Ministry of Law

The Minister for Law (Mr K Shanmugam): The mission of the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) is to advance access to justice and the rule of law in Singapore, as well as to develop our legal services to support our economy and society. Working with the people, our partners and stakeholders, we aim to realise our vision of "A Trusted Legal System; A Trusted Singapore".

MinLaw will continue to review our laws to ensure that they remain progressive, modern and relevant to the evolving needs of our society.

To ensure just outcomes and fair procedures in the criminal justice system, we amended the Criminal Procedure Code and the Evidence Act in 2018. We are reviewing the Penal Code together with the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the review committee will make its recommendations later this year. We intend to cover new offences to deal with the changing crime environment, introduce measures to enhance protection for vulnerable victims, and assess the adequacy of existing punishments for sexual offences. The laws on attempted suicide and marital rape immunity are also being reviewed.

We are working closely with the Judiciary and legal practitioners on a broad-based review of our civil justice system. The aim is to keep legal costs affordable and to reduce complexity of civil proceedings. To meet these goals, we are reviewing the framework of legal costs and enhancing judicial control in civil proceedings. We are also studying measures to make it easier and more effective for plaintiffs to enforce judgments given in their favour, such as maintenance orders made in matrimonial disputes.

Together with the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Courts, MinLaw has established the Family Justice Review Committee to enhance the family justice system, by reducing acrimony and stress in family-related litigation, to ensure a system that centres on the welfare of the child and the family.

MinLaw will continue to provide legal aid and ensure that justice remains accessible to vulnerable Singaporeans. We will also enhance frameworks that enable Singaporeans to resolve their disputes quickly in a cost-effective manner, and as amicably as possible. The Community Mediation Centre provides mediation services and works with other agencies to promote neighbourliness within our communities. The Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals and the Small Claims Tribunals (SCT) provide cost-effective avenues for our people and businesses to resolve disputes without the need for legal representation. We are reviewing the claims limits for the SCT to allow more to benefit from this quick and inexpensive forum.

We will continue to drive Singapore’s development as an international legal services hub, help our legal professionals acquire expertise in new growth areas, and assist them to access the opportunities afforded by the growth of Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). MinLaw will also continue to promote the international use of Singapore law, standards and frameworks in commerce and dispute resolution.

MinLaw will work closely with the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, the Singapore International Mediation Centre, and the Singapore International Commercial Court to strengthen our position as a venue of choice for international dispute resolution. We have updated the relevant legislation and will strengthen our infrastructure with the expansion of Maxwell Chambers.

We will help law firms and lawyers to develop the expertise required to better capture growth opportunities in key legal practice areas, such as restructuring, and projects and infrastructure.

We are also helping them to prepare for the future economy through the adoption of technology, internationalisation and capability-building. We launched the Tech Start for Law programme in 2017 with the Law Society and the then-Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board (SPRING), and will be developing the next phase of this programme to meet the needs of our law firms. We also launched the Lawyers Go Global programme with the Law Society and the then-International Enterprise (IE) Singapore in early 2018, which will help our law firms seize opportunities abroad through overseas mission trips, and branding and marketing efforts.

The Singapore Academy of Law has launched the Legal Industry Framework for Training and Education (LIFTED), which supports legal practitioners, inhouse counsel, and legal support/ paralegals. We will work with the Academy, as well as other stakeholders, to support Singaporean lawyers in deepening skills and qualifications through the SkillsFuture Study Awards and SkillsFuture Credit.

Intellectual property (IP) is an area with new growth potential. We are progressively reviewing our IP laws to keep pace with technology changes, strengthen IP protection, and enable industry to tap on potential gains. To support an innovation-driven economy, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore will develop more expertise in IP management, strategy and valuation, and help our businesses realise the full value of their IP through its IP ValueLab.

Singapore is a responsible member of the international community, and we strive to fulfill our international obligations, such as our efforts in Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism.

We have been actively participating in international law-making at regional and multilateral forums. We play a leading role in key negotiations, such as dispute settlement, international cooperation to combat crime, and the recognition and enforcement of judgments. We do our part for the international community by serving as a neutral venue for state-related disputes, enabled through partnerships with the Permanent Court of Arbitration, among others. We will further the development of international law expertise in emerging issues through the support of local think-tanks.

In line with the Smart Nation initiative, MinLaw and its Statutory Boards have embarked on digitalisation efforts to raise productivity and work efficiency, and to improve service delivery. We aim to improve the user experience by revamping our digital platforms, implementing mobile app-based services and employing data analytics to better understand our customers.

The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) is also actively leveraging data and technology, including the development of a paperless Land Titles Registry system and the use of drones, to support land administration and management. SLA has been leading Singapore’s efforts in building geospatial capabilities together with the Government Technology Agency. It has launched GeoWorks, which facilitates the co-creation of business opportunities with startups and industry partners. SLA will be releasing the Singapore Geospatial Master Plan that will set out the strategic initiatives to strengthen Singapore's geospatial capabilities.