Conference programme

How has the jurisprudence of Asian jurisdictions shaped up since they broke free of their former colonial masters? This session explores the changes in influence of western jurisprudence in major jurisdictions in the Asia Pacific region, and the trends of development as former colonies found their own respective paths, including the treatment by courts of western precedents and its implications on litigation practice.

This session will discuss various technological advances with reference to:
• developments in information technology pertaining to the conduct of trials and hearing before national courts;
• the use of artificial intelligence; and
• the introduction of pilot schemes within national courts and law firms across numerous jurisdictions in Asia aimed at expediting the dispute resolution process.

This session will also focus on the use of technology in day-to-day court proceedings in specialist courts and specific industry related disputes.

The panel members will discuss the differences in approach to the discovery and inclusion of evidence at trial considering the differing civil and common law systems operating across several jurisdictions in Asia and the obligations arising thereunder. The panel members will also discuss the implications of these different obligations in a cross border, multi-jurisdictional litigation. This session will also cover the considerations relating to securing the necessary witnesses to admit documents and the preparation of witness statements in general, particularly in this age of virtual hearings.

In this session, panel members will share their experiences of managing and litigating cross-border disputes, and will discuss fraud, corruption and white-collar crime. The panel members will explore:
• how to identify appropriate counsel in different jurisdictions:
• how to ensure a harmonious litigation strategy; and
• how to combat a minefield of different related disputes, including addressing jurisdictional issues, securing worldwide Mareva injunctions, tracing orders, seeking or opposing extradition requests, expropriation of assets or investments, as well as commencing related or secondary litigation claims or investment treaty claims.

This session will explore the need, and potential requirements, for an international commercial court in Asia. The panel members will discuss the work of the Singapore International Commercial Court, the China International Commercial Court, the Dubai International Commercial Court, and the Qatar International Court to assess their development since inception and analyse their importance in the global marketplace. In addition, the panel members will discuss recent developments of other commercial courts across Europe and the Middle East with the aim to ascertain how effective these commercial courts have been in managing and resolving global disputes.

A showcase session where a moot problem will be presented before a panel of eminent judges from the Singapore International Commercial Court. Counsel will address the court in a case management conference and a hearing. This session will highlight the unique features of the newly launched Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021. Special skills, relating to the art of persuasion and the ability to identify key legal and factual issues will be demonstrated.