MinLaw Seeks Feedback on Singapore's International Arbitration Regime and the International Arbitration Act 1994

1. The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) launched a public consultation today to seek feedback on Singapore’s international arbitration regime and the International Arbitration Act 1994 of Singapore (IAA).

2. The public consultation will run for six weeks, ending on 2 May 2025.

International Arbitration Act 1994

3. The IAA, which first came into force in 1995, adopts the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration (1985) (Model Law) to provide a legal framework for international arbitration proceedings. Singapore regularly reviews the IAA, and introduces revisions to update the legislation where necessary.

Study on Singapore’s international arbitration regime and the IAA

4. Singapore is widely regarded as a global legal hub and one of the world’s leading international arbitration hubs. To strengthen our international arbitration regime and maintain our competitiveness in the international sphere, MinLaw keeps abreast of international best practices and commercial developments to ensure that our policies and legislation remain relevant in the face of evolving industry needs.

5. As part of this continual review, MinLaw commissioned the Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy (SIDRA) to conduct a study on Singapore’s international arbitration regime and the IAA. A report of SIDRA’s study, published on 21 March, can be found at https://sidra.smu.edu.sg/research-program/review-of-the-singapore-international-arbitration-act-2024/agenda.

6. In addition to the SIDRA study, MinLaw also engaged various stakeholders, including practitioners and dispute resolution institutions, to obtain their feedback and suggestions.

Public Consultation

7. In addition to the consultation efforts thus far, MinLaw is seeking views from members of the public on Singapore’s international arbitration regime and the IAA, including in relation to setting aside applications and other post-award scenarios. The full public consultation paper may be viewed online at https://www.mlaw.gov.sg/public-consultation-on-the-international-arbitration-act-1994-of-singapore/.

8. Members of the public are invited to submit their views on the proposals above as well as any other feedback on how Singapore’s international arbitration framework can be improved to better support the needs of the users. All views and feedback may be submitted at the following link by 2 May 2025: https://go.gov.sg/singapore-international-arbitration-regime.

MINISTRY OF LAW
21 MARCH 2025

Last updated on 21 March 2025