Singapore Law Blog

The MDA was formed by the merger of the Singapore Broadcasting Authority, the Films and Publications Department, and the Singapore Film Commission (SFC), on 1 Jan 2003. The setting up of MDA is in response to the convergence of different media that requires a consistent approach in developing and managing the different forms of media.

Capitamall Trust (CMT) is Singapore's first Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) which IPOed in Juny 2002.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore ("MAS") on 12 March 2002 is seeking industry comments on certain regulations relating to the Insurance Act.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore ("MAS") is seeking industry comments on a number of draft documents relating to the Financial Advisers Act (No. 43 of 2001) ["FAA"] issued on 6 March 2002.

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore or IPOS was established as a statutory board of the Ministry of Law on 1 April 2001.

The Registered Designs Act (Commencement) Notification 2000 will come into operation on the 13th November 2000. The new Registry of Designs will accept applications for the registration of designs with effect from 13 November 2000.

The Trade Marks (International Registration) Rules 2000 gives effect to the Madrid Protocol and come into operation on 31 October 2000.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers announced the first Joint Law Ventures (JLVs) And Formal Law Alliances (FLAs) between Singapore law firms and foreign law firms. With the introduction of the JLV and FLA, foreign law firms have now entered into the Singapore legal market which was solely dominated by Singapore law firms since Singapore’s independence.

The Legal Profession (International Services) Secretariat ("LPS"), comprising legal officers and staff from the International Affairs Division, was established in May 2000. The LPS assists the Attorney-General in his role as the regulator of foreign law firms and foreign lawyers wishing to practise foreign law in Singapore as well as the practice of Singapore law in banking, finance and corporate work in the joint law ventures. The regulatory framework covers joint law ventures, formal law alliances, foreign law firms and foreign lawyers as well as informal or strategic alliances between foreign and Singapore law firms. The LPS implements and enforces the rules regulating the foreign legal services sector in Singapore.

With the inception of the Electronic Filing Service on 1st March 2000, lawyers can now file court documents electronically over their front-end system at their convenience 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) was formed on 1 December 1999 when the government merged the National Computer Board (NCB) and Telecommunication Authority of Singapore (TAS), as a result of a growing convergence of information technology and telephony.

In December 1998, a change in legislation liberalised rules on lawyers advertising. The first advertisements by lawyers appeared in the Straits Times on 23 March 1999.

Singapore acceded to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works on 21 September 1998. The occasion was marked by the handing over in Geneva of Singapore's Instrument of Accession to the Berne Convention, by Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador See Chak Mun, to the Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, Mr Kamil Idris. The Convention will come into force for Singapore on 21 December 1998.

The Singapore Mediation Centre ("SMC") is the flagship mediation centre of Singapore was officially launched by the Honourable Chief Justice Yong Pung How on 16 August 1997.

Phase 1.0 of the EFS was launched on 8 March 1997 as a pilot programme to allow lawyers to experience the advantages of filing documents electronically, to identify the problems that may arise as a result and to resolve them.

Singapore's first technology court was officially launched on 8 July 1995. Called Technology Court 1, it features a wide variety of computer systems.

Second Reading Speech on the Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill 1979 by the Minister for Law and Science and Technology, Mr E.W. Barker, in Parliament on 30th March 1979.