2015 marks the 35th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG). The CISG is a treaty that provides for a uniform law to govern international sales contracts. It has been ratified by 83 states which together account for a very significant proportion of world trade. It is one of the most successful international uniform laws.

The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) which formulated the CISG has decided to commemorate this anniversary with a series of events aimed at taking stock of the current status of the CISG and of possible future developments relating to the CISG in the field of contract law.

Singapore adopted the CISG in 1995 and is the only State party to the CISG in South East Asia. However, there is not much information on the use of the CISG in Singapore and local precedents on its application remain scarce. On the other hand, in other East Asian States the CISG is used regularly not only as a treaty applicable to contracts for the international sale of goods but also as a model for national law reform.

The UNCITRAL Secretariat, including the UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific, has partnered with the Attorney-General’s Chambers of Singapore, the Singapore Ministry of Law, the Singapore Academy of Law, the Singapore Management University (SMU) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) to organise a two-day event addressing a number of aspects of the use of CISG at the national, regional and global level. The focus will be on trends in the use of the CISG in legal practice in Singapore and in other Asian States as well as the possible contribution of the CISG to the future of contract law. Particular attention will be given to the role of the CISG in promoting regional trade and supporting economic integration in South East and East Asia.

The Keynote Address for this seminar will be delivered by the Attorney-General of Singapore, the Hon. V K Rajah, SC. Other speakers and panellists are drawn from overseas and Singapore experts on the CISG and international contract law. They include Prof Yeo Tiong Min, SC, Dean of the School of Law of SMU; Mr Renaud Sorieul, The Secretary of UNCITRAL; Mr Luca Castellani, Legal Officer, UNCITRAL, Vienna; Prof Mo Shijian, Dean of the University of Macau Law School, People’s Republic of China; Prof Michael Bridge, Professor, NUS Faculty of Law and London School of Economics; Prof Emeritus Takashi Ushida, Ministry of Justice, Japan; Mr Chan Leng Sun, SC, President of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators; Mr Toh Kian Sing, SC, Senior Partner, Rajah &

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PROGRAMME

Day 1 (23 April, Thursday) UNCITRAL – SINGAPORE SEMINAR

8:30am Registration

9:00am

Welcome Remarks by Chairman of Organising Committee, Mr Jeffrey Chan Wah Teck, SC Introductory Remarks by Mr Renaud Sorieul, The Secretary of UNCITRAL Introductory Remarks by Ms Thian Yee Sze, Director-General, Legal Group, Ministry of Law, Singapore

9.20am -9.45am

Keynote Address Introduction by Mr Jeffrey Chan Wah Teck, SC Address by Mr V K Rajah, SC Attorney-General of Singapore

9.45am -10.15am

“35 years of the CISG: An overview of the CISG, its formulation and its progress in the past 35 years” Moderator: Mr Chong Kah Wei, Deputy Senior State Counsel, Attorney-General’s Chambers, Singapore Speaker: Mr Luca Castellani, Legal Officer, UNCITRAL Q & A

10.15am -10.45am

Tea Break

10.45am-11.30am

“Singapore and the CISG” Moderator: Mr Goh Phai Cheng, SC, former Judicial Commissioner of the High Court of Singapore and a former Chairman of UNCITRAL Speakers:

Mr Charles Lim Aeng Cheng, Parliamentary Counsel (Special Projects) and Chief Knowledge Officer, Attorney-General’s Chambers, Singapore Mr Soh Kee Bun, Senior State Counsel, Civil Division, Attorney-General’s Chambers, Singapore Commentator: A/Prof Gary Bell, Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore Q & A

11.30am-12.30pm

Panel Discussion: “Working the CISG” Moderator: Mr Lawrence Boo, Head of Chambers, The Arbitration Chambers (Singapore) Speakers: Practical application of the CISG : Mr Toh Kian Sing, SC, Senior Partner, Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP Unresolved legal issues in the CISG: Asst Prof Gary Low, School of Law, Singapore Management University International Commercial Arbitration and the CISG: Mr Chan Leng Sun, SC, President, Singapore Institute of Arbitrators Q&A

