Plenary Session 1: Constitutional Interpretation: Analysing Recent Approaches and Developments
Moderator
Jeffrey Chan Wah Teck, S.C. – Adjunct Professor (Faculty of Law), National University of Singapore
Panellists
Low Siew Ling – Senior State Counsel (Civil Division), Attorney-General’s Chambers
Dr Jaclyn Neo – Associate Professor (Faculty of Law), National University of Singapore; Consultant, WongPartnership LLP
Dr Kevin Tan – Adjunct Professor (Faculty of Law), National University of Singapore
Interpretation lies at the heart of every constitutional challenge. Debates over constitutional interpretation implicate a multitude of questions about the meaning of the text, the relevance of context and structure, the import of purpose, and the significance of foundational norms of the constitution. Moreover, one’s interpretive approach reflects a theory of judicial power, as well as a theory of the constitutional government in general. In this session, speakers will examine interpretive approaches taken by the courts in recent cases including Wong Souk Yee v AG, Tan Cheng Bock v AG, and Lim Meng Suang v AG. Besides analysing the cases, speakers will also reflect upon the status of the constitution in Singapore’s legal system, focusing in particular on the relationship between the constitutional text and other statutory texts.