Think-tank for IT and e-commerce laws

It will give inputs to the Government as well as promote awareness and proficiency in these areas to help lawyers meet new challenges

A think-tank on IT law set up by the Singapore Academy of Law will give useful inputs to the Government about many of the critical legal challenges posed by information technology and electronic commerce.

Minister for Law and Foreign Affairs S. Jayakumar, who said this on Wednesday, added: "The think-tank will also promote awareness and proficiency in information technology and e-commerce laws in the Singapore legal profession."

He noted that inadequate legal skills and knowledge can impede the effectiveness of the judiciary.

Certain Government measures ensure that Singapore has relevant legal competencies to support business in important areas like information technology and e-commerce.

One was to open up the legal sector, allowing Singapore law firms to enter into joint ventures and formal alliances with foreign law firms in order to upgrade the legal capabilities in banking.

He was speaking at the opening of the 4th Law Association of Asia and the Pacific (Lawasia) Business Law conference at the Shangri-La Hotel.

Among those attending were the Chief Justice, Mr Yong Pung How, the Chief Justice of New Zealand, Dame Sian Elias, and the Chief Justice of Western Australia, Mr David Malcolm,l and lawyer Mrs Goh Chok Tong, wife of the Prime Minister.

Professor Jayakumar said that while his ministry would pay close attention to ensure an adequate level of legal expertise to support the growth of the Infocomms sector, the responses to the challenges of information technology must involve lawyers. He commended the Law Society for its forward-looking initiatives.

To keep lawyers updated and relevant, he noted that the Law Society hoped to implement compulsory continuing education.

The society also supported a new legal portal, WWLegal.com aimed at helping smaller law firms by performing certain back-office functions for them.

The conference was attended by some 300 foreign and local delegates, on legal and business challenges in the 21st century.

Jointly organised by Lawasia and the Law Society of Singapore, it ends today.