Most Recent Articles
Legislative proposals for the Hong Kong Trade Marks (Amendment) Bill 2018
Reading Time: 4 minutesIn “Applying for Trade Mark Protection in Multiple Jurisdictions: the Madrid System” Part I and Part II, we introduced the international registration of trademarks and the outcome of the three-month consultation exercise on the proposed application of the proposed application of the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (“Madrid Protocol”) conducted in […]
Myanmar Legal Alert: Yangon Expressway, Land and Revenue Rights
Reading Time: 3 minutesOn 7 September 2018, the Ministry of Construction of the Union Government of Myanmar (“MOC”) officially opened the Request for Qualifications (“RFQ”) phase of the USD 400 Million Yangon Elevated Expressway Project (“the Project”). The Project is set to be one of the largest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in Myanmar and will take the form […]
Cheated as a Consumer in Singapore?
Reading Time: 6 minutesGetting “cheated” by errant retailers can be a frightening experience. Under the Penal Code, the punishment for cheating is incarceration for a term which may extend to 3 years, or a fine, or both. In one of the illustrations provided in the Penal Code, a person is guilty of cheating if he puts a counterfeit […]
What can you do if you have been scammed online in Singapore?
Reading Time: 8 minutesThe present situation in Singapore Within this year itself, scams have hit 1,491 cases and a total of 102 people island-wide are under investigation for their alleged scams. The number of scams in Singapore has been skyrocketing. With the help of popular applications such as WeChat and Carousell, it has become easier for fraudsters to […]
Non-disclosure of conflicts of interest may be a crime in Hong Kong – procurement staff beware
Reading Time: 4 minutesIn both public and private sectors, employees of different levels might be empowered to make decisions on engagement of suppliers and contractors etc. It might be very tempting for such employee to procure contracts to be awarded to entities which he or his family members have interests. However, if no proper declaration of interest was […]
Vietnam Legal Updates: Bankruptcy Settlement Procedures
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe Ministry of Justice, the Supreme People’s Procuracy and the Supreme People’s Court issued Joint Circular No. 07/2018/TTLT-BTP-VKSNDTC-TANDTC dated 12 June 2018, on cooperation in enforcement of court’s decisions on bankruptcy settlements (“Joint Circular 07”), which came into effect on 1 August 2018. Joint Circular 07 sets forth new guidelines on cooperation in the procedures […]
SMU Lexicon: Taming Horses in the Wild, Wild West: Patel v Mirza [2016] UKSC 42
Reading Time: 8 minutesIntroduction The interplay between law and policy has long been a bone of contention in the courts, underpinned by the famous declaration that public policy is an “unruly horse” – once you are astride it, it may lead you astray from the sound law.[1] This could be said to be particularly pertinent to the defence […]
Hong Kong does not recognise a cause of action for wrongful life or wrongful suffering
Reading Time: 4 minutesOn 29 March 2018, the Court of First Instance (the “CFI”) in case Lam Wing Hei (a minor suing by her mother and next Friend Lam Tsz Kiu) and Lam Tsz Kiu v Hospital Authority HCPI 1129/2015 handed down its decision and dismissed a claim for “wrongful life”. The detailed reasons for decision were subsequently given on […]
What will happen to my HDB flat after I get a divorce?
Reading Time: 5 minutesThe Department of Statistics Singapore has noted that divorce rates in 2016 were at a 10-year high. If you are currently undergoing divorce proceedings, we understand that it is a difficult process. One of your biggest concerns might be what would happen to your HDB flat after your divorce, given that it is likely to be […]
The Polo/Lauren Company, L.P. v Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club Ltd
Reading Time: 9 minutesIn a decision rendered by an Assistant Registrar at the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), IPOS held that an application for declaration of invalidity of Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club Ltd’s trade mark failed on all grounds. (A) Who are the parties involved in this case? The Polo/Lauren Company, L.P. (Applicant) A limited […]
Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal clarifies what civil disobedience is and other aspects on unlawful assembly
Reading Time: 6 minutesIn a decision handed down recently, the Court of Final Appeal quashed the jail terms of Joshua Wong Chi Fung and his two allies imposed by the Court of Appeal but made it clear that the stricter sentencing guidelines laid down by the Court of Appeal will apply to future offenders involved in large scale […]
Registering a Patent in Singapore?
Reading Time: 7 minutesWhat is a patent and what are the benefits of registering it? A patent is an exclusive right that is granted for an invention. The invention can be a new product or new process, or a technical improvement to existing products or processes. This right last for 20 years from the date of filing or […]
Personal
SMU Lexicon: A Non-parent’s Maintenance Obligation
Reading Time: 7 minutesIntroduction Imagine you marry someone with a child from a prior relationship. Initially, you do not mind caring for this child. Then, your marriage sours and you no longer want anything to do with your spouse or the child. However, can your initial conduct of caring for the child unknowingly saddle you with a legal […]
Business
Singapore’s latest push as a restructuring and insolvency hub – Amendments to SICC rules
Reading Time: 3 minutesSingapore has earned a budding reputation as a hub for debt restructuring and insolvency in Asia, with its transparent legal system and judicial expertise. This growth can also be attributed to enduring efforts to innovate and reform. To enhance Singapore as a forum of choice in international restructuring and insolvency proceedings, the Rules of Court […]
Most Common and Confusing Legal Words (Legalese) Explained Simply 
Pornography: How Legal is it in Singapore? 
What’s the difference between advocates, solicitors, barristers, counsels, notaries, lawyers and att... 
“Traditional” vs. “Design and Build” Contracts: What’s the Difference? 
What constitutes acceptance of a contract? 
Can WhatsApp messages be used in court in Singapore? 
What is the difference between paid up and authorised capital? -
A Summary of “The Rule Of Law” by Tom Bingham: Part 1 - A Guide to Understanding a Variable Capital Company (VCC)
How does an escrow account work in Singapore?
