Keynote Address by Mr Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Law and Ministry of Social and Family Development, at the Singapore Academy of Law Junior College Law Programme 2025
1. A very good morning to everyone.
2. I thank the Singapore Academy of Law for inviting me to speak at the JC Law Programme today.
3. I believe many of you are here because you are curious about the law – and may be considering a career as a lawyer.
4. When I was your age, I would like to think not too many years ago, I myself considered a career in the legal industry, but eventually decided to pursue a degree in communication studies at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at NTU.
5. So, I am not a lawyer by training. But since my appointment to MinLaw, I have been learning about the legal industry, so it is almost full circle. And I will try my best to answer your questions later.
6. Today and for the ensuing days, SAL has also arranged an engaging line up of speakers and sessions to allow you to gain a better insight into the nuts and bolts of the legal industry and also the different practice areas. These include areas such as: corporate law, family law and personal injury, and criminal law, among others. These specific practice areas are all important and interesting.
(A) Bicentennial Anniversary of our Legal System
7. In my short remarks today, I invite you to take a step back and think more fundamentally about the purpose of the law and the legal system.
8. The key question to ask is, what is the role of the law in our society?
9. This is a question worth asking because we stand between two significant milestones in Singapore’s history.
a. First is SG60 – as you know, we celebrated, or are celebrating, the 60th anniversary of Singapore’s independence this year during 2025.
b. The second milestone, which non-lawyers may not be aware of, is the 200th anniversary of Singapore’s modern legal system. And this happens next year, in 2026.
10. In 1826, almost 200 years ago, the British issued a legal document, which is called the Second Charter of Justice.
11. The Second Charter of Justice was significant for two key reasons.
a. First, it set up the Singapore courts, which has evolved into a world-class institution that we are proud of, with highly respected Judges as well as an efficient and trusted judicial system.
b. Second, the Second Charter introduced a common set of laws that applied to all residents of Singapore.
i. Before the Second Charter, different communities had different laws. The Chinese had their own laws, administered by the Chinese Kapitans. The Malays had separate rules, overseen by Malay chiefs, and so on.
ii. The Charter introduced a common legal system, a common language, for all inhabitants regardless of race, culture or religion. That is the essence of the Rule of Law – that the law applies equally to everyone and that no person is above the law.
12. The Bicentennial celebrations or Anniversary next year therefore provides us with a unique opportunity to commemorate Singapore’s legal system. It allows us to take stock of the critical role that Singapore’s laws and legal system have played in our nation-building and development over the past 200 years – especially since we became an independent nation some 60 years ago.
(B) Law as a service: It must be developed to fit our unique needs, and must benefit society in line with our own values and circumstances
13. Now this brings me back to the role of the law in society.
14. Ultimately, the law and the legal system is a practical tool to achieve certain goals. When we were a colony, the aim of the legal system was to serve the British Empire. Let us have no doubts about that. The laws did not always benefit the local population.
15. For example, the British had relatively lax policies on opium even though opium addiction ruined the lives of many local coolies. This was because opium licenses were a great source of profit for the colonial government.
16. Soon after we became independent, our founding fathers prioritised Singaporeans and championed the Rule of Law and a strong legal system as a key tenet of nation-building. Mr Lee Kuan Yew himself was a lawyer. He understood how law can be wielded to transform Singapore into a “first world oasis” in what was then a third world region.
17. In other words, the purpose of the legal system, for our founding fathers then, was to benefit and to serve our society. How can the law achieve this purpose?
18. First, some fundamental principles must be adhered to.
a. The first key principle is that **no one is above the law**. No matter how rich or how powerful you are, you are equal before the law.
b. The second key principle: there are clear **limits to the powers of the Government**, as set out in clear and transparent laws that are upheld by an **independent judiciary**. This I must underline and embolden – an independent judiciary.
c. Third, the **personal and property rights of individuals** are protected.
