PM Lawrence Wong at SGLaw200 Youth Forum

The Honourable Chief Justice and members of the Judiciary
My Cabinet colleagues
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen

I am very happy to join all of you this morning at this SGLaw200 Youth Forum, and to see many young Singaporeans gathered here. This year marks the 200^th anniversary of Singapore’s legal system. We are planning a series of events to mark this milestone, and this SGLaw200 Youth Forum is the first of the major events for this 200^th anniversary. And I am very happy that MinLaw and IPS have set aside this space for young people to reflect on what the Rule of Law means for our society and also for our future.

When I speak with young people, the conversations usually turn to issues like mental health, inequality, and climate change. Rarely do they begin with the Rule of Law. 

But think about the things we sometimes take for granted. For example, how we can walk home at night safely, without a second thought. How we might sign contracts confidently, knowing that they would be honoured. Or trust that we would be treated fairly, whoever we are or whatever our background. You probably did not think about the Rule of Law in that moment. But it was there. And it is always there. And the moment it is not, everything else begins to unravel. 

What is the Rule of Law

So what does the Rule of Law actually mean? 

If you ask different people, you might get different answers. Some will say it is about clear laws that apply to everyone. Others will point to due process – presumption of innocence, and the right to a fair hearing. Still others will say it is about balance – protecting individual freedoms while safeguarding the wider community. 

And all of these are valid. But beneath them lies a deeper point. As a French philosopher once put it: "Justice without force is powerless; force without justice is tyranny."

And this is not abstract philosophy. It plays out in real life. 

Law enforcement has to work within a framework of laws. Otherwise, you risk abuse. But constrain that power within a framework too tightly, and criminals will exploit the gaps, and the guilty walk free, and the ordinary people pay the price. 

So the real challenge is navigating the space in between – where principle meets practice, and difficult trade-offs have to be made.

And there is no universal formula for success. Every country has to find its own balance – shaped by its history, its composition, its vulnerabilities, and its values. A formula that works in one country may be unsuitable to another. 

The Rule of Law is also not just about order or efficiency. It is about legitimacy as well. People must believe that the system is fair — that it treats them with dignity, and that justice is not only done, but seen to be done. Without that belief, even the strongest laws will not hold.

Singapore’s Approach to the Rule of Law

So, what is Singapore’s approach to the Rule of Law? 

We are a small, multi-racial and multi-religious society, with people of different backgrounds and beliefs living in close proximity. Our history has taught us, sometimes painfully, how fragile harmony can be. 

And that is why for us, stability is not a preference. It is an existential necessity. Without stability, there can be no security, no progress, and ultimately, no Singapore.

This reality shapes how we approach the Rule of Law. We put a strong emphasis on safeguarding the wider public interest. We ensure that the Government has the ability to act decisively and swiftly when circumstances demand it. 

But these powers are not unchecked. They are exercised within a system of strong institutions – an independent judiciary, a professional and impartial civil service, and regular and free and fair elections. As I said earlier, the key is balance: a system strong enough to govern effectively, and constrained enough to prevent abuse.

This balance works only because of trust. Singaporeans trust that the Government they elect will exercise its powers responsibly. And the Government, in turn, is accountable to the people for how these powers are used. And that trust did not emerge overnight. It has been built up carefully over generations — and it must continue to be earned and renewed. 

In the end, the test of any system is whether it delivers good outcomes for its people. The Rule of Law cannot just be an abstract principle. It must be something people experience in their daily lives – in the safety they enjoy, the fairness they expect, and the confidence they have in institutions. 

And let me illustrate this with three examples. 

First, corruption.

In some countries, corruption is tolerated as part of the cost of doing business. But in Singapore, we have taken a strict zero-tolerance approach. Our laws are enforced firmly. Investigations are carried out independently. And the standards apply to everyone — regardless of position or status.

This is not just about maintaining a good business environment. Because more fundamentally, it reflects a basic principle of fairness — that opportunities in Singapore are based on merit, not on connections or privilege.

Second, drug trafficking. 

Imagine the police finds heroin in someone's luggage at Changi Airport. In many other legal systems, the prosecution must prove – beyond reasonable doubt – that the accused knew he was carrying drugs. But proving what someone knew is often extremely difficult. A person can always claim: "I didn't pack my own bag." Or: "I had no idea this was heroin – I thought it was something else." So that makes enforcement extremely difficult – and drug traffickers know how to exploit this.

