New Book: “Commercial Conflict of Laws” by Yeo Tiong Min

Professor Yeo Tiong Min (Singapore Management University – Yong Pung How School of Law) has recently published a seminal book entitled “Commercial Conflict of Laws” (Academy Publishing, 2023).

The book aims to introduce readers to “the concept, principles and techniques of the common law of Singapore in dealing with problems in the conflict of laws, with an emphasis on cross-border commercial transactions” (p. v). The book consists of 14 chapters dealing with the core issues of private international law (conflict of laws), i.e. international jurisdiction (Chapters 2 to 7), foreign judgments (Chapters 8 to 10) and choice of law (Chapters 11 to 14).

The book’s blurb reads as follows:

“Understanding of the principles of conflict of laws is essential to lawyers who aim to service the highly globalised and interconnected economy of Singapore. This book deals with the central principles, methodologies, and controversies in the subject, with focus on topics that are relevant to commercial transactions. It examines the jurisdiction of the Singapore courts (including the Singapore International Commercial Court) in cross-border litigation, the effect of foreign judgments in Singapore, choice of law methodologies and their particular application to contractual and non-contractual obligations and inter vivos property transactions. The common law principles are discussed in the context of the framework of Singapore legislation, including the Choice of Court Agreements Act implementing the Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements, the refreshed Reciprocal Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act, as well as the new Rules of Court of 2021.”

The book, which is the result of many years of expertise, will certainly provide readers with important comparative law elements on how private international law operates in Singapore based on its common law and statutory regimes.

It should be noted that earlier this year, Professor Yeo Tiong Min also published the course he delivered at the Hague Academy of International Law (Summer Course of Private International Law of 2022). The course is entitled “Common Law, Equity and Statute: The Effect of Juridical Sources on Choice-of-Law Methodology”, Collected Courses of the Hague Academy of International Law, Vol. 431 (2023).