19. Next, in applying these principles, Singapore must develop our own concept of the Rule of Law that is in line with our own values and unique circumstances.
a. One example is our laws on land ownership. Unlike other countries with plentiful space, Singapore is a small and very densely populated city-state.
b. So, a year after independence, in 1966, the Land Acquisition Act was passed. The law gave the Government broader powers to compulsorily acquire land for public development, at relatively low cost. This may, in fact it will, seem harsh especially if you are a landowner.
c. However, without such powers, our **long term urban planning** – which has been a hallmark of Singapore’s success – **would not have been possible**. We would not have been able to build HDB estates, transport infrastructure, green parks, and other key public amenities.
i. Compare this situation then, to another former British Colony, India, where property rights are Constitutionally protected. In many ways, they are unable to advance even basic public projects like highways. Earlier this year, it was reported that 35% of highway project delays resulted from protracted land acquisition disputes.
ii. Another example is the California High-Speed Rail Project, where intractable negotiations with third party rights-holders over land have led to decades-long delays, with runaway costs.
d. There are also many other areas of law – such as drug policy, national service, compulsory savings for retirement through the Central Provident Fund or CPF, regulation of online falsehoods, and so on and so forth – where we have actually struck our own balance in Singapore, between the rights of the individual and the greater common good, based on our societies’ values and unique circumstances and context.
e. However, this balance is not cast in stone. It is not a fixed point that is unchanging over time. For example, in 2022, we repealed section 377A of the Penal Code to decriminalise sex between men. The repeal is an example of how our laws will have to evolve over time to better reflect current societal norms as well as the zeitgeist of the day.
20. For that reason, we need good people, for which I believe we have many in the hall this morning. We need good people to steer the system. To quote Mr Lee Kuan Yew: “I don’t believe just having a sound constitution, the rule of law and institutions will make Singapore continue successfully. You need good men [and I may add, women] to run it, to improve on it, to adjust and change as the international situation changes, and as the domestic needs become different.”
(C) This approach has served us well
21. Our approach has served us well, thus far.
a. Due to our emphasis on the Rule of Law and a strong legal system, we can position ourselves as an “oasis of calm” amid today’s climate of global volatility. Singapore remains a safe and stable country where individuals can maximise your potential, families can thrive and businesses can grow.
b. In particular, our commitment to the Rule of Law is a key reason for Singapore’s economic success. It is why foreign businesses feel confident investing in Singapore, driving economic growth and creating jobs which have benefited our people.
c. As former Chief Justice Yong Pung How once said, “_Singapore is a nation which is based wholly on the Rule of Law. It is clear and practical laws and the effective observance and enforcement of these laws which provide the foundation for our economic and social development. It is the certainty which an environment based on the Rule of Law generates which gives our people, as well as many MNCs and other foreign investors, the confidence to invest in our physical, industrial as well as social infrastructure. These are the fundamental bases of our economic growth and our social development_.”
22. However, we need to continually refresh our laws and legal frameworks to meet new challenges. And there are plenty of new challenges we are confronting today, in today’s context.
23. To illustrate this point, allow me to focus on three specific areas.
a. Online harms
b. Community relations and disputes; and
c. Better supporting individuals with mental conditions as well as disabilities in our justice system.
Online Harms
24. Let me start with online harms.
25. The advent of the Internet has turbocharged communications, and ushered in an era of unprecedented connectivity. All of you in the hall are digital natives. For me, I’m Gen X, I learned to live with the internet. You live actually in the virtual space.
26. At the same time, bad actors have taken advantage of this. They have used technology to perpetuate scams, cyber-bullying, the distribution of child abuse material, and to wage disinformation campaigns. I was just sharing with my residents in Queenstown, whatever we consume in social media, if we are able to trace back the information to the source, curiously many do not originate in Singapore. The scale and severity of online harms cannot be underestimated.
a. MDDI’s surveys found that 84% of Singapore residents encountered harmful online content in the past year, while a third, 33%, experienced harmful online behaviour.
b. Such harmful content can have a severe impact on victims. The abuse can take a toll on their mental health.
i. And in fact, in 2020, let me quote one example, a 14-year-old girl in Singapore was bullied by her classmates and was driven to self-harm and attempted suicide. Very unfortunate.
