Ministry of Law Marks 25 Years of Legal Reform with Landmark Book Series

28 JUL 2026

28 July 2026 Posted in Press releases

1. The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) today launched 25 Years of Legal Reform in Singapore: Innovations in Policy and Law (2000–2025) in commemoration of SGLaw200. The landmark four-volume series chronicles Singapore’s legal reform journey over the last 25 years, offering readers an inside look at the policy thinking, trade-offs and human effort behind some of Singapore’s most significant pieces of legislation — and how the law has continually evolved to serve Singapore’s needs in a period of rapid change.

2. A launch event at Gardens by the Bay was officiated by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam SC, Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong SC, and Professor Yip Man, Managing Editor of the series and Professor of Law and the V3 Group Professor in Family Entrepreneurship at Singapore Management University Yong Pung How School of Law. Approximately 200 guests, including representatives from the legal industry and editors and writers who contributed to the book series, attended the launch event.

About the Book Series

3. As Singapore commemorates 200 years of legal development through SGLaw200, the book series documents key legislative and legal reforms undertaken between 2000 and 2025. These span a wide range of areas, including criminal justice, family justice, civil procedure, intellectual property, dispute resolution and legal innovation.

4. The four volumes in the book series cover:

  • Criminal, Public and Family Law;
  • Civil Justice, Restructuring and Insolvency, and Intellectual Property;
  • International Dispute Resolution; and
  • Legal Innovations and the COVID-19 Crisis.

5. The series brings together perspectives from government policymakers, judges, legal practitioners, academics and sector experts. Together, they illuminate the policy thinking and societal considerations underpinning Singapore’s law reform journey. The series reflects how the Rule of Law has remained a cornerstone of Singapore’s success — providing stability, certainty and fairness, while enabling the legal system to adapt to new realities and challenges.

6. Taken together, the publication underscores Singapore’s pragmatic approach to legal reform, where laws are updated to meet the times, protect citizens, safeguard vulnerable groups, and enable agile responses to unprecedented challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The series is expected to serve as a valuable resource for researchers, students, legal practitioners and policymakers.

7. The launch event also featured a curated exhibition and video showcase highlighting selected legal reforms and their impact on Singaporeans, offering guests deeper insights into the policy thinking behind some of Singapore’s most significant legal reforms over the past 25 years.

For more information on SGLaw200 events and initiatives, visit https://www.mlaw.gov.sg/sglaw200/.

MINISTRY OF LAW
28 JULY 2026

Annex: Factsheet - Overview of Law Reform Book Series

Last updated on 28 July 2026