TechLaw.Fest 2026
Welcome Remarks
Tuesday, 9 September 2026
Justice Aidan Xu
Supreme Court of Singapore
Senior Minister of State Murali Pillai SC, for the Ministry of Law & Ministry of Transport
Your Excellencies,
Honourable Justices,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
1. Good morning, and a very warm welcome to TechLaw.Fest 2026, co-organised by the Singapore Academy of Law, or SAL, and the Ministry of Law.
The role of law amid change
2. This year’s theme, “From Foundation to Frontier: The Role of Law Amidst Change”, is timely. It captures the balance between preserving the foundational principles of law and navigating the opportunities and challenges presented by rapid technological and societal change.3. As technology becomes more deeply embedded in legal work, the role of law becomes increasingly important.
4. Legaltech innovation can help legal professionals work more effectively, improve access to legal services and strengthen the way our institutions operate.
5. But progress cannot be measured by speed or capability alone. We must also ask whether AI tools are safe, reliable and trustworthy, and whether they strengthen confidence in the legal system.
6. The rule of law therefore has a role not only in responding to technological change, but also in providing the framework within which technology is developed, deployed and governed.
7. This is not work that any one group can undertake alone. It requires lawyers, judges, policymakers, businesses, technologists and academics to bring their different perspectives together.
8. As the frontier continues to evolve, our challenge is to ensure that innovation advances in step with the enduring values that underpin our legal system.
TechLaw.Fest 2026
9. TechLaw.Fest brings together the “Law of Tech” and the “Tech of Law”: the question is how the law can respond to new technology, and how technology can improve legal practice.10. This year marks the 11th edition of TechLaw.Fest, at a significant moment as Singapore commemorates the bicentenary of its modern legal system.
11. Over these next two days, we expect to welcome more than 2,000 participants from over 30 countries. More than 180 speakers will take part in over 80 sessions across the conference, Tech Talk and Tech Bytes programmes.
12. You will also find more than 60 sponsors and exhibitors across two exhibition halls, showcasing a wide range of technologies and solutions.
13. I would encourage all of you to join the discussions, visit the exhibition and make the most of the opportunity to meet people from different fields and jurisdictions.
Turning ideas into practical solutions
14. TechLaw.Fest is also about turning ideas into practical solutions. This can be seen in the Hackathon for a Better World: Future-proofing the Legal Profession, jointly organised by DBS Bank, SAL and the Singapore Courts.15. This Hackathon brought together lawyers, working professionals and tertiary students to address three connected challenges:
- strengthening cross-border legal capabilities;
- integrating artificial intelligence responsibly; and
- sustaining a rewarding and resilient legal practice.
16. We had a total of 38 teams took part, putting forward practical and implementable solutions to support a more adaptive and future-ready legal ecosystem.
17. One of these was Team Chubbles from Singapore Polytechnic. They proposed a solution called CiteCheck SG which is designed to help lawyers efficiently verify the accuracy of case citations in legal documents.
18. Recognising its potential value to practitioners, SAL is exploring with Team Chubbles a potential integration of CiteCheck SG into LawNet. A proof of concept is available for demo at the LawNet booth in the Hibiscus Room.
19. It is encouraging to see an idea from the Hackathon evolve into a practical response to a challenge faced by practitioners.
20. It also shows what can be achieved when legal and technical expertise come together. I look forward to more such collaborations, and to seeing more ideas developed into solutions that benefit the wider profession.
Extending access to arbitration knowledge
21. Yesterday, SAL also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Jus Mundi, a leading global arbitration intelligence platform.22. This MOU provides a framework for both organisations to explore opportunities to extend the international reach of SAL’s Academy Publishing arbitration titles, as well as to exchange expertise and thought leadership.
23. SAL has developed a respected corpus of arbitration scholarship. By making these resources more readily available to audiences beyond our shores, we can support greater exchange of legal knowledge across the international arbitration community.
24. This collaboration forms part of SAL’s wider effort to make more accessible and better support the exchange of ideas and ongoing learning. We hope it will open up new avenues for practitioners, academics and institutions to engage with Singapore arbitration knowledge, while contributing to Singapore’s standing as a leading international arbitration hub.
Extending trusted digital services to Wills
25. In addition, this commitment to practical technology is not confined to professional legal research. SAL also performs trusted functions that serve members of the public.26. Our work in technology is not confined to professional legal research. SAL also performs trusted functions that serve members of the public.
27. Since 2020, SAL has managed the Wills Registry. It records whether a Will exists and where the original paper Will is kept, without storing the Will itself.
28. Building on this, we are introducing a new service today — the Wills Repository.
29. Individuals can now deposit a digital copy of their Will with SAL through participating law firms. This provides an additional point of reference should the original paper Will not be found.
30. At its core, this is a simple but meaningful effort: to reduce the time, uncertainty and unnecessary stress involved in locating a Will, especially during what is often a difficult period for families.
31. Deposited copies of the digital Will can only be accessed by authorised persons, with safeguards in place to protect sensitive information. They will also be securely retained for up to 120 years from the date of birth of the testator .
32. If I may, for a moment, speak not as a judge but as a person. This is something I think about in very practical terms. We all hope to put our affairs in order, not just for ourselves, but to make things a little easier for our loved ones.
33. Knowing that important documents can be located when needed may seem like a small step, but it will make a meaningful difference to those we leave behind.
34. I would therefore encourage anyone who has made a Will but has not yet taken steps to ensure that it can be found when needed, to consider doing so.
35. And to the legal professionals here today, I invite you to consider offering this option to clients who would value the added assurance of a securely deposited digital copy of their Will.
36. We will now show a short video on the Wills Registry.
37. The Wills Registry forms part of SAL’s broader effort to use technology in practical ways, supporting lawyers in their work and giving the public greater assurance when it matters most.
Closing
34. Over the next two days, I hope that the conversations and connections made here will continue beyond the conference, and lead to more ideas being tested, refined and put into practice.35. I wish all of you a productive and engaging TechLaw.Fest 2026.
36. Thank you.