12.30pm-2.00pm

Lunch Break

2.00pm-2.45pm

“CISG in the Asia-Pacific Region” Moderator: Prof David N Smith, Professor of Law (Practice), Singapore Management University. Speakers: Professor Shijian Mo, Dean, University of Macau, Faculty of Law, People’s Republic of China Professor Takashi Uchida, Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo, Part-time Senior Advisor on Legislative Reform, the Ministry of Justice of Japan Q&A

2.45pm-3.15pm

“Regional efforts at the harmonization of commercial laws” Moderator: Mr Leong Kwang Ian, Director, Legal Policy Division, Ministry of Law, Singapore Speaker: Professor Hsu Locknie, Chairperson, ASEAN Law Association’s Trade & Investment Group Commentator: Mr Jeffrey Chan Wah Teck, SC, Deputy Solicitor-General, Attorney-General’s Chambers, Singapore

Q&A

3.15pm-4.15pm

Panel Discussion: “CISG: Progress and Issues in implementation” Moderator: Mr Joao Ribeiro, Head, UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific (RCAP)

Brunei Dr Colin Ong, Dr Colin Ong Legal Services

Indonesia Professor Juwana Hikmahanto, Faculty of Law, University of Indonesia

Lao PDR Mr Santisouk Phounesavath, Ministry of Trade, Lao PDR

Philippines Ms Rosario Elena A. Laborte-Cuevas, Senior State Counsel, Department of Justice

Sri Lanka Mrs M N B Fernando, Additional Solicitor-General, Attorney-General’s Department

Thailand Mrs M Vilawan, Deputy Director-General of Treaties and Legal Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Thailand

4.15pm – 5.00pm

Tea Break (and preparation for Public lecture)

Public Lecture (23 April, Thursday) By The Hon. Sundaresh Menon, Chief Justice of Singaproe

5:00pm – 6:30pm

"Roadmaps for the Transnational Convergence of Commercial Law: Lessons learnt from the CISG" Chairperson: Ms Aurill Kam, Deputy Chief Counsel, Civil Division, Attorney-General’s Chambers, Singapore Programme:

Introduction by Chairperson Address by The Hon. Sundaresh Menon, Chief Justice of Singapore Q&A Vote of Thanks by Mr Renaud Sorieul, the Secretary of UNCITRAL

Synopsis: This lecture surveys the historical stages of the lex mercatoria and suggests that a new chapter waits to be written. It explores the interaction between international commercial law and prevailing power structures, and how this has been affected by the advent of globalisation. In a globalising world which is nonetheless rooted

in Westphalian fundamentals, the continued convergence of commercial law will have to be balanced with domestic imperatives and cultural differences. The CISG, while already a landmark success in its own right, may yet provide the key insights needed to achieve this. Along with new internationalist institutions being set up in Asia, it may expect to be instrumental to the next iteration of lex mercatoria.

Day 2 (24 April, Friday) UNCITRAL – SINGAPORE SEMINAR

9:00am-9.30am

Keynote Speech: “The CISG as a Model for an International Contract Law”. Introduction by Mr Jeffrey Chan Wah Teck, SC Speaker: Professor Yeo Tiong Min, SC (honoris causa), Dean, School of Law, Singapore Management University

9.30am-10.00am

“The CISG as a tool to improve market efficiency” Moderator: Mrs Lee Suet Fern, Senate Member and Chair of the Legal Education & Studies Group , Singapore Academy of Law Speaker: Dr Lisa Spagnolo, Faculty of Law, Monash University, Australia Q & A

