, and certain areas of law require legislative intervention for change. The Law Reform Committee of the Academy aids in this reform process by studying the contours of the law that requires change.

The Law Reform Committee looks into the reform of discrete areas of law which are not confined to any particular field or doctrinal area. The breadth of its reform initiatives since its inception in 1989 has been significant, drawing on the input of a small but dedicated team of members, who come from the higher echelons of practice and academia. The Law Reform Committee consults widely for its reform work. Its work results in recommendations to the relevant law-making bodies on areas of law that need reform. Amendments and updates of existing legislation and enactment of new laws have resulted from the reform work. These include the implementation of the corporatisation of law partnerships in the Legal Profession (Amendment) Act 2000, the transfer of proceedings between courts in the Subordinate Courts (Amendment) Act 2005, and the loss of inheritance in the Civil Law (Amendment) Act 2009.

A number of law reform projects are currently underway.

Related Links

Law Reform Committee Publications
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

 
   
 
 
Choice of Law and Jurisdiction in Trusts
Professor Tan Yock Lin proposes three key reforms. First, the provision of unfettered choice of law. Secondly, provision of a new basis of jurisidiction. Thirdly, to consider issues of trust migration and when a foreign choice of law may be disregarded.
 
Review of Trustees' Classification and Apportionment Rules to Allow Total Return Investment
The liberalisation of investment powers has allowed trustees to adopt efficient portfolio theories of investment. The Subcommittee examines the classification and apportionment rules to allow for total return investment.
 
Law Governing Financial Products - As to Suitability Against Fitness for Purpose
This study aims to consider the suitability of imposing responsible lending obligations on credit providers and credit service providers by setting in place expected standards of lending behaviour during the execution of consumer credit contracts.  
 
 
Review of Building and Construction Law in Singapore
The objective of this study is to identify specific areas of building law that need attention.
 
 
Review of the Inheritance (Family Provision) Act
A subcommittee has been formed to examine the status and rights of illegitimate children, and the possible amendment of the Inheritance (Family Provision) Act to provide not only for the rights of illegitimate children but also the rights of other dependants of the deceased.
 
 
Choice of Court Agreement
This study will consider Singapore's possible accession to the Hague Choice of Court Convention. The Convention requires courts to respect agreements made in business-to-business contracts regarding choice of courts. It is designed to reduce the time and expense courts and businesses face when dealing with international jurisdictional issues and enforcement of foreign court decisions.
 
 
Enforcement of Matrimonial Orders
This project reviews the issue of enforcement of matrimonial orders under two heads:
1) "Reciprocal Enforcement of Matrimonial Orders" aims to rationalise and modernise the two schemes of reciprocal enforcement of matrimonial orders which are currently governed by the Maintenance Orders (Facilities for Enforcement) Act (Cap 168) and the Maintenance Orders (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act (Cap 169).
2) "Ancillary Orders after Foreign Annulment or Divorce" deals with the problem of the lack of jurisdictional basis for Singapore courts to grant ancillary orders after a foreign divorce or annulment has been obtained.
 
 

 
     
     
   

 

        
 
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