Ng Ziqin’s passion for the literary arts began before her NUS days. Blending law with a love for writing, she continued honing her craft in her undergraduate years, and put her skills to use—she led University Court Friends, a pro bono project; was Editor-in-Chief of NUS Law's publication, Justified; and taught writing classes via Book-a-Writer, a programme by literary non-profit SingLit Station. Her determination in pursuing the literary arts has manifested in all aspects of her young life, such as participating in the Global Experience (GEx) Paris programme under the NUS College experience, which inspired a collection of five short stories. She may have graduated, but this is just the start of another chapter for her, as soon-to-be lawyer and writer.

Despite a financially challenging background and academic struggles in her first year reading law, Julia's can-do attitude saw her surmounting these roadblocks. She continually pushed herself outside her comfort zone, enriching her life with a multitude of experiences driven by a sense of empathy and a desire to absorb lessons unique to law. Not only did she volunteer to mentor youth from disadvantaged families, she also made time for pro bono work and participated in moots. In her own words, "I really disliked it, but I did it because I disliked it”—with such a growth mindset, we can't wait to see what the future holds for this newly minted graduate with a double degree in Law and Liberal Arts.

At the 22nd Annual Asian Law Institute Conference co-organised by its Secretariat which is based in NUS Law, five NUS Law professors convened in Shanghai to present their papers and co-host panel discussions with legal scholars from all over the world. As one of the largest conferences centred on Asian law, the event proved to be a forum for outstanding scholarship and demonstrated the collective commitment to advancing knowledge about law and justice in the region.

Associate Professor Stephen Phua met a 31-strong delegation from Thailand’s Standing Committee on Social Welfare, under the House of Representatives, and discussed taxation frameworks of casinos, redistribution and social controls, in the light of plans to set up an entertainment complex in their country. Following his visit to Bangkok in September 2024 where he spoke on Singapore’s SG50 and SG100 policies, they made a reciprocal trip to the Bukit Timah campus on 13 June to further get his insights into the Singapore integrated resorts’ impact on tourism, job creation and tax revenue collection, as well as learn about the nation’s support structures.

As we come to the half-way mark of 2025, we applaud the efforts of our students for their excellent showing at moot competitions near and far, with new records set at the Vis-Japan Pre-Moot and the Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court Competition. Travelling to countries including India, Japan, Paris, Turkey and the United States, our students gained a broadening of their world views as they benefitted from the opportunity to argue legal standpoints against peers from law schools around the world.

For the first time, NUS Law advanced to the semi-finals in the trilingual competition centred on the unique inter-American legal system, on the topic of human trafficking and human rights. Interpreted rounds, which saw English language oral arguments translated in real time in front of human rights experts, added another challenging layer, even as the rules were changed on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the competition. An English-speaking team has won the competition only twice in its entire history.

Celebrating 20 years of service and impact, the NUS Pro Bono Group (PBG) commemorated its milestone anniversary on 21 February 2025 with a meaningful evening of reflection and recognition. Bringing together students, alumni, faculty and legal industry leaders, the ceremony honoured PBG’s enduring commitment to access to justice and the power of student-driven initiatives.

Ellisha Khairi’s capstone critically examines the persistent issue of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN peacekeepers, a problem that has plagued peacekeeping operations since the 1990s. To centre victims' needs at the heart of the criminal justice system, she argues that hybrid courts offer the most pragmatic solution.

Appearing before a rare five-judge coram in the Court of Appeal led by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Assistant Professor Marcus Teo argued on behalf of four death-row inmates that presumptions in the Act infringe fundamental rules of natural justice, which include the presumption of innocence.

Multi-disciplinary teams across NUS impressed judges at the second Linklaters Social Impact Competition, with their innovative proposals to tackle the problem of plastic pollution. Supported by law firm Linklaters Singapore, the contest addresses social and sustainability challenges. Judges commended the NUS students for their ingenious ideas, the quality of their videos and the level of research, with the champion pulling ahead with a three-pronged approach targeting the economic, cultural and infrastructural aspects of the issue.

Exploring parental maintenance litigation in Taiwan, NUS Law Professor Lynette Chua analyses the ideology that families bear the responsibility of caring for their own, and highlights how interactions among the state, individuals and their families can shift the balance of power in shouldering this duty. For this, she has won the Socio-Legal Article Prize 2025.

A Deputy Attorney-General since 2022, Mr Ang Cheng Hock took on the appointment of Judge of the High Court from 1 May 2025. He was first appointed as a High Court Judge in 2019, and oversaw a wide range of cases spanning civil, commercial and criminal. Mr Ang has amassed 29 years of experience from his time as a practising lawyer, Judge and Deputy Attorney-General, and this appointment is testament to his credentials.