10.00am-10.30am

Tea Break

10.30am -12.00pm

Panel Discussion: “Moving forward the CISG” Moderator: Professor Tan Cheng Han, SC, Chairman, Centre for Law and Business, National University of Singapore Speakers: Professor Michael Bridge, Professor, National University of Singapore and London School of Economics (in absentia) Professor Howard Hunter, Past president, Singapore Management University A/Prof Gary Bell, Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore Professor Angelo Chianale, University of Torino, Italy A/Prof Yang Fan, City University of Hong Kong Mr Renaud Sorieul, The Secretary of UNCITRAL Q&A

12.00pm-12.25pm

Closing Remarks by Solicitor-General Mr Lionel Yee Woon Chin, SC

12.30 pm End of Seminar

2.00pm -5.00pm

LEGAL SINGAPORE LEARNING JOURNEYS (arranged by the Singapore Academy of Law)

• Visit to Supreme Court and briefing on Singapore Mediation Centre and Singapore International Commercial Court

• Tea hosted by the Singapore Academy of Law • Visit to Maxwell Chambers, the Singapore International

Arbitration Centre and the Singapore International Mediation Centre.

The Conference Papers are available for download at http://law.smu.edu.sg/35YRSCISG/042015, and will be made available as and when they are received.

Speakers' Profile

Attorney-General V K RAJAH, SC Attorney-General’s Chambers of Singapore

V K Rajah, SC, Attorney-General, graduated from the National University of Singapore in 1982 and obtained his Masters of Law (First Class) from the University of Cambridge in 1986. He was admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore in 1983 and commenced legal practice with Rajah & Tann that same year. He was Managing Partner of Rajah & Tann from 1986 to 2003, which at the point of his departure the second largest law firm in Singapore. In January 1997, he was appointed Senior Counsel. Mr Rajah was appointed Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court on 2 January 2004, and was subsequently appointed Supreme Court Judge on 1 November 2004. He was elevated to Judge of Appeal on 11 April 2007.

Mr Rajah assumed office as the Attorney-General of the Republic of Singapore on 25 June 2014. In 2014 he was appointed an Honorary Bencher of Middle Temple.

Renaud SORIEUL Secretary, UNCITRAL

Renaud Sorieul is the Director of the International Trade Law Division (ITLD) of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs, which functions as the substantive secretariat for the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). He is the eighth Secretary of UNCITRAL since the Commission was established by the General Assembly in 1966. He took up his duties on 1 October 2008.Since he joined the UNCITRAL secretariat in 1989, he was actively involved in the UNCITRAL Working Group on International Payments, which prepared the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Credit Transfers. He then served as Secretary of the UNCITRAL Working Group on Electronic Commerce, which drafted the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce and the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Signatures. Since 2002, he was the Secretary of the UNCITRAL Working Group on Arbitration and Conciliation. Since 2005, he was also the Principal Legal Officer, Head of the Legislative Branch of the International Trade Law Division, in charge of supervising the Secretariat support to the standard-making activities of UNCITRAL.

A French national, Mr. Sorieul holds degrees in private law from the University of Paris (Paris II). He is also a graduate of the Institut d’études politiques de Paris and the École Nationale de la Magistrature. A member of the French judiciary since 1981, he served as a magistrate in first-degree law

courts (1981-1985), and was subsequently appointed a member of the International Criminal Law Division at the Ministry of Justice (1985-1987). He was then seconded to serve as Head of the Legal Office of the Directorate-General of Energy and Mines, at the Ministry of Industry (1987-1989).

Professor YEO Tiong Min, SC (honoris causa) Dean, School of Law, Singapore Management University

Professor Yeo Tiong Min SC (honoris causa) graduated from the National University of Singapore with an LLB and worked there for 17 years. He obtained his post-graduate degrees (BCL and DPhil) from the University of Oxford, where he was a Senior Research Fellow for a time. He was appointed as the first Yong Pung How Professor of Law at the Singapore Management University in 2007. His research interests are mainly in private law, with a large concentration on private international law, and include contract law, the law of restitution, equity and remedies. His published works have been widely cited in many jurisdictions by academics and courts. He was conferred the Singapore Law Merit Award by the Singapore Academy of Law in 2008 for his contributions to the development of Singapore law. He was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2011 for his services to the Singapore Academy of Law. He is a board member and Professorial Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Legal Education. In 2012, he became the first person in Singapore to be appointed Senior Counsel (honoris causa) for outstanding contributions to the development of the law and the legal profession in Singapore.

