This is the second edition of the highly successful book first published in 1989. However, it has been extensively revised in content and updated: Eight out of 14 chapters are new including chapters such as The Constitutional Framework of Powers, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and The Singapore Legal System and International Law; and the law on all subjects has been updated.
At the heart of constitutional interpretation is the struggle between, on the one hand, fidelity to founding meanings, and, on the other hand, creative interpretation to suit the context and needs of an evolving society. This book considers the recent growth of constitutional cases in Singapore in the last ten years. It examines the underpinnings of Singapore’s constitutional system, explores how Singapore courts have dealt with issues related to rights and power, and sets developments in Singapore in the wider context of new thinking and constitutional developments worldwide. It argues that Singapore is witnessing a shift in legal and political culture as both judges and citizens display an increasing willingness to engage with constitutional ideas and norms.
Through a focus on Singapore, this book presents an analysis of authoritarian legalism, showing how prosperity, public discourse, and a rigorous observance of legal procedure enable a reconfigured rule of law - liberal form but illiberal content. It shows how institutions and process become tools to constrain dissenting citizens while protecting those in political power.
The essays in this volume are the result of an exhibition on legal history staged by the Singapore Academy of Law in 1995. After that exhibition, a Legal History Sub-Committee was established within the Academy to look into ways of promoting the general awareness of the roots of legal practice in Singapore. It was decided that an illustrated collection of essays on selected legal history subjects might provide the right launchpad. This book aims not only to bring the fascinating world of legal history to a much wider audience, but also to act as a springboard for future study and research. If anything, it represents the beginning of a quest to making legal history a living subject.
Derived from the renowned multi-volume International Encyclopaedia of Laws, this practical analysis of the law of property in Singapore deals with the issues related to rights and interests in all kinds of property and assets - immovable, movable, and personal property; how property rights are acquired; fiduciary mechanisms; and security considerations. Lawyers who handle transnational disputes and other matters concerning property will appreciate the explanation of specific terminology, application, and procedure. An introduction outlining the essential legal, cultural, and historical considerations affecting property is followed by a discussion of the various types of property. Further analysis describes how and to what extent legal subjects can have or obtain rights and interests in each type. The coverage includes tangible and intangible property, varying degrees of interest, and the various ways in which property is transferred, including the ramifications of appropriation, expropriation, and insolvency. Facts are presented in such a way that readers who are unfamiliar with specific terms and concepts in varying contexts will fully grasp their meaning and significance. The book includes ample references to doctrine and cases, as well as to relevant international treaties and conventions. Its succinct yet scholarly nature, as well as the practical quality of the information it provides, make this book a valuable time-saving tool for any practitioner faced with a property-related matter. Lawyers representing parties with interests in Singapore will welcome this very useful guide, and academics and researchers will appreciate its value in the study of comparative property law.
