Category: Current Affairs

In December 2020, over 200 patients of Khoo Teck Phuat Hospital (“KTPH”) were found to have been misdiagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer called “HER2”. The misdiagnosis resulted from the false-positive results of HER2 tests conducted by KTPH’s laboratory. While the patients did have breast cancer, the misdiagnosis of the more aggressive condition led to more expensive treatment. This treatment caused severe side effects as well. In such a situation, how can one seek redress through the courts? This article will assist such a patient by informing her of who she can sue, how she might be able to establish a viable claim, and the type of compensation that she can claim for.

It is incumbent on us to be well-equipped to care for our elderly when they lack the capacity to do so. The Lasting Power of Attorney (“LPA”) has become a popular tool used under such circumstances, as reflected by the increasing number of LPA applications in Singapore from 8,000 registered in 2015 to almost 24,500 in 2019. This article will first explain what an LPA is, before discussing the assessment of mental capacity which is governed by the Mental Capacity Act. Lastly, the risks involved in the administration of LPAs will be considered.

What is the difference between a contract of employment and a contract for employment? If I am a business owner, which contract should I use when hiring: a) employees, b) part-timers and c) independent contractors? This article will first discuss the differences between these two legal concepts before concluding with some practical pointers for business owners. 

It is said that nothing in life is certain, except death and taxes. This is especially true for doctors who frequently witness deaths in their occupation and, more recently, have had the taxman knocking on their doors. The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (“IRAS”) has been going after doctors aggressively for tax avoidance after finding out that doctors have been setting up companies primarily to reduce their tax liabilities. Against this backdrop, a doctor running his own practice as a sole proprietor may be unsure if the benefits of incorporating a company for his medical practice would outweigh the risk of committing tax avoidance. This article provides guidance for doctors on how to incorporate a company without committing tax avoidance.

On 29 September 2021, fans of the American singer – Britney Spears – cheered when the court suspended her father’s role as her conservator. Britney had previously claimed that her conservatorship was “oppressive” as her father controlled almost every aspect of her life. The court subsequently terminated the conservatorship completely on 12 November 2021. This article seeks to explain how a conservatorship works, and shed light on similar legal arrangements in Singapore. It will explain when someone might be placed under such a legal arrangement and how Britney can challenge her conservatorship if she was in Singapore.

This article discusses the effectiveness private pet groomer negligence lawsuits by assessing the applicable law in Singapore. This article further proposes that pet owners should get pet insurance, as a better alternative to a private lawsuit to receive monetary compensation should such events occur.

Singapore’s employment law mandates that salary must be promptly paid to resigning employees even if the employee had wronged the employer; this is a strict position with only a few rare exceptions allowed.  Further, the courts have clarified that any wrong caused by a resigning employee is a separate matter. As a separate matter, the proper recourse by the employer to right any such wrong would be to take legal action against the employee under the terms of the employment contract. 

Imagine you marry someone with a child from a prior relationship. Initially, you do not mind caring for this child. Then, your marriage sours and you no longer want anything to do with your spouse or the child. However, can your initial conduct of caring for the child unknowingly saddle you with a legal obligation to maintain him/her even when you may not want to? The answer is yes.

Let’s say you are an investor. You enter a joint investment with a friend, and lend him $100,000. Sadly, the joint venture fails, and to make matters worse, your friend has gone bankrupt and transferred half of your money to his wife. Can you get your money back?

Usually, a company would have a legal claim against such misbehaving directors. However, the directors of a company are the ones who decide when the company takes legal action. Does this mean the company is left helpless to claim for its losses from these directors? Thankfully not. As a shareholder, although you are typically unable to cause the company to take legal action, the law provides an exception to this rule under Section 216A of the Companies Act. This is called the “statutory derivative action”.