Ms THIAN Yee Sze Director-General, Legal Group, Ministry of Law, Singapore

Thian Yee Sze is the Director-General of the Legal Group at the Ministry of Law, and is in charge of both domestic and international legal policy, as well as law reform, steering substantive reform and policy formulation in criminal, civil and family law. She also oversees the policy on international civil and criminal cooperation at the Ministry. She joined the Singapore Legal Service as a Justice’s Law Clerk and later served as a Senior Assistant Registrar in the Supreme Court. She was appointed a District Judge in 2005, and presided over numerous civil and criminal trials. In addition to her judicial duties, she was the Chief Information Officer and the Senior Director of the Strategic Planning and Training Division at the State Courts of Singapore. She also held positions as the President of the Copyright Tribunal and the Chairman of the Goods and Services Tax Board of Review.

Ms Thian graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) from King’s College, University of London.

Deputy Solicitor-General Jeffrey CHAN Wah Teck, SC Attorney-General’s Chambers of Singapore

Jeffrey Chan Wah Teck, SC, Deputy Solicitor-General, read law at the University of Singapore on a President’s Scholarship and graduated in 1973 as the Gold Medallist of his class. He subsequently obtained an LL.M from Harvard University, USA, and completed his Advance Management Programme at Wharton Business School. He has held a variety of appointments in the Singapore Legal Service including Assistant Registrar of the Supreme Court; Director, Legal Services of the Ministry of Defence, and Head of the Civil Division and after that, the International Affairs Division of the Attorney-General’s Chambers. He was the first Chief of Staff of the Singapore Legal Service. His practice covers a wide range of legal interests including UNCITRAL. He was the Chairman of UNCITRAL in 2000 and chaired the UNCITRAL Working Group on Electronic Commerce between 2002 and 2005. He is presently Chairman of the UNCITRAL Working Group on Online Dispute Resolution. He also chairs the ASEAN Senior Law Officials Meeting’s Working Group on the Harmonisation of the Trade Laws of ASEAN Member States. He speaks regularly in Singapore and abroad on a wide range of legal subjects.

Mr Luca CASTELLANI UNCITRAL

Luca Castellani is a legal officer at the Secretariat UNCITRAL in Vienna, Austria. He was the first head of the UNCITRAL Regional Center for Asia and the Pacific, located in Incheon, Republic of Korea and has held appointments in United Nations Secretariat in New York and Addis Ababa. He is presently Secretary of UNCITRAL Working Group IV (Electronic Commerce) and has published in the fields of international trade law and comparative law, dealing, in particular, with sale of goods, electronic commerce and trade law reform.

Mr Charles LIM Aeng Cheng Parliamentary Counsel (Special Projects) and Chief Knowledge Officer, Attorney-General’s Chambers of Singapore

Charles Lim Aeng Cheng, Parliamentary Counsel (Special Projects) and Chief Knowledge Officer of the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Singapore, read law at the University of Cambridge and completed the Executive Graduate Programme at Stanford University School of Business. He was formerly head of the legislative drafting and law reform divisions and is currently a Law Reform Commissioner. In 1994, he chaired the Sub-Committee on Commercial Law of the Law Reform Committee (Singapore Academy of Law) which recommended Singapore’s ratification of the CISG. He has served on various national advisory committees on new media and bioethics and published numerous books and articles on a wide range of legal subjects.

