Bloomberg, 7 Oct 2014Singapore’s move to allow foreign judges to hear commercial cases may boost its standing against regional rival Hong Kong where concerns have mounted that its judicial independence is being undermined by China.
While the commercial court will “absolutely” boost Singapore’s reputation, those with a negative perception of the country’s judiciary aren’t going to change their minds, according to Law Minister K. Shanmugam, whose previous clients as a lawyer included government leaders who successfully sued opposition politicians for libel.
Singapore pushed ahead with its legal services reform despite concerns from some that it might lead to foreign law firms dominating the market as they do in Hong Kong. Full story
