Recently, there has been much discussion in Singapore about the dearth of initial public offerings (‘IPOs’) and undervaluation of the share prices of many listed companies on the Singapore Exchange. Committees have been set up to address this issue. Some reasons have been postulated and good solutions have been provided. But there may be fundamental structural issues that are harder to resolve.
The book of which my chapter forms part is entitled ‘Power-Sharing in the Global South: Patterns, Practices and Potential’, and the book in turn forms part of an original series entitled ‘Federalism and Internal Conflict’, published by Palgrave, and edited by two well-known experts on federalism, Soren Keil and Eva Maria Belser, both of Fribourg University’s Institute of Federalism. The series is inspired by the work of Arendt Lijphart.
Aspects of individual liberty are considered in two recent articles, with some implications for the role played by law in working through the practical implementation of liberty in society. ‘Other People’s Liberties’ published in Ratio Juris questions whether the undeniable advantages of liberty to an individual are readily transferable to a number of individuals, relating together within a society. ‘Overcoming von Wright’s Anxiety’ published in Theoria attempts to deal with an enduring anxiety experienced by Georg Henrik von Wright throughout his engagement with deontic logic across the course of his professional life, over the apparent reducibility of permission to an absence of obligation.
The ‘gender gap’ is a well-studied empirical phenomenon globally. Studies in many places show that female candidates are systemically disadvantaged and underperform as compared to their male counterparts in many areas, even after controlling for other factors. Although much of this work has focused on the labour market, gender gaps have also been observed in educational outcomes, opportunities, and experience. These include the sciences, business, as well as law. Although the gender gap in law may not be as wide as in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses, major studies in the United States (US) show evidence of significant gender disparities in legal education. This gender gap is reflected in differential grades, differential classroom and out of classroom experiences, as well as differential educational outcomes and career prospects.
Australians have a reputation for laidback attitudes towards swearing. But did you know that across Australia, it is a crime to use offensive language in or near a public place?
Much of my research considers the relationship between language, power and the criminal law. In my recent article, ‘It might be powerful; but is it offensive? Unpacking judicial views on the c-word’, I consider the legal treatment of a common Australian swear word: ‘c___t’. My article asks two questions: Have societal attitudes towards this word changed in Australia? And if they have, how should its use be judged by the criminal law?
The advent of autonomous vehicles (‘AVs’) will disruptively transform the motor insurance sector. Traditional motor insurance in Singapore rests on the public policy of ensuring adequate coverage for all victims in road accidents. With AVs challenging the orthodox foundations of motor insurance, however, existing insurance doctrines will have to evolve to grapple with unfamiliar risks. We examine this in our article ‘Autonomous Vehicles and Insurance Law Principles: Navigating New Frontiers in Singapore’ published in the Singapore Academy of Law Journal.
A creditor bringing an action will want interest too. Interest compensates for late payment. For the last 200 years, relief came from statutes. The common law did not recognize a right to pre-judgment interest. That position was relaxed in Sempra Metals v IRC [2008] 1 AC 561. Interest on debts and other claims for breach of contract were legitimised. Plaintiffs can now present claims for compound interest at common law, whereas statutory interest is always simple. Where the interval between cause of action and judgment is long and the sum is large, this is a superior option. In a recent Privy Council decision (Sagicor Bank Jamaica v YP Seaton[2022] UKPC 48), interest calculated on a compound basis was roughly 52 times greater than simple, and roughly 368 times the principal sum.
Environmental, social, and governance (‘ESG’) reporting is increasingly practiced by companies. But is ESG reporting good or bad for the environment? How might we even approach such a question? The investigation of this question lies at the heart of my paper, ‘[ESG] Reporting from an Environmentalist’s (Not Investor’s) Lens’, published in (2023) 47 Environs: Environmental Law and Policy Journal 52-104.
I have been writing a series of papers that examines what systems theory is and whether it can be used to think through problems of corporate liability. This blog post provides an overview of two of the three published papers (both published in the second half of 2023).