Committee of Supply – Head R (Ministry of Law)

The Chairman: Head R. Mr Murali Pillai.

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Legal Hub and Support for the Community

Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok): Mr Chairman, I beg leave to move "that the total sum to be allocated for Head R of the Estimates be reduced by $100".

Last year, for the 15th consecutive year, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) ranked Singapore as the world's leading business environment citing our technological readiness, infrastructure, connectivity and regulatory environment as reasons, amongst others.

Our strong legal system and our deep commitment to the rule of law are key contributors to our country's business friendly environment and have made us a leading international legal services hub. The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) continues to be heavily involved in building up our capacity to be a global hub for intellectual property (IP) activities too. Singapore's legal industry continues to attract top notch talent.

These are good signs. It is, however, getting more and more difficult to maintain our position. Over the years, competition has become stiffer. Several jurisdictions are investing significant resources to develop their own capabilities to be business friendly and to attract legal work.

What are MinLaw's plans to ensure that we keep up with the competition?

One area I am particularly interested is how we can deepen the bench strength of Singaporean and Singapore-based arbitrators so that they more regularly feature in high value arbitrations conducted by institutions such as the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), in addition to the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC).

We can also be more tightly woven into the global legal system. For example, I recommend that Singapore consider the merits of acceding to the 2019 Hague Judgments Convention. This will strengthen the ability of Singapore judgments to be recognised and enforced in the European Union.

One other suggestion I have is to consider reforms to allow for execution of electronic deeds. Deeds are the lifeblood of so many commercial transactions. Many security documents such as charges are executed as deeds. In countries with financial centres such as the United Kingdom (UK), formalities such as the need to execute in wet ink have been done away with. It is not yet the case in Singapore.

This does not appear to square with Singapore's position as a leading business and financial hub. I would respectfully suggest the time has come to remove indentures from the exclusion list of documents that are not subject to the Electronic Transactions Act 2010 sooner rather than later.

Singapore needs to secure its position in the global legal fraternity. At the same time, it needs to ensure that laws serve to secure justice for everyone in our community.

MinLaw has made great strides over the years to improve access to justice, particularly for the vulnerable. The set up of the Public Defender's Office in 2022 was an epochal moment. There has been excellent utilisation of technology to offer laypeople with easier and cost-effective means to get advice on standard cases, commence action in tribunals and so on.

I am particularly pleased with the launch of the Probate eService last year which will enable self-represented persons to apply for probate – something that I have been pushing for several years now. The process now is simpler, faster and much cheaper. I commend the team responsible for the successful launch of this e service.

I wonder whether there are plans to scale up the eService offerings in the near future. Currently, the e-services apply to probate matters involving sole executors. May I please ask whether there are plans to extend the service to matters involving multiple executors? We also need to look at providing similar services to intestacy matters.

One connected point, having regard to the fact that Singaporeans have become increasingly affluent over the years and may hold property in other jurisdictions, is the viability of Singapore acceding to the 1961 Wills Convention, which has 42 contracting parties at this point, including China, being considered. This convention assists testators to dispose of inheritance within a single will, even if the property in question may be situated in different countries.

Finally, Sir, I seek an update from the hon Minister on the matters that have been identified for law reform, in particular with reference to the Debtors Act, Limitation Act and the Inheritance (Family Provisions) Act.

I raise this not to trivialise the amount of work that has to be put into the review of these matters. I am also aware of the heavy legislative agenda of MinLaw. It is just that the cases have been made for law reform in these areas for some time now and are based, amongst others, on possible unfairness that will fall on individuals should the current status quo persists. Mr Chairman, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

The Chairman: Dr Tan Wu Meng. Not here. Ms Nadia Samdin.

Land Planning

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio): Chairman, geospatial data can help us better understand Singapore at different points in time, influencing urban planning decisions and actions to even tackle climate change. Diverse technologies have erupted and are at various stages of maturity, some of which could significantly improve land planning processes. These include geospatial innovations such as scanning technologies, metaverse developments and various forms of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI.

What plans does the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) have to further develop and expand the use of geospatial data and technology? How does the SLA plan to encourage knowledge sharing and collaboration, possibly leveraging open technology to optimise the adoption and utilisation of these innovations for the benefit of Singaporeans?