Professor Howard HUNTER Former President, Singapore Management University

PROFESSOR HOWARD HUNTER is the former President of Singapore Management University, and Professor of Law Emeritus, Emory University. He completed both his undergraduate and his professional education at Yale University and practiced law in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, Georgia. Thereafter he taught at the Emory University School of Law where he was also the Dean. He has been visiting professor of law at the Central European University in Budapest, Hong Kong University, Sydney University, the University of Virginia, and the College of William & Mary. From 1991-1997 he was co-Director of the American Law Center in Moscow with the late Professor Harold Berman. He is the author of Modern Law of Contracts, annually updated since originally published in 1986, as well as many professional articles on contract law, sales, competition law, and American constitutional law. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Editors of the Journal of Contract Law and the Board of the American Arbitration Association. He is an elected member of the American Law Institute. He has been teaching the CISG for more than 10 years to law students in Budapest, Sydney, Singapore and the USA.

Mr SOH Kee Bun Senior State Counsel, Attorney-General’s Chambers of Singapore

Soh Kee Bun, Senior State Counsel, Attorney-General’s Chambers, Singapore graduated from the National University of Singapore and the University of Oxford. Previously, he was the Vice-Dean of the NUS Law Faculty. He has also held appointments as Senior Legal Adviser, Director (Legal Policy) and Director (Alternative Dispute Resolution) in the Ministry of Law, where he was involved in policy making. His present and past work in the Attorney-General’s Chambers include legal advisory, law reform and legislative drafting. He was the Head of the Singapore Delegation to an UNCITRAL Commission Session and has published widely in various law journals.

Professor John MO Shijian Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Macau

Professor John Mo Shijian is the Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Macau. He was previously Dean of Faculty of International Law, China University of Political Science and Law. He is a member of numerous international bodies engaged in private law including the International Academy of Comparative Law; Governing Council of UNIDROIT (2009-2013); Member of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration; and the London Court of International Arbitration. He is Vice-President of China Society for International Economic Law; Vice President of China Association for the Study of International Trade and Economic Law. He is a barrister of the states of Queensland and Victoria, Australia, and also practices as an arbitrator.

 

Professor Emeritus Takashi UCHIDA University of Tokyo

Takashi Uchida is Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo. He graduated from that University in 1976 and was a Law Professor there until 2007. He was a Japanese delegate to the UNCITRAL Working Group on Electronic Commerce. He served as the Senior Advisor on Legislative Reform in the Ministry of Justice for seven years, focusing on the law of obligations. His current main research interest is in the historical background of “legal reception” in Japan in the late nineteenth century. He continues to make practical contribution in the legal profession as Special Counsel at a leading Japanese law firm.

Mr TOH Kian Sing, SC Senior Partner & Head of the Shipping & International Trade Practice Group, Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP

Toh Kian Sing, SC, is a Senior Partner and Head of the Shipping and International Trade Practice Group of Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP. He graduated from the National University of Singapore and the University of Oxford and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2007. He handles a variety of contentious shipping work, including charter party, bills of lading, ship sale and shipbuilding disputes. Kian Sing also regularly accepts appointment as arbitrator. Proficient in Chinese, he is also a Visiting Professor at the Dalian Maritime University, having previously lectured at the Law Faculty of the National University of Singapore.

Mr CHAN Leng Sun, SC President, Singapore Institute of Arbitrators

Chan Leng Sun, SC, is President of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (SIArb) and was Chairman of the Singapore Law Society ADR Committee. He is qualified to practice in Singapore, Malaysia and the United Kingdom and heads the Dispute Resolution practice in Baker & McKenzie Wong & Leow. He was appointed also on the panel of leading arbitral institutions. Leng Sun has taught at the law schools of the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Management University and participated in the UNCITRAL Working Group on Arbitration. He has published widely in international journals and is the author of the book Singapore Law on Arbitral Awards and Co-Editor of Conflict of Laws in Arbitration.

