Our History

Milestones in our journey of uplifting Singapore’s legal profession

These 165 newly called advocates and solicitors in 1989 were the first members of the Academy.

Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew at the opening of the Singapore Academy of Law in 1990.

“Such a collegiate spirit is necessary for pride in the profession and in its honourable standards and practices.”

MR LEE KUAN YEW, THEN PRIME MINISTER OF SINGAPORE, SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE SINGAPORE ACADEMY OF LAW IN 1990

In 1988, SAL was established by an Act of Parliament to unite the Bench, the Bar, the legal service, and academia.

It became the first institution in the region to bring these key pillars together, with the goal of fostering a collegiate spirit, raising professional standards, and instilling a deep sense of honor in the profession.

Officially opened on 31 August 1990 by then-Prime Minister Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, SAL was equipped with generous resources, including prime premises at City Hall and the SAL Restaurant—designed as a focal point for the Chief Justice, judges, and senior members of the legal service to engage with lawyers and academics.

Led by the Chief Justice, with Chief Justice Wee Chong Jin as its first president, SAL’s Senate ensured that its committees—often headed by Supreme Court judges—brought a diverse range of expertise to the Academy’s work.

SAL quickly established itself as a platform for shared learning, promoting continuing legal education, research, and regional dialogue to keep Singapore’s legal community competitive globally. It also embraced technological innovations like LawNet, ensuring access to legal knowledge in a constantly evolving landscape.

Today, SAL is more than just an institution—it is a driving force for innovation, constantly adapting to the challenges of an interconnected, rapidly changing world.

Milestones

1988

The Singapore Academy of Law Act comes into effect on 1 November.

1989

The SAL crest is introduced, bearing its motto, Honor est in Honorante. It is later adapted into the SAL logo.
The SAL Restaurant opens in January serving local and western fare.
The first issue of the Singapore Academy Law Journal is published in September.

1990

Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew officiates the opening of SAL at City Hall on 31 August. He is conferred the title of Honorary Fellow for Life and Member for Life.
Some 200 members attend the first SAL Conference, “Legal Services in the 1990s”.

1992

Former Chief Justice Dr Wee Chong Jin and Dr David Marshall are conferred the title of Honorary Fellow for Life and Member for Life.
SAL publishes the inaugural issue of the Singapore Law Reports in collaboration with Butterworths Asia.

1994

The first SAL Annual Lecture is held in September, delivered by The Rt Hon the Lord Taylor of Gosfroth.

1995

SAL inaugurates a five-year series conference on developments in Singapore law, "Review of Judicial and Legal Reforms in Singapore between 1990 -1995".
The first SAL Legal Heritage exhibition is held at City Hall Chamber.
The Singapore Academy of Law (Amendment) Act 1995 is passed. SAL’s functions are expanded to include development of legal infrastructure and services in Singapore.

1996

LawNet is transferred to SAL from the Attorney-General's Chambers.

1997

The first batch of 12 Senior Counsel are appointed.
Singapore Mediation Centre (“SMC”) is launched by Chief Justice Yong Pung How.
SAL commences stakeholding services for sale and purchase transactions of newly developed private residential properties, commercial properties and executive condominiums under certain statutory schemes.

1998

Launch of Legal Workbench.

2000

Supreme Court’s Electronic Filing System is introduced on LawNet.

2001

SAL publishes the inaugural issue of SAL Annual Review of Singapore Cases.

2003

SAL assumes full publishing responsibilities for the Singapore Law Reports and commences the Singapore Law Reports (Reissue) project.

2005

The International Promotion of Singapore Law Programme is launched.
SAL and SMC are relocated to the new Supreme Court Building.
The Academy Bistro replaces the SAL Restaurant.

2006

Chief Justice Yong Pung How retires on 10 April.
Attorney-General Chan Sek Keong is appointed new Chief Justice and President of SAL on 11 April.
Former Chief Justice Yong Pung How is conferred the title of Honorary Fellow for Life and Member for Life.

