The Ministry of Law (MinLaw; ; ; ) is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for the advancement in access to justice, the rule of law, the economy and society through policy, law and services.
Organisational structure The Ministry of Law comprises several key components. At its core is the headquarters, which are supported by four departments: the Insolvency and Public Trustee's Office, the Legal Aid Bureau, the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Division and the Community Mediation Unit (CMCs), which oversees the Community Mediation Centres located at The Treasury and the State Courts of Singapore. Additionally, the ministry includes three boards and tribunals: the Appeals Board for Land Acquisitions, the Land Surveyors Board and the Copyright Tribunal. It also administers two statutory boards, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA).
Ministers The Ministry of Law is headed by the Minister for Law, who is appointed as part of the Cabinet of Singapore. The ministry was established following the 1959 general election under Lee Kuan Yew's First Cabinet, with K. M. Byrne serving as its inaugural minister. Since its formation, all individuals who have held the position of Minister for Law have been members of the People's Action Party (PAP).
Minister Took office Left office Party Cabinet K. M. ByrneMP for Crawford(1913–1990)5 June195917 October1963PAPLee K. INone(18 October 1963 – 31 October 1964)Lee K. IIE. W. BarkerMP for Tanglin(1920–2001)1 November196412 September1988PAPLee K. IIILee K. IVLee K. VLee K. VILee K. VIIS. JayakumarMP for Bedok GRC (until 1997) and East Coast GRC (from 1997)(born 1939)12 September198830 April2008PAPLee K. VIIIGoh IGoh IIGoh IIIGoh IVLee H. ILee H. IIK. ShanmugamMP for Sembawang GRC (until 2011) and Nee Soon GRC (from 2011)(born 1959)1 May200823 May2025PAPLee H. IIILee H. IVLee H. VWong IEdwin TongMP for East Coast GRC(born 1969)23 May2025IncumbentPAPWong II
See also Justice ministry Politics of Singapore
References
External links
Official website of the Ministry of Law Singapore Government Directory Interactive — Ministry of Law