The Inaugural IWS: A Startling Gathering of Budding Jurists
As students gather come August 25th for the launch of the inaugural International Writing Symposium, they will witness the Singapore Law Review (“SLR”) takes one giant step - that is, if the student editorial board of SLR gets its way.
Just a year ago, SLR decided to incorporate the symposium into its annual SLR Writing Competition for the first time, a bold move, albeit with a sound objective of giving contestants a chance to defend and discuss their papers under the scrutiny of distinguished judges.
A year on, SLR took another big leap by catapulting the Writing Competition to an international platform.
A first of its kind in Asia in terms of scale and format, the International Writing Symposium (“IWS”) – wholly organized by the student editorial board of SLR with the support of the Singapore Academy of Law and the NUS Faculty of Law -has drawn entries by students from different universities spanning 5 continents. These include: University of Glasgow, University of Auckland University of Sydney, University of Malaya, National Law School of India University, University of Philippines, NALSAR University of Law, University of Western Ontario, National Law School of India University and of course, National University of Singapore.
Fortuitously, although entries were bound by the theme of discrimination, all entries explored different issues on the same subject and a wide range of legal issues was covered.
In this prelude to the launch of the IWS, Juris Illuminae gives you an insight into the profile and personal interests of some of the finalists. Do come down to the moot court on 25th -26th August 2008 to see them live!
Shatadru Chakraborty
4th Year, National Academy of Legal Studies And Research (NALSAR), Hyderabad, India
Essay Title: Discrimination against Workers under the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 – A Hindrance to India’s Development
Research Interest: Public International Law, Maritime Law
Shatadru examines in his paper how the Special Economic Zones Act 2005 enacted by the Indian Parliament and the concomitant rules framed by the Central Government create a differential regime for worker’s rights in Special Economic Zones. He argues that the disregard for core worker’s rights is a hindrance rather than a help to economic development.
Shatadru enjoys reading, watching movies, listening to music and debating on social issues.
Q: Why did you choose this particular theme for your article?
A report online on the condition of workers in Special Economic Zones in China and the fear of a similar predicament for those in India. I was prompted to think of a solution to the global conflict between economic growth and human rights after I read Amartya Sen’s Development As Freedom. The theme of Labour rights versus Economic development or rather Labour rights with Development through the conspectus of the recent SEZ legislation in India thus offered the perfect opportunity for an application of the first principles. My reading of the literature of the transnational labour movement only helped me to add legalistic credibility to my approach.
Q: What was the push factor to join the SLR IWS?
The chance of getting an internship with T.S. Oon & Bazul particularly since I have worked on Maritime Law before, in addition to the opportunity of doing an LLM at NUS.
Q: How do you think this symposium will further your legal education and growth?
The possibility of a discussion on my own presentation is sure to be a learning experience in so far as my success or failure at the same will depend not only on my research but also perhaps on my ability to think on my feet.
Nick Sim Shi Qiang & Amardeep Singh
Year Three, National University of Singapore
Essay Title: Discrimination: Help or Hindrance? – Listening to the Battered Woman’s Silent Screams
Nick and Amardeep may be familiar faces to you in NUS Law School. They collaborated to produce an essay on the battered women syndrome, where abused women suffering from it are not presently able to rely on it as a defence for the murder of their abusers. They have proposed a reformulation of the existing criminal law defences so as to allow abused women to plead defence under one of the existing defences in criminal law.
Q: Why did you choose this particular theme for your article?
Nick: We saw a need for an article, written by Singaporeans, which explores the controversies surrounding the battered women’s syndrome. Local jurisprudence and literature on the issue is lacking. We were hoping that our work could provide some information to parties who may be interested in finding out more about battered women, and the circumstances which drive them to kill.
Amardeep: Criminal law has always fascinated me. Reading the accounts of these battered women really moved me. I couldn’t believe that animals whom these women are accused of killing could treat their wives so cruelly. And yet, the very same law which is supposed to protect these women punishes them for something which they should not be guilty of.
Q: What was the push factor to join the SLR IWS?
Nick: The IWS would be a great opportunity for us to test our ideas and opinions; and to defend them against scrutiny. We were also eager to have our work published.
Amardeep: I guess the possibility of having our work published and reaching a mass audience and being able to share with them our thoughts on the law. After all, if we the people whom the law affects do not talk about it and point out its deficiencies, then who will?
Emmi Okada
5th Year, University of Sydney
Essay Title: The Indigenous, the Imperial and the International: A Contextual Comparison of Laws Concerning the Ainu of Japan and Australian Aborigines
Research Interests: Social movements, indigenous and minority rights
Emmi’s essay examines the national and international laws applying to two groups of indigenous peoples: the Ainu of Japan and the Australian Aborigines. She suggests possible avenues by which international law can spearhead the development of the rights of indigenous peoples by playing a significant role in supervising indigenous-state negotiations.
Emmi’s interests include reading, traveling, playing the piano, creative writing and being socially active. She is also passionate about indigenous issues.
Q: What was the push factor to join the SLR IWS?
I received an email from Sydney University law faculty office, and thought to myself that I had a perfect topic for the essay theme.
Q: What do you look forward to in your trip to Singapore?
I’ve never been in the country before except for a transit stay, so I’m looking forward to soaking up the atmosphere, trying out the different food (within vegetarian limits), mixing with interesting and energetic Singaporean students and generally learning about a new place.
An Qi is a third year law student and a Senior Editor of SLR.
[...] The Inaugural IWS: A Startling Gathering of Budding Jurists by Tan An QI Angie As students gather come August 25th for the launch of the inaugural International Writing Symposium, they will witness the Singapore Law Review (”SLR”) takes one giant step - that is, if the student editorial board of SLR gets its way. (Read More) [...]