Singapore, 14 February 2012 – More than 250 students, lawyers, legal scholars, judges and policy makers will meet over the next two days to explore themes on the Rule of Law from a Singapore, ASEAN and international perspective.

The Rule of Law Symposium 2012 held at the Supreme Court from 14 and 15 February is jointly organised by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) and the law faculties of National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore Management University (SMU).

The keynote address will be delivered by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law. He will also participate in a panel discussion on “the Rule of Law in Singapore” on 15 February.

The conference features a host of luminary speakers and panelists including the Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong, Attorney-General Mr Sundaresh Menon SC, Judge of Appeal Justice VK Rajah, Mr Kishore Mahbubani (Dean, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy), Professor Joseph Weiler (School of Law, New York University), Professor Brian Tamanaha (School of Law, Washington University) and representatives from the World Justice Project. Other speakers and panelists include the NUS and SMU Deans of the Law Faculties, legal scholars, law practitioners and policymakers from Singapore and overseas.

The conference aims to enhance our understanding of the Rule of Law through historical, empirical and global comparative perspectives, as well as to develop a coherent framework that accommodates the global reality of diverse political views and socio-economic systems. To this end, the two-day conference will cover topics such as the theoretical underpinnings of the Rule of Law, how it be measured in practice, and the Rule of Law in Singapore. Through the lectures and discussions, the speakers and panelists will offer their own understandings of the Rule of Law and relate it to the social, economic and political realities that confront the concept today

Ms Serene Wee, Chief Executive of SAL, said, “We are delighted to host this international symposium on the Rule of Law. The Symposium provides a timely forum for us to have a constructive exchange over what the concept means in theory and practice. The knowledge and experiences shared at this conference will be invaluable for all those interested in the law and the development of Singapore’s legal framework.”

About Singapore Academy of Law

The Singapore Academy of Law is a body created by statute. It is the umbrella body of the legal profession in Singapore and its members include all legal practitioners, the Judiciary, the Legal Service and in-house legal counsel of corporations, and legal academia in Singapore. 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.