Dear fellow SCL(S) members,

It is with great pleasure that I find myself with the privilege of penning this message to welcome you all to our 64^th edition of the SCL(S) Newsletter.

As usual, the year seems to be flying past us at a rate of knots. Reflecting back on the last three months, our Professional Development Subcommittee continued to organise and deliver some quality events.

On the evening of 26 April 2023, we held a webinar where our excellent speakers Joanna Seetoh, Sam Widdowson and Ashley Thompson shared insights on how good project planning practices and adherence to contract provisions can help minimise the risk of construction disputes (or at least, help best prepare you for when a dispute becomes unavoidable). 

Following this, on the evening of 18 May 2023, we held a physical in-person seminar on collaborative contracting at the RNN Conference Centre.  We had the privilege of having Sathiaseelan Jagateesan and Eugene Seah, members of the Singapore Academy of Law’s Building & Construction Subcommittee that released the Guide on Collaborative Contracting in the Construction Industry, share their views on the guide and the nature of collaborative contracting.

Please find the post-event update in this newsletter.

Within this edition of our newsletter, you will find an article exploring whether a two-tier SOP Act could, or should, be adopted in Singapore, and another article exploring the nature of EPCM contracts.

On behalf of the SCL(S) Council, I would like to extend a big thank you to our speakers for taking time out of their busy schedules to prepare and deliver these excellent events, and also to our newsletter contributors for the insightful articles.

Looking ahead, our Council is very busy with a packed calendar for the third quarter of 2023 comprising of:

• a seminar on 20 July 2023 titled ‘Navigating Ambiguities in Construction Contracts: Challenges, Considerations and Best Practices’;
• followed by our SCL(S) Annual General Meeting and 12^th Annual Dinner to be held on 23 August 2023 at the OSO Ristorante Restaurant in the Oasia Hotel; and
• then our flagship event for the year, the SCL(S) Annual Conference on 21 September 2023.

The SCL(S) Annual Conference for 2023 is particularly unique as it will be a joint Conference with the newly formed International Statutory Adjudication Forum (ISAF). Titled ‘Adjudication in the Age of Collaborative Contracting’, the Conference will open with remarks from Mr Chow Kok Fong, Chair of ISAF and a Keynote Address from Justice Philip Jeyaretnam – President of the Singapore International Commercial Court and Judge of the High Court of Singapore. The Conference sessions will feature esteemed speakers from Singapore and abroad.  This is certainly an event not to be missed!

On behalf of the SCL(S) Council, thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you all in the upcoming events.

Trevor Lam
Vice-Chair, SCL(Singapore)