Singapore, 19 September 2007 – Arbitration - a process where parties are free to appoint their own arbitrators to resolve their disputes - is fast becoming the choice legal solution for many businesses today. Arbitration, in particular international arbitration is a business in its own right and Singapore is poised to be the arbitration venue of choice in Asia. It is currently the sixth most frequently selected city in the world for ICC (“International Chamber of Commerce”) administered arbitrations.

One of the principal features that make arbitration the preferred choice over court litigation is that it is conducted in private, away from the glare of the media and the public.

But the privacy and confidentiality of the arbitration process and even the arbitration agreement is a matter that even the courts, legal practitioners and users of arbitration cannot agree on.

Confidentiality in Arbitration: How Far Does It Extend?, the first title in the Monograph Series published by Academy Publishing, aims to explore indepth the concept of confidentiality in arbitration proceedings and its exceptions.

Written by lawyers Senior Counsel Quentin Loh and Edwin Lee who have extensive experience in arbitration work, the book examines the case law and how confidentiality in arbitration are treated in England and compares that with the positions in Australia, New Zealand, US, Sweden, France, Germany and Singapore.

In his foreword to the book, Lord MJ Mustill, Former Lord of Appeal in the Ordinary, Privy Councillor wrote that a methodical exploration of this whole field is long overdue. The book will be a useful practical reference
for arbitrators, the legal profession and most importantly, the users of arbitration.

Confidentiality in Arbitration: How Far Does It Extend?, priced at S$15 is available at major bookstores in Singapore. Orders can also be placed online via the Singapore Academy of Law website www.sal.org.sg. For more information, call 63324388.

About Academy Publishing 
Academy Publishing is a division of the Singapore Academy of Law. It was officially launched on 18 May 2007 by the President of the Academy, the Honourable the Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong. This division was set up to publish books and other texts on Singapore law, and its objectives are threefold:to provide affordable legal materials to the legal profession (including corporate counsel), law academics, law students, and the Judiciary; to provide an alternative avenue to the academics in our law schools to publish their writings and thereby to encourage them to produce more works; and to disseminate the laws of Singapore to a wider public in the region and internationally.

The titles to be published are selected by a Commissioning Panel helmed by the Honourable Justice Andrew Phang Boon Leong. Two series of books are currently planned:the Law Practice Series, and the Monograph Series.

Academy Publishing is not profit-driven and its immediate priority is to publish books on areas of law that fulfil practice and student needs, although other kinds of legal texts will also be included. The writers who have already agreed to publish specific titles with Academy Publishing include Supreme Court Judges, practitioners and academics.

About Singapore Academy of Law
The Singapore Academy of Law (“The Academy”) is the umbrella body of the legal community in Singapore and has more than 7,000 members.

The Academy’s activities are driven by three strategic priorities – enhancing legal knowledge, improving efficiency of legal practice through the use of technology and supporting the legal industry. The work in each of these areas is directed towards raising the standards and quality of legal practice and building a strong legal community in Singapore.

Besides its role as the official law reporting agency in Singapore, The Academy’s other functions include providing continuing legal education for its members, legal publications, promoting legal research and scholarship, the reform and development of the law, and alternative dispute resolution.

For more details on the Singapore Academy of Law, visit www.sal.org.sg