Ministry of Law, Singapore

Close neighbours, strong partners…and apparently very serious about durians!

Minister Edwin Tong and Malaysia's Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Dato' Sri Azalina Othman Said, witnessed the signing of MOUs between Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) and Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) and Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) and AIAC, and discussed what the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone means for our legal communities on both sides of the Causeway.

🎬 From fighting scams to tackling climate change — our laws keep Singapore resilient. Take part in MinLaw's Why Law Matters Student Competitions, and win attractive prizes!

We invite ITE, Poly, and JC students to tell us how Singapore's legal frameworks help tackle real issues facing our generation — from online safety and scams to pandemics and sustainability.

📽️ In groups of 3–4, create a video or animation about how our approach to the Rule of Law can address current and future challenges.

🏆 Win up to $1,000 vouchers (for the group)

⏰ Deadline: 30 June 2026

No prior legal knowledge required.

For more information, refer to https://go.gov.sg/whylawmattersstudentcompetition

Join us in commemorating , and reaffirm our commitment to the Rule of Law!

What do Singaporean youths think about our legal system? What are their hopes for the future?

As part of the bicentennial celebrations of Singapore’s modern judicial and legal system, the Ministry of Law and Institute of Policy Studies - IPS jointly organised the Youth Forum this week. Close to 500 participants gathered to discuss how the Rule of Law in Singapore can adapt to consider current topics like environmental sustainability, online harms and how to protect our social diversity.

Curious about what is all about? Look out for more related content in the second half of the year, including a heritage trail covering our legal landmarks and an exhibition on what our laws actually mean to Singaporeans.

The closing dialogue of the SGLaw200 Youth Forum was moderated by Ms Cai Chengying, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Pro Bono SG. The session explored what the rule of law means in practice.
Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Edwin Tong SC, described the Rule of Law as a dynamic, living framework that must be continually renewed to remain fit for purpose — encompassing new challenges in technology and the needs of vulnerable communities. He highlighted steps taken to strengthen legal aid, including revised thresholds, the institutionalisation of public defence, and the expansion of community law centres into the heartlands.

Justice Mohamed Faizal Mohamed Abdul Kadir, Judge of the High Court, reflected on the judiciary's role in holding society together through principled dispute resolution. He emphasised the importance of distinguishing between legal questions and social policy. He also spoke to the courts' ongoing efforts to make processes more accessible and comprehensible to ordinary Singaporeans.

Mr Goh Yihan SC, Deputy Attorney-General at the Attorney-General's Chambers, outlined how AGC upholds the rule of law through independent legal advice, legislation drafting, and special care in cases involving vulnerable persons. He also called on young Singaporeans to actively engage with the law.

The Q&A segment surfaced wide-ranging questions from the youth audience, covered a wide range of topics including civic participation in law-making, access to justice, the separation of powers, and minority representation in senior legal roles. Minister Tong illustrated how youths can shape laws by sharing how young people were consulted in drafting the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act. Justice Faizal emphasised the importance of respecting the separation of powers when discussing prosecutorial discretion. Mr Goh explained how AGC considers the circumstances of vulnerable accused persons in charging decisions, noting that the prosecution's role is not to secure convictions at all costs.

The finals of the MinLaw Ideation Challenge took place at the SGLaw200 Youth Forum. The competition challenges tertiary students to develop solutions to real world legal challenges.

Team LegalSave from Singapore Management University addressed the access-to-justice gap faced by Singapore's "sandwich class", referring to those who earn above the eligibility threshold but cannot afford private counsel. Drawing parallels with Singapore's MediSave scheme, they proposed a state-facilitated scheme allowing eligible individuals to tap on their CPF Ordinary Account to co-pay for essential legal services.

Team Daffodil from the National University of Singapore presented a two-pronged solution to improve access to justice for the middle class, combining a centralised Access-to-Justice portal that brings legal representation online, with community-focused initiatives that bring legal advice to the heartlands through a pro bono seat requirement for trainee lawyers and Mobile Legal Clinics across constituencies.

