Administrative & Public Law

Our lawyers have unrivalled experience in administrative and public law matters, having litigated and advised on a variety of matters, including judicial review, committees of inquiries and constitutional issues.

We have acted for and against governments/government bodies, public and commercial regulatory bodies, administrative tribunals, governmental and executive agencies. 

Our strengths lie in our specialist knowledge and our ability to manage the diverse regulatory, public and commercial issues in order to deliver efficient and effective solutions.

Experience

Our lawyers have worked on the following matters:

1. Successfully acted for the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (SGX) in a judicial review action brought to the High Court by an independent director of China Sky Chemical Fibre Limited seeking to overturn a reprimand issued to him for his 'flagrant disregard' of SGX’s directive to appoint special auditors. This was the first case of its kind in Singapore whereby an independent director had challenged the SGX.
    
2. Successfully defended the former Deputy Defence Minister, Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, and Commander of the Royal Brunei Air Forces in a claim against them by a former officer of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces in the Court of Appeal of Brunei. The case raised interesting and novel constitutional issues.
    
3. Represented the SMRT Corporation in a high-profile Committee of Inquiry hearing arising from two major MRT breakdowns in December 2011. Cavinder Bull, SC defended the SMRT Corporation in this 6-week inquiry involving 116 witnesses before a 3-man tribunal led by Chief District Judge Tan Siong Thye.  
    
4. Acting in various administrative tribunal hearings before the Tax Review Board. Represented a corporation in a novel High Court case which challenged the exercise by the Comptroller of Income Tax of his powers under the anti-avoidance provisions of the Income Tax Act.
    
5. Successfully led appeals to the Competition Appeal Board relating to decisions by the Competition Commission of Singapore. Our Competition and Regulatory Law Practice headed by Lim Chong Kin and Cavinder Bull, SC have routinely advised the sectoral competition regulators on liberalisation, market access, licensing, competition regulation, merger reviews, and enforcement issues, including successfully defending the regulators in various Ministerial appeals.
    
6. Acted in the first and only constitutional reference made to the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore Tribunal, arising from a reference made by the late President Ong Teng Cheong to clarify the scope of the application of Article 5(2A) and Article 22H(1) of the Constitution. The Government was represented by Chan Sek Keong and Soh Tze Bian of the Attorney-General’s Chambers, and the Presidency by Joseph Grimberg, SC and Walter Woon.
    
7. Advice relating to constitutional issues arising from the Singapore and Bruneian Constitutions.