Singapore Law Blog

The Ministry of Law and the Insolvency & Public Trustee's Office (IPTO) have issued a public consultation paper on the proposed Debt Repayment Scheme (DRS) which was announced by Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee during the Committee of Supply Debate on 2 March 2007.

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) is conducting a public consultation exercise on Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs) from 23 April 2007 to 1 June 2007.

Keynote address by Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, Minister of State for Finance and Transport at the Corporate Registers Forum welcome luncheon, Swissotel the Stamford Thursday, 19 April 2007 talks about initiatives in Singapore.

Thanks to portable applications that can be stored on USB Flash drives, you can now make any PC your own. The chance to stumble across a product or service that has been missed by many and yet has the potential to shake-up conventional wisdom, is one of the benefits of writing a blod like this. I was like a kid rubbing my hands in anticipation after discovering PortableApps.com.

The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) on 17th April 2007 held the official inauguration of the DIFC Courts, an independent judicial system which will deal with matters arising from and within the DIFC.

Mr Leslie Chew Kwee Hoe, Senior Counsel has been appointed as District Judge to the Subordinate Courts. Mr Chew specialised in the area of commercial litigation. Mr Chew will be sworn in into office on 16 April 2007.

It is reported that Singapore's property portal by the Singapore Institute of Surveyors & Valuers (www.nationproperty.sg) was officially launched on 14 April 2007 by Dr Amy Khor, Mayor of South West CDC.

Speech by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports and Second Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, at the official opening of MINDSville@Napiri, 14 April 2007, 10.00 am at No.7 Lorong Napiri.

Second Reading Speech on the Spam Control Bill 2007 by Dr Lee Boon Yang Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts in Parliament on Thurssay, 12 April 2007.

Second Reading Speech on Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill 2007 by Deputy Prime Minister, Co-ordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Law Prof S Jayakumar in Parliament on Thursday, 12 Apr 2007.

Second Reading Speech on Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill 2007 by Deputy Prime Minister, Co-ordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Law Prof S Jayakumar in Parliament on Wednesday, 11 Apr 2007.

The President, acting in his discretion and on the advice of the Prime Minister, has appointed Justice V K Rajah, age 50, as a Judge of Appeal under Article 95 of the Constitution. The appointment takes effect from 11 April 2007.

Amendments to the Singapore Armed Forces Act were tabled in Parliament on 9 April 2007. The proposed amendments will give the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) more autonomy and legal powers to conduct security operations in support of civilian authorities within Singapore. The amendments specify the particular circumstances under which the SAF will be activated to support the conduct of security operations, and the selected legal powers that can be exercised by SAF servicemen.

It has been reported in Singapore media that the Singapore is trying to get the Court of Arbitration for Sport to set up in Singapore. Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was set up by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the international arbitral body capable of resolving disputes in the field of sports. In addition to Switzerland, the CAS has two additional courts, one at the National Dispute Resolution Center in Sydney, Australia and the other in Denver, Colorado.

Speech by George Yeo, Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the Opening Dinner of the Inaugural Conference of the Asian Society of International Law on 7 April 2007 at 7.30pm at Meritus Mandarin.

The Asian Society of International Law’s Inaugural Conference will be held on the Bukit Timah Campus of its Secretariat, the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore (NUS), April 7-9, 2007. The establishment of the Asian Society of International Law is an historic occasion and the President of the International Court of Justice, H.E. Dame Rosalyn Higgins (United Kingdom) will address the Inaugural Conference to celebrate the occasion.

In various media reports, President of the SMA Council, Dr Wong Chiang Yin, was quoted as giving the information that it may cost $200,000 to seek a guidance from the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS).

SMA has decided to withdraw the GOF based on advice that it has received from several of its legal advisors. The CCS welcomes this decision.

The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) understands that the Singapore Medical Association (SMA) has received advice from several of its legal advisors that its Guideline on Fees (GOF) may contravene Section 34 of the Competition Act, and has therefore decided to withdraw its GOF with immediate effect.

Singapore Exchange Limited (SGX) and the Hanoi Securities Trading Center (HASTC) today (2 April 2007) announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to foster mutual co-operation between both capital markets.

The Singapore Medical Association ("SMA") has decided to withdraw its guidelines on fees as of 1 April 2007. In a letter to its members dated 1 April 2007, the SMA said it had been advised by its legal advisors that its Guideline on Fees contravened the Competition Act.

Judicial Commissioner Sundaresh Menon will leave the the Supreme Court to return to private practice at Rajah & Tann. Mr Menon, 45, who has served as a Judicial Commissioner for one year will end his service at the Supreme Court on 3rd April 2007. In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office thanked him for his service.

During the Committee of Supply Debate 2007, Deputy Prime Minister, Co-ordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Law, Professor S Jayakumar announced the main proposed amendments to the en bloc sale legislation. These and other amendments were recommended by a study team that was set up to review the en bloc sale legislation.

The National Internet Advisory Committee (NIAC) and its related committee, the Community Advisory Committee (CAC), will be re-constituted into the Internet and Media Advisory Committee, with effect from 2 April 2007.

Archaeologists digging around the Red Sea made one of the most important discoveries of modern times, the discovery of the Red Sea Scrolls. The importance of the Red Sea Scrolls are said to be equal to their more illustrious cousins, The Dead Sea Scrolls. The scrolls. made under seal, containing the following contract of employment.