This book tells the story of the Singapore legal system. Beginning with the British years, it moves on to the post-independence period, when a new Singapore had to grapple with the judicious mix of legacy laws and new laws that the new environment demanded. That was followed by the years of expansion as the complexity of the local environment deepened. The legal system had to be further refined as Singapore embraced technological advances and globalisation. This is a story of a fast changing and yet remarkably stable legal system that has been the cornerstone of Singapore’s commitment to the rule of law.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Singapore’s Independence, the Institute of Policy Studies and Straits Times Press jointly launched the Singapore Chronicles series in 2015.

This 50-volume series seeks to record, explain and offer insights into what makes Singapore, Singapore. Covering a wide range of subjects, from the philosophical to the mundane, the fundamental to the practical, these Singapore Chronicles titles include Constitution, Presidency, Housing, Transport, Demography, CPF, Sports and Food. Each volume in this series will serve as a primer on the subject.

Written by leading experts, they will focus on key aspects of the subject, providing analysis as well as a historical account. Readers will gain an insight into what makes Singapore tick and also why it has chosen certain “paths un-trodden”.

Authors

Singapore Chronicles: Law