Team OLS from Singapore Management University reimagined Singapore's FinTech Regulatory Sandbox to address its low utilisation rate, proposing three pillars — Open Access to lower entry barriers, Build Pipeline to enhance applicant quality through accredited innovation hubs, and Scale Regionally through an ASEAN Market Readiness Programme to support post-sandbox expansion.

LegalSave emerged as the overall winner of the Ideation Challenge and also clinched the People's Choice Award. OLS and Daffodil were placed second and third respectively.

Session 2 of the SGLaw200 Youth Forum featured five breakout tracks, each focused on a distinct domain of the Rule of Law, where participants explored emerging challenges and deliberated strategies for a more robust future.

Track 1 — Artificial Intelligence and Digital Assets — Shaping Tomorrow’s Digital World examined how Singapore's regulatory frameworks can keep pace with rapid AI advances, exploring tensions regulation, accountability for AI-related harms, bias and access to justice — and the role of youths in responsible AI governance.

Track 2 — Stewarding Tomorrow's Environment explored how legal and policy tools — from environmental impact assessments to citizen assemblies and regional cooperation — can better balance development, conservation and climate action, and whether global frameworks remain effective amid geopolitical tensions.

Track 3 — Online Harms, Freedom of Speech and Digital Citizenship examined approaches to crafting laws and governance frameworks that uphold protections across emerging technologies and spaces, emphasising the importance of ground-up input in formulating robust policies.

Track 4 — Social Diversity and Inclusivity unpacked IPS findings that revealed a gap between Singaporeans' belief in racial and religious harmony and their lived experiences of discrimination. Drawing on hypothetical scenarios, participants examined how laws set parameters for difficult conversations, while discussions also highlighted shrinking shared spaces, rising class divides, and the need for youths to be engaged, empathetic and empowered in navigating Singapore's diversity.

Track 5 — Youth Voice and Civic Engagement surfaced youth anxieties around careers, mental health and education, with calls for stronger career guidance, mentorship and open dialogue. Speakers affirmed that despite geopolitical and technological disruptions, Singapore's youth remain well-positioned to shape the nation's future with confidence and resilience.

Session 1 of the SGLaw200 Youth Forum, titled "Rule of Law and Our Economy", explored how Singapore's commitment to the Rule of Law has powered its economic progress and positioned it as a global hub for trade, finance, technology, and innovation.

Moderator Mr Keith Yap, Founder of Front Row Media, opened by underscoring that Singapore's reliable Rule of Law is critical to anchoring high-value industries.

Mr Keith Magnus, Chairman, Asia at Evercore, shared that investors ask not only where growth lies, but whether contracts will be honoured and rules applied consistently. He described the Rule of Law as "invisible infrastructure" that underpins business and society, and raised emerging questions on professional accountability in the age of artificial intelligence.

Ms Lim Ee Ling, Global Mentor at 500 Global, framed her observations around three Cs — clarity, credibility, and capital confidence. She highlighted how Singapore's transparency, enforceable contracts, and globally recognised corporate structures give founders a trusted foundation to scale.

Ms Tan Su Shan, Chief Executive Officer and Director of DBS Group, framed Singapore's strengths around four Ds — dependable, digital, disruptive, and diversifier. She emphasised that Singapore's predictability and rules-based approach safeguard what is valuable to individuals and businesses, and highlighted the need for "harness engineering" to keep AI fair and transparent.

The Q&A session, moderated by Mr Yap, covered geopolitical tensions, regulation, and AI's growing role in professional work. Mr Magnus illustrated Singapore's pragmatic application of the Rule of Law by recounting how authorities approved a Singapore flag display at a Lady Gaga concert within half an hour. On AI, he noted that future professionals will need to hone human skills such as judgment and reading the room. Ms Lim encouraged youth to embrace AI fluency as digital natives, while Ms Tan emphasised attitude and adaptability as key in a rapidly evolving workplace.