2007

Academy Publishing, the publishing arm of SAL, is officially launched by Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong.

2008

SAL launches the Singapore Law Watch, a free one-stop daily legal news service for the legal community and public.
SAL celebrates its 20th anniversary with an exhibition entitled “Legal Legacies: The Story of Singapore Law”.
Deputy Prime Minister Professor S Jayakumar is conferred title of Honorary Fellow for Life and Member for Life.

2009

The Membership Credit Dollar scheme is introduced to encourage continuing legal education and upgrading of legal knowledge.
The inaugural Junior College Law Programme is launched to introduce junior college students to law as a career choice.

2010

Academy Publishing launches the Singapore Law Reports (Reissue), a landmark publication.

2012

Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong retires on 6 November.
Judge of Appeal Sundaresh Menon is appointed new Chief Justice and President of SAL on 7 November.

2013

SAL celebrates its 25^th anniversary.
SAL holds Law Week 2013, a five-day event focused on bringing law and pro bono services closer to the community.
SAL holds a book fair and exhibition: ”Law & Community on Criminal Justice and Family Law”.
A charity concert, “The Lex Factor – Law Has Talent”, in support of the Yellow Ribbon Fund – SAL STAR Bursary, raises a total of $303,000 for the bursary.

2015

The first CJ’s Cup is held.

2016

The Asian Business Law Institute ("ABLI") is launched to initiate, conduct and facilitate research, and produce authoritative texts to guide and support the convergence of Asian commercial laws.

2017

SAL launches the Legal Industry Framework for Training and Education (”LIFTED"), a professional learning and development initiative.
SAL unveils the Future Law Innovation Programme to bring together stakeholders from business, government and academia to collaborate on developing new models for the delivery of legal services in the future economy.
SAL launches new corporate identity to ensure it remains relevant in a new digital era.
SAL rolls out the Specialist Accreditation Scheme to help lawyers in specialist fields have their skills and knowledge recognised.

2018

SAL launches TechLaw.Fest, a multi-dimensional event that includes a conference, seminars, master classes, exhibitions, a hackathon and business opportunities to drive legal technology in Singapore and in the region.
The inaugural Joseph Grimberg Outstanding Young Advocate Award is presented.
The first batch of 24 Building and Construction Law Specialists are appointed.
The Venture Capital Investment Model Agreements (VIMA) are launched, connecting members with the vibrant start-up community.

2019

The first batch of 29 Shipping and Maritime Law Specialists are appointed.

2020

SAL takes over management of the Wills Registry from the Public Trustee’s Office.
In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, SAL pledges $2.9 million to support members with fee waivers, professional development initiatives and initiatives to streamline work packages through the Covid-19 pandemic Covid-19 support packages.

2022

The SAL Undergraduate Scholarship is expanded to support students from Singapore’s third law school at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.

2023

SAL moves to operate and develop its services running on digital platforms through a new subsidiary, LawNet Technology Services (“LTS”).
The Advocate and Solicitor Pins are introduced as a means of instilling pride in the profession.
Senior Judge Andrew Phang becomes the eighth person to receive the title of Honorary Member for Life and Fellow for Life.

2024

The first batch of 5 Data and Digital Economy Law Specialists are appointed.
SAL introduces prompt engineering resources and workshops to give members a headstart in harnessing the power of Generative AI.
LawNet AI, a series of AI-powered services, is launched. The first feature, case summarisation, summarises more than 15,000 unreported court judgments.
SAL begins to digitise the process of authenticating public documents for overseas use with eApostille.

Our Legal Heritage

Dive into the past to understand the present—Singapore’s legal history awaits. SAL helps preserve Singapore’s legal history through its Legal Heritage Committee.

Pictured above: Supreme Court, 1880s, Collection of the National Museum of Singapore, National Heritage Board

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