Optimising State Assets

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (Pioneer): We have state land and assets spread across Singapore. These should be optimised to support our economy and serve our country and community. How many of these plots of state land and assets are disused or under-utilised and how is SLA optimising our state assets and making the best use possible of all these land and assets whilst meeting market needs? Are we also leveraging on technology, including geospatial capabilities to enhance the capabilities of SLA?

Management of State Land

Mr Leong Mun Wai (Non-Constituency Member): Mr Chairman, last year Singaporeans learned about two of our Ministers who were renting large black and white bungalows sitting on hundreds of thousands of square feet of prime land from SLA for $20,000 to $30,000 a month.

The subsequent debates on the issue make Singaporeans aware of a large under-utilised asset that forms part of our past reserves. My cut today will focus on some questions regarding how state lands, including black and white bungalows, are managed. SLA has a responsibility to judiciously manage these assets.

This is especially important for cases where the lands are rented out for less than 10 years because in these cases the rents do not form part of the Past Reserves protected by the President.

For 2022, it is stated in the Government Financial Statement that the Government received $1.4 billion in rent, presumably from the 2,600 state properties managed by SLA, which include about 600 black and white bungalows.

However, we have little other information on the management of state lands and properties. We do not know the total cost of maintenance, for example. We also do not know how many of these properties are vacant and for how long. For example, No. 26 Ridout Road was vacant and in a very bad condition for more than four years before it was rented out.

Are there any other similar cases today? We believe that no landlord would allow this to happen with their properties. Why did SLA and its managing agents allow this to happen? Who are the managing agents and how are they appointed? Such a situation should never have been allowed to happen.

While the Government has been very careful to recover the market value of land, even if it is for public housing, it seems less concerned about the fact that state properties can be vacant, not generating any income and falling into disrepair for years, even if they are in prime and prestigious areas.

In August last year, I asked a Parliamentary Question about the occupancy rate and median vacancy period of black and white bungalows, but these specific numbers were not revealed. The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) calls on SLA to reveal these statistics, not only for black and white bungalows, but for all state properties under its charge.

The rental values of many black-and-white bungalows are negatively impacted because they are not retrofitted to modern standards. My colleague Ms Hazel Poa asked Minister Edwin Tong, why SLA does not install modern amenities to improve demand and rental rates.

The Minister's response was that modernisation could be carried out if SLA was able to cluster and rejuvenate these bungalows.

PSP urges SLA to conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether higher rents will make it worthwhile for SLA to modernise black and white bungalows with amenities like air conditioning, like what other private landlords do.

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Singaporeans would also like to know what is the total land area occupied by the 2,600 state properties and SLA should look into making better use of large land parcels that currently form part of the state properties. These large land parcels are currently not attached to value, because it is market practice to use Gross Floor Area (GFA) as the guiding component in determining rents. They are also considered "liabilities" to the tenants.

Where appropriate, SLA should review whether it would make better economic sense to develop these land parcels in line with the URA Master Plan and invest the land sales proceeds as part of the Past Reserves.

Sir, there needs to be greater transparency and accountability over how SLA is managing State lands. This House has a responsibility to ensure this. State properties like black-and-white bungalows should generate good value for the taxpayer. Under no circumstances should they be allowed to be under-utilised, fall into disrepair and be vacant for years. We can do better.

Use of Properties Managed by SLA

Ms Usha Chandradas (Nominated Member): Mr Chairman, affordable arts housing is hard to find in Singapore and yet, the arts have a crucial role to play in placemaking or, in other words, the creation of meaningful spaces where people live, work and play.

Here, I would like to refer to academic Hoe Su Fern and her 2019 article entitled, "The role of the arts in placemaking Singapore". She says, "Every space has a history, a culture, and connections to the other spaces around it. As idea-makers and story-tellers, artists are able to create unique, uplifting stories that inspire curiosity and a sense of discovery; and most crucially, build emotional connection to a place." This is especially relevant with regard to the older properties managed by SLA – which are full of local history, charm and interesting architectural detail.

Could the Ministry of Law clarify if there are any plans underway for more SLA-managed properties to be put to longer-term use by arts groups; and if so, whether they will be offered subsidised rental rates?

The Straits Times recently featured an article on the independent arts cluster located at 195 Pearl's Hill Terrace. Minister K Shanmugan had mentioned that a potential extension of lease terms for the Pearl's Hill Terrace tenants would depend on an assessment by the relevant agencies; and that these agencies would look at "their value and the service they provide to the community." Would the Ministry be able to provide more specific detail on the kinds of factors that will be taken into consideration when such an evaluation is made?

