The launch of the Singapore Arbitration Journal (SIArbJ), a co-publication by the SIArb and the Singapore Academy of Law, was successfully held on 26 November 2019 at the historic Arts House at The Old Parliament.
An exciting morning started with eminent Guest-of-Honour, former Attorney-General and Judge of Appeal, Mr. V. K. Rajah S.C., commenting, in his opening remarks, on recent developments in arbitration. Mr. Rajah noted how Singapore is not just a popular seat, but Singapore law is increasingly chosen as the governing law in international contracts. This shows Singapore’s importance as a dispute resolution forum, and also a jurisdiction respected for its legal system.
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After the opening remarks, Mr Rajah formally launched the SIArbJ by unveiling the cover of the inaugural issue. The launch was followed by presentations from the contributors to the inaugural volume of the SIArbJ who gave an overview of their respective articles
First, Ms. Eunice Chua presented on her article titled “Blurring the Lines Between International Commercial Courts and Arbitration: How, Why And The Future”, where she surveyed specialised international commercial courts, and how this relatively new form of dispute resolution is influenced by practices in arbitration.
Mr. Alvin Yap then presented on his article titled “The Application of Mandatory Rules by Arbitral Tribunals under Singapore Law: A Need for Greater Certainty?” (co-authored with Ms. Loretta Malintoppi) which looked at the question of what mandatory rules to apply, or which forum ought properly to be deciding this question.
Finally, Dr. Michael Hwang S.C. and Ms. Adriana Uson shared on their article titled “Continuing the Discourse on Party-Representative Ethics in International Arbitration” that examined the policing of party-representatives' conduct in arbitration. They proposed that bar associations could have an important, but oft-overlooked, role in promoting ethical practice and maintaining the legitimacy of arbitration.
The presenters were joined by members of SIArbJ’s editorial advisory board, Professor Lawrence Boo and Mr. Toby Landau Q.C., on a panel discussion moderated by Mr. Chan Leng Sun S.C., General Editor of the SIArbJ. These experienced arbitrators and counsel brought their vast experience to bear in discussing the topics presented.
In summary, those who attended undoubtedly benefitted from the morning’s discussions and left inspired in the practice of arbitration. The launch of a dedicated Singapore arbitration journal also marks SIArb's continued contribution to thought leadership in the Singapore arbitration community.
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Reported by:
Matthew Koh – Assistant Editor, SIArb Journal