Cassel Professor Michael BRIDGE London School of Economics & National University of Singapore

Michael Bridge is the Cassel Professor of Commercial Law at the London School of Economics and Professor of Law at the National University of Singapore. Previously, he was Dean of Laws and Professor of Commercial law at UCL and, before that, Hind Professor of Commercial law at the University of Nottingham and Professor of Law at McGill University, Montreal. In addition, he has held visiting appointments at a number of universities in the United States, the Far East, and Australia and New Zealand. He is a Bencher of the Middle Temple and a door tenant at 20 Essex Street Chambers, and is also a Fellow of the British Academy. He is a member of the CISG Advisory Council and has been a participant in a number of other international uniform law projects. He is the general editor of Benjamin’s Sale of Goods and the author or co-author of several books on personal property law, credit and security, private international law and sale of goods.

Professor Locknie HSU Singapore Management University

Locknie Hsu is presently the Chairperson of the ASEAN Law Association’s Trade and Investment Group. She read law at the National University of Singapore and Harvard University, USA, and is currently a full Professor in the Singapore Management University Law School where she teaches Trade and Investment Law and Contract Law. Previously she was in private practice and was also a Consultant for the Ministry of Trade and Industry. She was a member of the Singapore Delegations to various FTA negotiations.

Associate Professor Gary BELL National University of Singapore

Gary Bell is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of the Law National University of Singapore. He obtained degrees in both the common law (LLB) and the civil law (BCL.) at McGill University in Montreal and an LLM at Columbia University in New York City. He was Editor in Chief of the McGill Law Journal, clerked for Justice Stevenson of the Supreme Court of Canada and taught at McGill University. He teaches in comparative law (Comparative Legal Traditions, International and Comparative Law of Sale, Indonesian Law). He does most of his research on Indonesian law and on the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods.

Assistant Professor Gary LOW Singapore Management University

Gary Low is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law of the Singapore Management University. He read law at the London School of Economics and was a Justices’ Law Clerk of the Supreme Court of Singapore. He then practiced shipping law and commercial litigation and arbitration at a large Singapore law firm. Between 2008 and 2010, he was associated with the Tilburg Institute for Comparative and Transnational Law in the Netherlands and also a Visiting Scholar at Cornell Law School. Prior to joining SMU Law School in mid-2013, he taught commercial law-related subjects and the common law at the Maastricht Faculty of Law. His research interests are in European private law, behavioural law and economics, and neurolaw. His publications have appeared in the likes of the European Business Law Review.

Dr YANG Fan City University of Hong Kong

Dr YANG Fan is an Assistant Professor in the City University of Hong Kong. She read law in Shanghai and obtained her LL.M in the UK. She was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2005. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb), a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA). She is also a member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Hong Kong Arbitration Committee and Trade Facilitation Committee, the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), and an Elected Committee Member of the CIArb East Asia Brach. She is the Liaison of the Hong Kong Drafting Team for a Model Law on Contracts for the Greater China Region as well as a member of the Standing Committee of the China Academy of Arbitration Law.

Ms Lisa SPAGNOLO Senior Lecturer, Monash University

Lisa Spagnolo is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Monash University, Australia. She graduated from Deakin University and practiced in a large law firm in the area of insolvency and banking law. She presently lectures in contract and property law and has authored numerous books and articles on these subjects. Her special interest is in the CISG. She is a Fellow of the Institute of International Commercial Law, Pace University, New York and a rapporteur for the CISG Advisory Council.

 

Professor Angelo CHINALE University of Turin Law School

Angelo Chinale is Professor of Private Law at the University of Turin Law School. He read law at the International Faculty of Comparative Law, Strasbourg (France) and the University of Turin. Previously he has taught at the universities of Bocconi, Milan, Turin and Trento. His academic writings comprise books and articles on property law, on transfer of property, on tort law, and on mortgages in Italian and comparative law.