I would like to suggest that more arts tenants be offered subsidised rental rates and longer tenancy periods when they occupy properties managed by the SLA. While arts offerings fulfill an important social aim and once again, this social aim was something that was identified by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in this very Budget. These aims may not always be adequately supported by the operation of free market economics. If the Ministry is able to step in and assist with arts housing, it would not only alleviate the cost pressures faced by artists but it would also help to enliven these spaces around us.

Criminal and Civil Justice System

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (Pioneer): The issue of enforcement of judgments has always been a bugbear, including for the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) in the Labour Movement where we have obtained judgment for aggrieved workers at the Employment Claims Tribunal or State Courts. The enforcement process and cost of doing so often turns many of them away and often leave them high and dry, as they hold back from incurring even more cost of enforcement for their judgment debt or order of court. I therefore submit that MinLaw review this space of the enforcement of civil judgments to make it more effective, efficient, economical and simpler.

This is so that a non-compliant judgment debtor cannot run away from his or her obligations so easily and that there can be greater powers to deter them from non-compliance of Court orders. This will help in more ways than one to ensure that our civil justice system serves the needs of any aggrieved person who otherwise is left stuck and helpless.

In the same vein, there has been notable reviews and updates to our criminal justice system in recent years. I am therefore asking MinLaw for an update on the developments to further enhance and improve our criminal justice system in Singapore, which includes amongst others, criminal procedure and sentencing frameworks.

The Chairman: Ms Sylvia Lim.

Access for Non-English Speakers

Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Sir, in Mandarin.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In my constituency, there are many elderly residents who are not proficient in English and they only understand Chinese, Malay and Tamil. When they need to access legal information, they face difficulties because most of the legal information provided by Government agencies is written in English.

MinLaw has indeed made some improvements in this regard. For example, translating the brochures of the Legal Aid Bureau and Public Defender’s Office into other official languages.

May I ask if MinLaw can provide other measures to assist this group in accessing legal information?

Civil Enforcement Framework

Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): Chairman, at last year's Committee of Supply debate, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu Mahzam mentioned that MinLaw was considering possible reforms to the civil enforcement framework. She explained that the aim was to make enforcement cheaper and faster so that successful litigants can get the fruits of their litigation more quickly.

The current tools available for civil enforcement have been around for decades – certainly longer than I have been in practice. These include orders to examine judgment debtors, to seize and sell assets and to garnish monies – say – in bank accounts. Typically, enforcement proceedings are separate from the main claim and need to be commenced separately.

In the Committee of Supply debates in 2023, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu Mahzam indicated that potential changes being considered were: one, giving the Court more powers to identify the assets and means of a non-compliant judgment debtor. With more information, the successful party can probably better decide whether and how to enforce the judgment. Second, to introduce new powers to deter and punish non-compliance with Court orders.

I think both are sensible measures. I am particularly curious about what additional powers the Court and parties can tap to get information.

For non-compliance with Court orders – where this would amount to contempt of Court – I would support stronger penalties. For simple non-compliance – say, of an order to pay damages, I would be more careful to introduce any additional penalties. It is currently not a crime to be unable to pay a debt or a judgment debt; and impecuniosity itself should not be punished with imprisonment – other than usual consequences, such as bankruptcy and so on; are entirely legitimate if a debtor is unable to pay their debt.

Of course, there is also currently conduct that may be annoying but may not amount to contempt, such as delays in providing information or providing incomplete information. In these matters, it may be helpful to have some appropriate penalties in place to ensure timely compliance.

Enforcement is an important matter for successful litigants. I would be interested to know if there is any update by MinLaw on the review that it announced at the last Committee of Supply.

Family Justice Reform Act

Ms Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Mr Chairman, I wish to first declare that I am a lawyer and my practice areas include family law.

At the Opening of the Legal Year 2013, the hon Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon announced the establishment of the Committee for Family Justice, which was tasked to deliver recommendations on the new framework for the family justice system, including specifically on how distressed families may be better assisted in resolving their disputes.

In its report that was prepared following consultations with the public and key stakeholders and released in July 2014, the Committee made several key recommendations – many of which were laudably adopted in the Family Justice Reform Act passed by MinLaw and Ministry of Social Development and Family in May 2023.