So Singapore takes a different approach. If drugs are found in your possession, the law in Singapore presumes you knew they were there. The burden shifts to you to prove otherwise. And this reflects a practical reality: you are best placed to account for what is in your possession. 

At the same time, there are important safeguards. Every case goes through a full investigation and trial before an independent judge. The accused has the right to legal representation – and in capital cases, the State appoints a lawyer for the Defence at no cost. Every death penalty verdict is automatically reviewed by the Court of Appeal, even if the accused does not appeal.

So the system is firm, but it is also fair. And it protects society while upholding due process. 

Third, speech and the online space. 

In some countries, even offensive speech is protected in the name of free expression. You can insult someone's race or religion. You can publish falsehoods online. And the belief is that bad speech can be countered with more speech – not legal restriction. 

Singapore takes a somewhat different view because words do not exist in a vacuum. Speech that demeans race or religion can divide society. It can polarise. It can normalise hatred. And history shows that it can lead to violence. And in a diverse society like ours, we cannot treat such risks lightly. So we have laws against speech that incites racial or religious hatred, and laws to counter the spread of online falsehoods.

Some have criticised this approach as overly restrictive. But today, even societies that once took a more permissive approach are tightening their laws – because they are confronting the same challenges and realities. And what once seemed overly cautious is increasingly seen as necessary.

These are just examples that show the Rule of Law in practice – and how it shapes the kind of society we live in. 

What has this approach delivered, for Singapore? On the whole, I would say it has delivered good outcomes. Singapore today is one of the safest and least corrupt countries in the world. Public trust in our institutions remain high. People have confidence that the rules are applied fairly, contracts are upheld, and disputes are resolved impartially.

None of this depends on any single law and institution alone. It depends on the entire system working together — laws, institutions, norms and values — to keep society stable, fair and cohesive. And that is what gives the Rule of Law in Singapore its strength. 

And none of this happened by chance. It is the result of deliberate choices, made with a clear understanding of our context, circumstances and constraints. 

Evolving to Meet New Challenges

But no system is complete or perfect. It is always a work in progress. And the balance we have struck today in Singapore is not fixed. What works today may not be appropriate for tomorrow. The world keeps moving, and our laws and institutions must continue to evolve and keep pace.

For example, one major frontier is technology. AI is advancing faster than legal systems around the world can adapt and keep up. We are already seeing the consequences today: more sophisticated scams, deepfakes that destroy reputations overnight, misinformation that spreads faster than truth. These are not hypothetical risks. They are already here. 

And even harder questions lie ahead. When an AI system causes harm – a wrong medical diagnosis, a fatal incident involving a self-driving car – who should be held accountable? The developer who built it? The one who wrote the algorithms? The company that deployed the machine? Or the person who used it? 

Our legal frameworks were not designed for a world where machines can make consequential decisions. So we will have to rethink some of our most fundamental assumptions about responsibility, liability and accountability.

Again, this will not be easy. Move too slowly, and the law falls behind while people potentially get hurt. Move too quickly and we risk stifling innovation. Once again, we must strike the right balance – between safety and progress, between control and creativity. 

And even as we harness technology, we must be clear that the law ultimately rests on human judgment. Machines can assist, analyse, and recommend. But questions of responsibility, fairness, and justice cannot be delegated entirely to algorithms. These are human questions, which humans must decide – and that must always remain so.

Another challenge is access to justice. 

We can build the best legal systems in the world. But if it is out of reach for ordinary citizens, then it means very little in practice. A system only works if everyday Singaporeans can use it to find justice and enforce their right. 

And here Singapore has taken important steps forward. The Public Defender's Office, established in 2022, was a significant milestone – ensuring better access to justice for accused persons who cannot afford legal representation. 

But access to justice is not just about lawyers or courts. It is also about legal awareness. People must know their rights — and understand how to exercise them. Otherwise, the protection of law only exist on paper. It is also about ensuring that the legal system caters to the needs of everyone. And here we know that gaps still remain, especially for vulnerable groups who may not know how to navigate the legal system.

This is why the Ministry of Law has set up a Taskforce to promote a more inclusive justice system, drawing on public agencies, legal professionals, and community partners, to identify and close these gaps. 

