Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-close-up-of-a-black-object-on-a-white-surface-__ExQoiRqXI By Koh Jia Hao Introduction In Paul v Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust[1] (“Paul”), the UK Supreme Court took the opportunity to re-examine the rules regarding psychiatric harm to secondary victims in the context of medical negligence, particularly whether doctors owe a duty of care to close relatives of the patient, for harm that they have suffered as a result of witnessing the patient’s death, or its immediate aftermath. By a majority of six to one, the court seems to have ‘in practice’, ‘b ..read more

Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-small-flag-flying-in-the-wind-on-a-sunny-day-H4sW2TvfcgE By Natalie Koh The United Kingdom proposed a relocation treaty with Rwanda under the UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership Plan (MEDP)[1] in April 2022. This arrangement allows the United Kingdom to relocate asylum-seekers and illegal immigrants deemed ‘inadmissible’ under the Illegal Migration Act 2023[2] to Rwanda, where they will be granted asylum or permanent residence. The introduction of this policy has precipitated strong contention from both asylum seekers and the ..read more

https://unsplash.com/photos/white-printed-paper-spFYbCSF-Ec By Koh Jia Hao ,Introduction Ouster clauses are ‘[s]tatutory provision[s] which seek to limit [or completely oust] the ordinary jurisdiction of the court’ in reviewing decisions taken by public bodies [1].  It is trite law that courts would adopt a restrictive interpretation of them. The direct contention between ouster clauses and the court’s power gives rise to a pertinent question: how far would courts go in the face of a defiant Parliament seeking to completely preclude judicial review? Would courts abandon constitutional or ..read more

Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-person-in-a-coat-and-hat-standing-in-front-of-a-building-ANo2N6IQCQE By Chrisllynn Siah Introduction The 2023-24 Parliamentary session was opened on Tuesday, November 7 by His Majesty The King. During the State Opening of Parliament, King Charles established the Government’s legislative agenda. This involved carrying over the Victims and Prisoners Bill (also known as the Sentencing Bill) that was first introduced during the 2022-23 Parliamentary session and the introduction of the Criminal Justice Bill [1]. While the Government framed these proposals ..read more

Source: https://insuranceasianews.com/singapore-paving-secure-cyber-path-for-reinsurers/ By Darren Trisno Recently, there has been a shocking increase in reported hacking in Singapore. For instance, between May and July 2022, the luxury hotel chain “Shangri-La Group” has experienced a data breach affecting their guests in Singapore, Hong Kong, Chiang Mai, Taipei, and Tokyo [1]. It was found that certain data files were stolen from the group’s guest databases by an unknown, “sophisticated” attacker who managed to bypass IT security monitoring systems. While the hotel could not confirm the cont ..read more

Source: https://www.theurbangardeninitiative.org/blog/greenwashing By Soh Yi Fei Titus Introduction As the world shifts its focus towards the exigencies of sustainability and environmental preservation, companies are increasingly rebranding themselves as champions of the environment to capitalise on the growing demand for environmentally friendly products [1]. However, this corporate trend is not without its detriments. For example, companies may resort to unsubstantiated claims to deceive consumers regarding the positive environmental impact of their products or emphasise the sustainability ..read more

Source: https://www.ft.com/content/912f29f4-9b73-49b8-b6e5-c45fc3af62c9 By: Soh Yi Fei Titus The Online Safety Bill has been subjected to thorough legislative scrutiny since it was first introduced to Parliament in May 2021 and is finally in its final stages in the House of Commons [1]. Given the increasing pervasiveness of Internet usage, it is par for the course that more children are accessing online content and materials, and more regularly too. As such, there may seem to be a public exigency for more stringent duties to be placed on online platforms to protect young people from harmful c ..read more

By: Neal Kok The issue of euthanasia has long haunted both the courts and Parliament, with different jurisdictions reaching different solutions to the problem of euthanasia. Notably, both the UK [1] and Singapore [2] have legislation making an act of assisting the suicide of another illegal. On the other hand, physician assisted suicide is presently legal in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland and the states of Washington, Oregon and Montana in the US with the general aim of enabling those with a medically diagnosed hopeless or incurable illness, and who are suffering unbearable ..read more

By: Matthew Lee “One day my son, all of this will be yours”. This line has been repeated countless times on the silver screen from King Ban in Monty Python to Mufasa in the Lion King. According to Lord Briggs [1], this same line is also said by farmers to their sons; the promise of inheriting the family farm an incentive for the younger man to spend his best years working for the older at lower wages. Far too often, however, the younger man grows impatient and resentful as he too grows old, the death of his father and the consequent inheritance of great wealth coming far too slowly for his li ..read more

By: Soh Yi Fei Titus On 7 December 2022, German Security Services launched one of their most manpower-heavy raids, involvingover 3,000 officers, resulting in the arrest of 25 people [1]. The group were allegedly planning an operation to overthrow the current German government, and eventually reinstate a monarchist government, with Prince Heinrich XIII of Reuss as head of state. The group, known as Patriotische Union (also referred to as the Patriotic Union) is part of a far-right extremist movement known as Reichsbuerger (also referred to as Citizens of the Reich). They had made plans to laun ..read more