Amongst other things, the recommendations sought to: one, further improve court proceedings and procedures in the Family Justice Courts; and two, enhance maintenance enforcement processes.

Therefore, I seek three clarifications.

Firstly, what is the status of the changes to be implemented through the Act? Next, what were the challenges that were faced, along the way, to adopt the recommendations that were made since 10 years ago? Are these challenges still present? Lastly, how is the Ministry strengthening its ongoing efforts to ensure all relevant stakeholders are in sync and collaborating towards adopting and embracing Therapeutic Justice, which aims to help families in distress to heal and move on with their lives?

The Chairman: Mr Raj Joshua Thomas. Not here. Mr Derrick Goh.

Updates on Public Defender's Office

Mr Derrick Goh (Nee Soon): Sir, access to justice is a cornerstone of a just society. Over the years, this Government has demonstrated commitment to improve legal access for the vulnerable.

A milestone achieved was MinLaw's introduction of the Public Defender's Office (PDO) in December 2022 – as a fully funded scheme offering vulnerable residents legal assistance.

I understand that since its founding till September last year, the PDO had helped around 303 cases in Court. During the same time, applications to the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (CLAS), have fallen significantly. This suggests that the PDO is playing an increasing role within our legal framework.

In this regard, can Minister provide an update on whether the PDO has met all its KPIs set out during its formation; and the challenges faced so far; as well as plans for further enhancements, along with the following three questions?

One, whether the actual application rates are as expected and if the means test criteria are assessed to be appropriately set? In respect of the means test, were any exceptions granted?

Second, given the complexity of each case that often includes non-legal aspects, whether the caseload per staff is manageable and if improvements are needed for closer partnerships with other agencies to address root causes of these vulnerable cases better?

And third, whether there have been successful cases of vulnerable applicants and their families receiving more holistic help in both the legal and non-legal areas?

The Chairman: Mr Goh, you can move on to your next cut.

Strengthening Community Disputes Resolution

Mr Derrick Goh: Sir, the community cohesion is core to Singapore's social resilience. Notably, the number of neighbour disputes over noise remains high – at over 2,000 per month last year, five times pre-COVID-19 levels. This means that for every month that passes, 4,000 households are unhappy with each other.

The recent fatal case at Bukit Batok was reportedly due to a long-term neighbour dispute over noise. This affirms how neighbour disputes must be managed early and effectively to avoid potentially severe consequences.

A good outcome is that cases mediated by the Community Mediation Centre (CMC) continues to see a high-resolution rate at 80%. But unfortunately, mediation remains voluntary and depends on the parties' willingness to attend such meetings. Moreover, non-compliance with mediation agreements are still not effectively enforced.

Singapore's community dispute resolution mechanisms, hence, need to be urgently enhanced to increase its effectiveness in dealing with the increasing number of neighbour disputes that remain unresolved.

At last year's Committee of Supply, MinLaw committed to enhancing the community dispute management framework by: one, creating a special unit to deal with the more serious noise disputes; and two, making mediation mandatory, with penalties for non-attendance and non-compliance to orders.

I understand the initiative is still in progress. Can Minister clarify the key steps taken so far and further measures to be taken, including legislation to be set in place to improve the effectiveness of community dispute management? Can Minister also clarify the expected duration for the new unit to be operationalised, so that residents can seek effective relief?

Resolving Community Disputes

Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Sir, every time I receive a complaint about disputes between neighbours, I feel a great sense of frustration. Usually, it would be a complaint about noise, like the dragging of furniture, or loud footsteps on the floor. Sometimes, it is about screaming children or quarrelling neighbours. On some occasions, abusive words would be used. It is extremely frustrating because there are no real solutions at this moment. We do not know whether the complainant is sensitive to noise or whether there are really such noises heard by the complainant late at night. If there are such loud or irritating noises, it would be unbearable to try to sleep with such noise.

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Sir, I raised this issue last year and in 2021. I had urged the Government to do more to address such neighbourly disputes because if the disputes are not dealt with quickly, then there would be anger and possibly violence against the other neighbour. May I ask the Minister whether we can do more to compel parties to attend mediation, whether we can ask Community Dispute Resolution Tribunal (CDRT) to take a more active role to resolve disputes expeditiously.

