Singapore, 24 February 2011 – Close to 500 legal professionals will examine the major developments in Singapore law over the last five years during a two-day conference organised by the Singapore Academy of Law from 24 to 25 February 2011.

The SAL Conference 2011 was opened by Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong today at the Supreme Court auditorium. This major conference is held every five years to enable specialists in selected areas of the law to share their perspectives on the trends that had taken place over this period. 

The Conference will feature 28 speakers who are members from the judiciary, legal academia and Senior Counsel. They will cover 11 different topics including Arbitration, Contract Law, Civil Procedure, Criminal Law and Procedure, Family Law, Tort Law, Intellectual Property Law, Corporations Law, Land Law, Conflict of Laws and Administrative Law.

Justice Andrew Phang, Judge of Appeal and Conference Chairman said that the law of Singapore has gradually been growing more distinctive. This is necessary in order to serve the needs of the local community. At the same time, it has maintained its basic infrastructure and contours as a common law jurisdiction which is necessary to promote Singapore’s role as a global commercial and social hub.

The conference will provide invaluable resources to advocates working in litigation and arbitration involving Singapore law or Singapore as a dispute resolution or enforcement venue and lawyers working on commercial transactions.

The first SAL Conference was held in 1995. Over the years, the SAL Conference has been very well received and it has attracted an increasingly number of delegates, including foreign delegates from the neighbouring countries. The participation rate for the 2011 Conference is 14 per cent higher compared to 2006.

SAL Conference Book Fair

During the conference, there will be a book fair featuring major legal publishers such as Academy Publishing, LexisNexis, Sweet & Maxwell and Wildy & Sons Ltd. Onsite discounts of up to 60% on legal titles will be available. 

The book fair is open to the public from 10.30 am to 5.00 pm on 24 February 2011 and from 9.15 am to 5.30 pm on 25 February 2011. Admission is free.

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About Singapore Academy of Law

The Singapore Academy of Law (the “Academy”) is the umbrella body of the legal community in Singapore and has close to 8,000 members.

The work of the Academy is focused on three key areas: supporting the growth and development of the Legal Industry; building up the intellectual capital of the legal profession by enhancing Legal Knowledge; and improving the efficiency of legal practice through Legal Technology. The work of the Academy is driven by these three core mandates. This in turn is directed towards raising the standard and quality of legal practice and building a strong and dynamic legal community in Singapore.

Besides its role as the official law reporting agency in Singapore, the Academy’s other functions include providing continuing legal education for its members, legal publications, promoting legal research and scholarship, the reform and development of the law, alternative dispute resolution and the administering of formal training programmes for lawyers-to-be.

For more details on the Academy, visit www.sal.org.sg