27. We cannot let such conduct become the societal norm online.
28. That is why in the past few years, the Government has been enhancing our laws over the last few years, to better protect Singaporeans from online harms.
a. This includes online harms such as
i. online harassment including cyberbullying,
ii. doxxing,
iii. intimate image abuse, also known as “revenge porn”,
iv. image-based child abuse, which involves the posting and sharing of images or videos of children being abused, including physical or sexual abuse of children, and
v. online impersonation, among others.
b. These were amongst the top online harms which victims experienced in a study conducted by SG Her Empowerment or “SHE” in 2023.
29. We enacted laws allowing the Government to act firmly against fake news through POFMA in 2019. In 2024, we passed the Online Criminal Harms Act 2024 to target criminal conduct occurring on online platforms.
30. We also strengthened protections for victims. Besides strengthening our criminal laws, we also empowered victims to obtain timely relief and hold perpetrators accountable. For example:
a. We set up a specialised Protection from Harassment Court in 2021, which will hear urgent cases within a 48 – 72 hour window.
b. Last month, we passed the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Bill 2025, also known as “OSRA”.
i. OSRA will establish the office of the Commissioner of Online Safety. Victims can file a report to the Commissioner about online harm. The Commission can issue directions to stop the online harm, for example, by requiring the removal of the offensive content or by disabling access to it.
ii. The online harms covered under OSRA include:
1. Those I mentioned earlier like online harassment, doxxing, intimate image abuse, image-based child abuse, and online impersonation; and
2. Others including inauthentic material abuse and incitement of violence.
iii. OSRA also empowers victims to pursue remedies in civil proceedings.
1. OSRA clarifies the duties and liabilities of the parties involved in the online ecosystem, including the persons who communicate or publish the online harm, the administrators of the online location and online platforms. If these online actors breach their duties, victims may bring an action against them to seek monetary compensation.
iv. With the passing of OSRA, we are among the first jurisdictions globally, who have taken bold, novel steps to address the concerns that have been raised by online harms.
c. We will continue to work on legal reforms to strengthen online safety for Singapore and Singaporeans, and work closely with our stakeholders, including tech companies –big tech is not excluded from the equation, going forward.
Community Disputes
31. The next area I wish to talk about is community disputes.
32. Singapore is a densely populated country, and most of us live in close proximity to our neighbours. This means that we can become perhaps more sensitive to noise, smells; and shared spaces like the common corridor we use, can sometimes become a flashpoint. As a result, friction between neighbours can occasionally arise, and it is important that we have a framework to address such disputes.
33. Broadly speaking, our aim is to encourage good relations among neighbours so that disputes do not arise in the first place. However, if disputes do arise, we seek to ensure that these are resolved quickly and amicably, in a manner that preserves peace and harmony in the community.
34. Let me elaborate:
a. First, we are continually promoting healthy social norms through public education efforts – so that every one of us is more aware of actions that may disturb our neighbours, and takes steps to practise considerate neighbourly behaviour.
b. Second, when disagreements arise, we encourage neighbours to resolve the issues amicably among themselves first. In many cases, the disagreements are not serious. They usually arise due to differences in lifestyles, schedules, and habits. Communication can go indeed a long way.
c. Third, neighbours who need some additional help can tap on community mediation. Mediation is a facilitated process where a neutral third party – also known as the mediator – helps parties to communicate the issues that they are facing, and works with parties to find mutually acceptable solutions. Today, about 80% of voluntary mediation cases conducted at the Community Mediation Centre are successfully settled!
d. Finally, if all else fails, disputing neighbours can bring their case to the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals. These Tribunals are specialist courts that we have set up, to handle serious cases that require a more formal legal response.