Community Disputes Resolution

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin (Potong Pasir): Mr Chairman, many of us in this House will agree that one of the most challenging disputes to resolve in our work on the ground are those that involve neighbours within the community. In a land scarce Singapore, whether in the public or private estates, we mostly live in homes within a close community setting.

This has fostered strong relationships between neighbours and in the wider community. It has also strengthened our social compact, as neighbours of different races, cultures and religions live side by side in harmony.

I remember growing up in the corridors of our Joo Seng Estate in Potong Pasir. I had many fond and fun memories of my childhood in Joo Seng. But I am not sure if my neighbours at that time felt the same way about me. However, once in a while, because of the close proximity that we live with one another, disputes between neighbours arise. In my experience, most of these disputes relate to noise. It could be noise between homes, or noise in the community during quiet hours. These are disputes that are notoriously difficult to resolve.

Currently, we often ask our grassroots volunteers to step in and try and mediate between parties. Sometimes, if the community can resolve its own disputes, the outcomes are often the most favourable. If all else fails, then referral to a trained mediator at the CMC or, for more serious cases, to CDRT.

Over the years, one of the feedback that we have received from residents is that mediation or the CDRT is laborious and time-consuming. Outcomes often lack finality and does not effectively resolve the dispute.

One of the outcomes when disputes are not resolved, sometimes over years, is that one household may choose to sell their home and move away and during the sale, new buyers may unwittingly move in, completely unaware of the unresolved dispute. In these cases, the new buyers may face the same issues as the previous owners and may even feel that they have been "conned" into purchasing their new home. Surely, this is not an ideal outcome.

At last year's Committee of Supply, I remember hearing of plans by MinLaw to enhance the Community Dispute Resolution Framework. There were plans for stronger laws, including mandating mediation and also to improve the CDRT process to give faster and more effective relief and piloting a team of dedicated personnel to facilitate dispute resolution.

I invite the Minister to share an update with this House on the enhancements that will be made to better facilitate the resolution of community disputes.

The Chairman: Mr Christopher de Souza, you may take all your three cuts together.

Resolution of Community Disputes

Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): Mr Chairman, we live in a communitarian society, where we have to learn to live together and to do to others as we would have them do to us. That involves living with the occasional inconvenience, especially in Housing and Development Board (HDB) apartments where neighbours live side by side or in closely compact private property settings.

But sometimes these inconveniences spill over into becoming an actual dispute and hence our need for the CDRT. That is one important way to allow neighbours to settle disputes in an amicable manner.

Singapore has worked hard to build and maintain its social compact and strengthen harmonious bonds between heterogeneous groups and we should look to protect it. Can MinLaw share more details on how the enhancements that will be made to better facilitate the resolution of community disputes will happen?

Singapore as a Dispute Resolution Hub

First, allow me to declare that I am a practising lawyer involved in areas such as IP.

Singapore has always held the firm belief in investing into IP infrastructure to support enterprises and the wider innovation community. This can be seen through policies such as the 2013 IP Master Plan and Singapore IP Strategy 2030, which focus on building and IP ecosystem and enabling Singapore to become a global Asia note of technology, innovation and enterprise.

A strong IP regime is essential in encouraging our local enterprises and startups to be willing to push the frontiers of digital exploration and lead innovation. If we want to have an innovation driven economy, we need to secure the rights of local businesses and individuals by allowing them to monetise their innovations and IP.

How has MinLaw been supporting the local enterprises in that effort, that is to monetise the intangible asset or the intellectual property in question?

Supporting Local Enterprises' IP

Sir, my next and final cut for MinLaw, is on Singapore as a dispute resolution hub. Singapore has a well-developed legal system. This places us at the forefront of dispute resolution, not only in Southeast Asia, but even beyond. We are efficient. We are pro-business and we have the necessary infrastructure. We have become a venue for IP and technology dispute resolutions and our Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) is world class.

As we progress, what is MinLaw doing to continue to strengthen Singapore as a leading legal and dispute resolution hub, including supporting the legal profession and harnessing technology?

The Chairman: Ms Usha Chandradas.

Ms Usha Chandradas: Chairman, I apologise for the interruption and I thank you for allowing me to have a chance to clarify. I forgot to declare my interest earlier when I was making my cut. In fact, I live in a property of which SLA is the landlord. So, I would like to declare my interest and I thank you for allowing me the chance to do that.

The Chairman: Your disclosure is noted. Ms Nadia Samdin.