Mr Joao RIBEIRO Director, UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific

Joao Ribeiro is the Head of the UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific in Song-do, Republic of Korea. He holds a Law Degree from the University of Coimbra and a LLM from the Universities of Coimbra and Macau. A Portuguese national he was, among other appointments, Head of International Affairs of the Ministry of Justice of Portugal and Deputy Secretary General of the Conferences of Ministers of Justice of the Iberian-American countries and of the Portuguese Speaking countries. Additionally, he was legal adviser to the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Government of the Macau Special Administrative Region and a senior lecturer at the Faculties of Law, Management and of Social and Human Sciences of the University of Macau where he taught International Law, International Business Law, Business Law, Economic Integration Law, Constitutional Law and Chinese Political System.

Public Lecture- 23 April

The Honourable the Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon graduated with Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) from the National University of Singapore in 1986 and later obtained a Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School in 1991. He was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore in 1987 and appointed Senior Counsel in January 2008. From April 2006 to March 2007, Mr Menon served as a Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court and presided over several prominent criminal and civil cases in the High Court. He returned to Rajah & Tann LLP after his term at the bench, becoming its Managing Partner in August 2009. Mr Menon served as the Attorney-General from 1 October 2010 to 24 June 2012. As Attorney-General, he oversaw the implementation of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010, which made significant changes to the criminal process in Singapore. Mr Menon was appointed a Judge of Appeal of the Supreme Court on 1 August 2012, and the Chief Justice of Singapore on 6 November 2012.

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About the Organisers

United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)

The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) is the core legal body of the United Nations system in the field of international trade law. It was established by the General Assembly in 1966 with the mandate to remove legal obstacles to international trade by progressively modernizing and harmonizing trade law. In establishing UNCITRAL, the General Assembly recognized that disparities in national laws governing international trade created obstacles to the flow of trade and it regarded the preparation of uniform texts by UNCITRAL as a vehicle to reduce or remove these obstacles. UNCITRAL prepares legal texts in a number of key areas such as international commercial dispute settlement, electronic commerce, insolvency, international payments, sale of goods, transport law, procurement and infrastructure development. UNCITRAL also provides technical assistance to law reform activities, including assisting Member States to review and assess their law reform needs and to draft the legislation required to implement UNCITRAL texts. The UNCITRAL Secretariat is located in Vienna, Austria.

http://www.uncitral.org/uncitral/en

UNCITRAL - Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific

The Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific (RCAP), located in Incheon, Republic of Korea, was established in January 2012 as the first regional centre of UNCITRAL. The main objectives of the Regional Centre are to (a) enhance international trade and development in the Asia-Pacific region by promoting certainty in international commercial transactions through the dissemination of international trade norms and standards, in particular those elaborated by UNCITRAL; (b) provide bilateral and multilateral technical assistance to States with respect to the adoption and uniform interpretation of UNCITRAL texts through workshops and seminars; (c) engage in coordination activities with international and regional organizations active in trade law reform projects in the region; and (d) function as a channel of communication between States in the region and UNCITRAL.

http://www.uncitral.org/uncitral/en/tac/rcap.html

Attorney-General’s Chambers of Singapore

The Attorney-General’s Chambers is a vital component of Singapore legal system. As principal legal advisor to the government, the Attorney-General plays an important role in upholding the Rule of Law in Singapore, and thus contributes to one of the key aspirations of her people: to build a democratic society based on the fundamental ideals of justice and equality.

The AGC’s mission is to serve Singapore’s interests and uphold the rule of law through sound advice, effective representation, fair and independent prosecution and accessible legislation.

The Attorney-General performs a critical constitutional role in Singapore and the administration of justice. As the Public Prosecutor, he exercises overall control over and provides direction in all criminal proceedings independently of Government. In addition, he is also Government’s principal legal advisor and the guardian of public interest.