35. Recently, we have updated our laws and legal frameworks to further improve the management of neighbour disputes:
a. For instance, to address cases where disputing parties refuse to communicate with each other – sometimes it degenerates to that – we have empowered selected public officers to direct disputing parties to attend compulsory mediation.
b. We have also set up a new unit of public officers who have legal powers to investigate and take action in severe neighbour disputes. For instance, these officers may issue warnings and orders to persons who deliberately engage in acts of nuisance. This unit is now being piloted in the HDB estates of Tampines Town, with a focus on noise and hoarding cases. I see some heads turning, maybe you are residents of Tampines.
36. From this example, you will see that laws extend beyond maintaining public safety or preventing crime. Laws can be used to encourage pro-social behaviour, to signal how individuals should resolve disputes, and to guide them towards cooperation and mutual respect. So that broadly is the second area of how we live together in the community, and the role that laws play in that respect.
Better supporting individuals with mental health conditions and disabilities in the justice system
37. The third and final area, which is close to my heart, is the mental health and disability landscape.
38. There is now a greater awareness of the need to build a more caring and inclusive society to support persons with mental health conditions as well as disabilities. These include physical disabilities and other disabilities like autism as well as intellectual disability (which may be more invisible to us in society).
39. In our public spaces, we have put in more effort to build ramps, lifts, and other accessibility measures. We have also introduced the Helping Hand scheme to foster a more welcoming and inclusive public transport system. Lanyards and cards can be picked up from Passenger Service Centres and selected SimplyGo ticket offices, and used to more easily seek personalised assistance from transport staff and other commuters.
40. Similarly, in the justice system, we have also taken steps over the past several years to recognise the unique profile of such individuals.
a. For example, in 2010, we introduced **community based sentences**, including the mandatory treatment order or “MTO”. The MTO allows offenders with mental health conditions who commit less serious offences to be treated in the community rather than being incarcerated. In 2018, we expanded the MTO scheme or regime to benefit more suitable offenders.
b. We have also introduced other measures over the years, such as the **Appropriate Adult Scheme**, to better support vulnerable persons through the investigative process.
41. But we definitely recognise that more can be done.
42. This is why earlier this year, MinLaw announced that we will support the setting up of an inter-agency taskforce to better support accused persons and victims with mental health conditions and disabilities in our criminal justice system.
43. I will co-chair this taskforce with Ms Peggy Yee, who is a senior lawyer from the private sector, and also a well-known advocate for persons with special needs.
44. This taskforce will bring together legal practitioners, policymakers, social service and healthcare professionals, because there is immense value in partnering with passionate individuals who are also experts in their respective fields.
a. These experts will look at the entire criminal justice process, from the pre-offending stage and criminal investigations to court processes, sentencing and post-sentencing support measures.
b. They will take stock of the existing measures, identify what can be done better, and propose reforms for the Government to consider.
c. The taskforce is an example of how Ministries partner with individuals and stakeholders from outside of Government to co-create solutions to really benefit Singapore society.
(D) Conclusion
45. I have touched very broadly on three specific areas – online harms, community disputes and supporting persons with mental health conditions and disabilities in the justice system. These areas collectively illustrate two broad points:
a. First, we must continually refresh our laws and legal frameworks, to meet new problems, and decide the balance that we need to strike. This is something for each generation, including your generation, to decide.
b. Second, as we evolve our laws, it is important to remember that the law’s ultimate role is to benefit and serve society. If you do decide to study law eventually, bear in mind that the practice of law is more than just a job. You will be a part of our legal heritage – upholding the Rule of Law and enhancing access to justice. These are fundamental to Singapore’s governance and continued success.
46. So on that note, regardless of which specific area of law you are interested in – or even if you decide not to study law at all – let me encourage you to join the Bicentennial activities next year, to commemorate our Rule of Law, right here in Singapore, our legal system, and the role that they have played in the Singapore story.
47. On that note, I thank you for your attention in the past 25 minutes, and happy to answer your questions now.
Last updated on 1 December 2025