IP Hub

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio): Chairman, between 2015 and 2020, the number of Singapore-based pattern applications grew 21%, while the corresponding number of trademark applications rose by 51%. It is hence important to support businesses and securing their intangible assets and intellectual property. To this end, I commend the Singapore IP Strategy 2030 which has a strong focus on supporting enterprises on this front.

I would like to ask, it has been three years since the launch of the SIP 2030 Report. Could we have an update on the results of the whole- of-Government touch points to make IAIP resources more accessible, including the rollout of training courses on IAIP and the provision of consultation services with IAIP advisors? Which sectors does the Government currently target when undertaking company specific engagements to support enterprises, on other plans to expand the range of sectors in the coming years? Would the IP Strategy also include guidance on how Creatives can manage and commercialise their IAIP assets, especially for younger creatives and small creative businesses.

Chairman, may I move on to the next cut?

The Chairman: You can proceed to your next cut.

Supporting Students and Young Lawyers

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: I continue to speak up for law students and young lawyers in this Chamber. It continues to be a challenging time for junior lawyers. Stiff competition and technology has driven an ever-intensifying piece of work in the profession. Gen Y and Gen Z workforces each have different perspectives, such as on opportunities and kind of culture that they wish to see. And I prepared to leave the profession for other opportunities if law firms do not evolve.

Last November, the House passed the Legal Profession amendment Bill, which is set to double the practise training period for trainee lawyers. This has raised questions on trainee compensation and benefits, including leave days and medical leave.

I would like to ask if the Ministry has an update in this regard and the Ministry sensing on the readiness of firms, companies and students for the operationalisation of the amendments to the practise training regime.

In line of strengthening Singapore's position as the leading International Legal Services Hub, does the Ministry have plans to create more opportunities for young lawyers to have secondment chances including to Southeast Asia or other parts of Asia? Thank you for your intelligence, Chairman.

The Chairman: Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim. You have two cuts. You can take them together.

Strengthening our Dispute Resolution Hub

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: Chairman, in 2022, SIAC received 357 new case filings. Although the full figures for 2023 has not yet been released, just in the first quarter of 2023, new case filings at SIAC were at a historical high, with 332 new cases filed. In 2022, 88% of new cases filed at SIAC were international in nature.

Our SICC in the Supreme Court has also been attracting more international case filings. Its standalone set of procedural rules are a gamechanger in the international dispute resolution landscape. They provide expeditious and efficient administration of justice and procedural flexibility through fair, impartial and practical processes. This is important to parties facing the fast-changing needs and realities of international commerce.

In this competitive global landscape, we must continue to strengthen Singapore's position as a leading international legal services hub and seize new opportunities and uphold our reputation as the preferred dispute resolution forum and also leverage on new ways to increase efficiency for the resolution of such disputes.

What is MinLaw doing to strengthen Singapore's leading legal and dispute resolution hub status, including supporting the legal profession and harnessing technology, for instance data analytics and Generative AI? Besides litigation and arbitration, our position straddles both the cultures of both east and west, which can help us play a part in the international mediation scene.

Can MinLaw update on the role of the Singapore Convention on Mediation and how that has helped the international mediation scene in Singapore? What further improvements of the international arbitration framework can be expected to enhance our dispute resolution hub status?

Access to Justice and Conditional Fee Agreements

The Conditional Fee Arrangements (CFAs) amendments have been extremely helpful in providing access to justice in arbitrations and other settings. In Singapore, CFAs offer an alternative fee structure, allowing individuals to pursue legal action without the burden of upfront costs. By removing financial barriers, individuals who might have hesitated to pursue legal action due to costs, now can seek justice without fear of exorbitant fees. This inclusivity enhances the fairness and equity within our legal system.

Moreover, CFAs encourage lawyers to carefully assess the merits of a case before taking it on. This not only improves the efficiency of the legal process but also contributes to the overall integrity of our system.

Singapore has implemented safeguards, to ensure that cases pursued under CFAs are grounded in legitimacy. Overall, this is good to increase access to justice for litigants and increase our attractiveness as a dispute resolution hub. Recent amendments have also improved such access whether through legal aid for civil matters or the PDO or the CLAS for criminal matters.

May I seek an update on MinLaw's efforts to enhance access to justice for (a) litigants with limited means, through the extension of CFAs perhaps; and (b) persons requiring legal aid and assistance in civil and family law matters?