And this afternoon, all of you will explore these issues further. I encourage you to engage, not as passive observers, but as people who have a stake in the answers. Because the questions we are grappling with today will help shape the kind of Singapore we live in tomorrow. 

Key Fundamentals

Even as we adapt, some fundamentals must remain. 

The first is pragmatism. Laws must ultimately deliver real outcomes for ordinary people. A legal theory that reads beautifully in a textbook, or a system that works well in a larger or more homogenous society may not work well for Singapore.

We should learn from others – and we do. But we cannot import solutions wholesale. Our laws and institutions must be shaped by our own realities and circumstances.

At the same time, pragmatism alone is not enough. The Rule of Law is not a machine that you build once and then you leave to run on its own, automatic. 

It is a living social compact. It depends on people continuing to believe in it and to uphold it. Once people lose faith in the system, the whole foundation starts to weaken.

And that is why public trust matters so much. Our key institutions – the Police, the Attorney-General's Chambers, the Judiciary – must uphold the highest standards and act with integrity and in the public interest. The moment people think that power is being used for private gain, trust begins to erode. And once trust is lost, it is very hard to rebuild.

So in Singapore, honesty, integrity and respect for the Rule of Law are non-negotiable. We set high standards and they apply to everyone. Any breach – however isolated, however senior or junior the person involved – will be dealt with firmly. And that is how we keep our system clean, fair, and worthy of the trust Singaporeans place in it.

Rule of Law Beyond our Borders

So far, I have focused on Singapore.

But the Rule of Law does not stop at our borders. What happens beyond Singapore matters too. 

The same tensions I described earlier play out on the international stage – but on a much larger scale, and with far higher stakes. 

Over the past century, nations came together, after devastating wars, to build a framework of international law – the United Nations Charter, the International Court of Justice, the Geneva Conventions, the Law of the Sea, for example. 

They did all this because they understood a simple truth: however imperfect, a world governed by rules is far safer than one governed by raw power alone. 

Unfortunately today, that system is under growing strain. 

More countries are acting unilaterally and with impunity. International rules are increasingly disregarded, with little or no consequence. And when strength replaces right, the system begins to fray. And it is always the smaller and more vulnerable nations that feel the impact first. 

That is why Singapore speaks up – and makes our voice count. We do so in our bilateral engagements and international forums – whether it is the ASEAN meetings, G20 or the United Nations. We support international institutions and mechanisms for peaceful dispute resolution. And when fundamental principles are tested, we state our positions clearly and consistently. 

For example, as a trading nation, Singapore depends on open and secure sea lanes. International law — including the law of the sea — ensures that vital waterways remain open to all, and are not subject to arbitrary control. If these principles are weakened, it will not just affect distant regions. It will affect Singapore directly.

So this is not just a matter of idealism. It is a matter of national interest. And for a small country like Singapore, a strong and functional system of international rules is vital. It provides a measure of stability and predictability in an uncertain world.

On our own, we may not be able to influence how the world evolves. But together with other like-minded partners, and many other like-minded partners, we can help to shape the environment around us — and strengthen the rules and norms that protect all countries, big and small. And that is what Singapore strives to do.

And we will continue to do our part — to support and uphold these frameworks, and to contribute to a more stable and orderly global system. 

Conclusion

To conclude, the strong Rule of Law we enjoy today did not emerge by chance. It was built carefully and painstakingly over generations. 

In a more turbulent and volatile world, this is one of Singapore's most precious and valuable assets. The Rule of Law is what keeps our society stable, even when the world around us feels more unsettled. It is why Singapore is trusted when trust is increasingly hard to come by. And it is how a small island of diverse people has been able to forge a strong sense of cohesion and shared identity.

Now for all of you, all of the young people here in this room, it is your turn to carry this forward. Your task is not to preserve the system unchanged. But to adapt it, to strengthen it, and to keep it relevant for the challenges ahead. Because the Rule of Law is never finished. Every generation must renew and protect it in its own way.

And if we continue to do this well, Singapore will not just be a place where the Rule of Law is upheld, but we will be a society defined by fairness, justice and trust. And that is the Singapore we must continue to build together. Thank you very much, and do have a fruitful session ahead of you.

Thank you.