An international panel of the Singapore International Commercial Court will be established in Singapore to hear prescribed appeals in respect of international commercial disputes arising from prescribed foreign jurisdictions. This was proposed as part of a bill proposed for second reading in Parliament on Tuesday (November 12) by Minister of State for Law Murali Pillai. He described it as “a new chapter in the facilitation of cross-border legal cooperation” that will enhance Singapore’s offerings as a leading international center for dispute resolution, strengthen opportunities for the development of jurisprudence beyond of its borders and will boost the local legal sector. The permanent members of the panel will include judges from the Supreme Court and international judges from the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC), as well as ad hoc members from the court of the foreign jurisdiction hearing the appeal. The Singapore Ministry of Justice will be empowered to make regulations on appeals, including prescribing the types of cases, the powers of the committee, the appointment of ad hoc members and the composition of the committee. The details of the regulations will be the subject of intergovernmental negotiations. Singapore lawyers and solicitors, foreign lawyers and legal experts registered to appear before the SICC may appear before the committee. The committee’s judgments will be treated as a judgment of a court in the foreign jurisdiction from which the appeal arises and its decisions are final. The first collaboration in this framework is that between Singapore and Bahrain, which will serve as a model for future partnerships.