Singapore Law Blog

Current Attorney-General Chan Sek Keong will be appointed Singapore's New Chief Justice from April 11 2006 for a period of three years.

Justice Chao Hick Tin, a Judge of Appeal of the Supreme Court, has been named the new Attorney-General from April 11 2006 for two years.

The design and security features of “BioPass”, Singapore’s first biometric passport were unveiled by Mr Wong Kan Seng, Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Home Affairs at the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) this morning.

The Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board hereby announces that the "Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines for TCM Practitioners" has been published as provided for under the Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners (Practice, Conduct and Ethics) Regulations.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC) today announced that the deposit insurance scheme will commence on 1 April 2006. This follows the enactment of the Deposit Insurance Act in 2005.

Member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) have successfully concluded the Diplomatic Conference for the Adoption of a revised Trademark Law Treaty (TLT), which culminated in a new Treaty on the Law of Trademarks. The revised treaty will benefit national and regional trademark administration authorities in terms of simplified and streamlined procedures. Brand owners can also look forward to lower transaction costs in trademark applications.

Following the launch of the Infocomm Development Authority's (IDA) Wireless Broadband Market Development Call-For-Collaboration (CFC) on 9 March 2006, IDA is today, calling a Request-For-Concept (RFC) for Singapore's Next Generation National Broadband Network (Next Gen NBN).

An Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income was signed on 21 March 2006 between the Republic of Singapore and Malta.

The Chief Justice of Malaysia, Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, spoke to some 200 members of the Singapore and Malaysian judiciary and legal profession in the evening of Monday, 13 March 2006. He was delivering the 19th Singapore Law review lecture, the longest running lecture series in Singapore.

A major conference to revise a key international treaty in the field of trademarks, convened by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), opens on 13 March 2006 in Singapore in the presence of top officials.

The Moneylenders (Amendment) Bill 2006 was introduced and read for the first time in Parliament on 9 March 2006.

Post-graduate degrees from four American universities - Columbia University, Harvard University, New York University and the University of Michigan - will soon be recognised for Singapore admission to the bar.

Singapore has released its electoral boundaries report in another sign that a General Election is likely to be called soon.

Research In Motion Limited (RIM) and NTP, Inc. (NTP) today announced that they have signed a definitive licensing and settlement agreement. All terms of the agreement have been finalized and the litigation against RIM has been dismissed by a court order this afternoon. The agreement eliminates the need for any further court proceedings or decisions relating to damages or injunctive relief.

Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, 2 March 2006, Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs Ho Peng Kee says the government is also making it an offence to purchase sexual services from anyone who is under 18, even if it takes place overseas.

The Korea-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (KSFTA) will come into force tomorrow, 2 March 2006, after both countries have completed their legal and administrative procedures to implement the agreement.

The three mobile operators - M1, SingTel and StarHub – today announced the launch of a voluntary code to self-regulate mobile content in Singapore. The initiative is in response to concerns about minors having easy access to undesirable content on their mobile phones.

Singapore and Panama signed their Free Trade Agreement on 1 March 2006. Negotiations for the agreement concluded in April 2005 after three rounds.

The Workplace Safety and Health Act (WSHA), passed in Parliament on 17 January 2006, will come into effect on 1 March 2006. This Act will replace the current Factories Act.

The Ministry of National Development, in consultation with the Chief Valuer, has revised the rates of development charges for the period 1 Mar 2006 to 31 Aug 2006.

Former High Court Judge Lai Kew Chai has died on 27 February 2006 at the age of 65. The late Mr Lai, who had just retired on 7th February 2006, suffered from cancer.

The President, acting in his discretion and in concurrence with the advice of the Prime Minister, has been pleased to appoint Justice Andrew Phang Boon Leong, as a Judge of Appeal under Article 95 of the Constitution with effect from 28 February 2006.

The National Research Fund Bill was tabled in Parliament today. The Bill seeks to set up the R&D Fund that the Prime Minister stated in his Budget speech.

Ms Chan Lai Fung, Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Law, will be appointed Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Law with effect from 1 March 2006.

In a speech by Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower and Education, at the Third Anniversary Dinner and Dance of the Association of Employment Agencies (Singapore) on 24 February 2006, he announced that Demeirt Points for Employment Agencies will be published on the Ministry's Website.