There are five legal divisions in the Attorney-General’s Chambers, namely, the Criminal Justice Division, the Financial and Technology Crime Division, the International Affairs Division, the Civil Division and the Legislation Division.

http://www.agc.gov.sg/

Singapore Management University

A premier university in Asia, the Singapore Management University (SMU) is internationally recognised for its world class research and distinguished teaching. Established in 2000, SMU’s mission is to generate leading edge research with global impact and produce broad-based, creative and entrepreneurial leaders for the knowledge-based economy. It is known for its interactive and technologically-enabled pedagogy of seminar-style teaching in small class sizes.

Home to about 8,000 students, SMU comprises six schools: School of Accountancy, Lee Kong Chian School of Business, School of Economics, School of Information Systems, School of Law and School of Social Sciences, offering a wide range of bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degree programmes in various disciplines.

With an emphasis on generating rigorous, high impact cross-disciplinary research that addresses Asian issues of global relevance, SMU faculty collaborates with leading foreign researchers as well as partners in the business community and public sector through its research institutes and centres.

http://www.smu.edu.sg

Ministry of Law of Singapore

The Ministry of Law seeks to advance access to justice and the rule of law in Singapore. Through its formulation and review of domestic policies and legislation, the Ministry ensures the development of a sound and progressive legal framework that benefits both business and community. The Ministry also engages with key international and regional organisations on transnational criminal and civil justice issues, to promote and protect Singapore’s interests in the global arena.

More information can be found on www.mlaw.gov.sg.

Centre for Law & Business

National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law

The new Centre for Law & Business, located at the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore, seeks to enhance and promote research and educational opportunities for faculty, students, legal practitioners and business executives who share a common interest in the fields of Law, Business and Economics. These opportunities will be encouraged through the Centre's work and sponsorship of seminars, conferences and research endeavours. The Centre for Law & Business will also engage in appropriate research projects commissioned by industry from time to time.

The vision of CLB is to be the leading law centre in Asia in the field of Law and Business, and one of the leading research institutions in this field globally. It will seek to do this through inter-disciplinary work that has a strong comparative law focus, which includes examining the extent to which legal convergence is taking place in a globalized and interconnected world.

http://law.nus.edu.sg/clb/

Singapore Academy of Law

The Singapore Academy of Law (the “Academy”) is the promotion and development agency for Singapore’s legal industry. Our vision is to make Singapore the legal hub of Asia.

We aim to drive legal excellence through developing thought leadership, world class infrastructure and legal solutions. We do this by building up the intellectual capital of the legal profession by enhancing legal knowledge, raising the international profile of Singapore law, promoting Singapore as a centre for dispute resolution and improving the efficiency of legal practice through the use of technology.

As a body established by statute, the Academy also undertakes statutory functions such as stakeholding services and the appointment of Senior Counsel, Commissioners of Oath and Notaries Public.

The Academy is headed by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon. We have over 10,000 members comprising members of the Bench, the Bar, Legal Service Officers, corporate counsel, legal academics and foreign lawyers.

http://www.sal.org.sg/

ORGANISING COMMITTEE

Mr Jeffrey Chan Wah Teck, SC Deputy Solicitor-General Attorney-General’s Chambers

Chairman

Mr Toh Shin Hao Deputy Senior State Counsel Attorney-General’s Chambers

Secretary

Ms Fu Qui Jun Ministry of Law

Member

Asst Prof Gary Low Singapore Management University

Member

Ms Pamela Yap Singapore Management University

Member

A/Prof Gary Bell National University of Singapore

Member

Ms Li Jin Haw Attorney-General’s Chambers

Member

Ms Sarah Chan Attorney-General’s Chambers

Member

Ms Low Lang Cheng Attorney-General’s Chambers

Member

Ms Patricia Ng Attorney-General’s Chambers

Member

Ms Serene Wee Singapore Academy of Law

Alternate members: Ms Carolyne Lim, Mr Sriram Chakravathi

Member

Mr Chong Kah Wei ASEAN Law Association

Member

Mr Charles Lim Aeng Cheng Attorney-General’s Chambers

Adviser/Resource Person

Mr Soh Kee Bun Attorney-General’s Chambers

Adviser/Resource Person