NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
NANYANG BUSINESS SCHOOL
AB1301 - BUSINESS LAW
JAN 2025
Seminar 1:
Society, Business & the Law
Key Learning Points:
Be familiar with the following basic legal concepts to facilitate the study of substantive rules of
law:
• Meaning and function of “the law”
• Who makes and applies the law in Singapore
• The distinguishing features of our legal system
• Sources of law in Singapore
• The different classifications of law
• How to use case law and statutes to decide legal issues
Contents
A. Definition & Function of Law
B. Making & Application of the Law
C. Singapore Legal System
D. Sources of Law
E. Classifications of Law
F. Statutory Interpretation
A.
Definition & Function of Law
‒ Basic definition and function of law
B.
Making & Application of the Law
‒ Structure of government in Singapore
‒ Function of legislature
‒ Function of judiciary
‒ Court structure
Comments:
‒ Students should know:
§ which branch(es) of government makes and applies law in Singapore, and
§ the Singapore court structure and the various jurisdictions of the courts
C.
Singapore Legal System
‒ Common law legal system
‒ Comparison with civil law legal system
Comments:
‒ Students should
§ know the basic features of the common law and civil law legal systems, and
§ be able to compare and contrast the basic features of the two legal systems
D.
Sources of Law
‒ Constitution
‒ Acts of Parliament
‒ Subsidiary legislation
‒ Case law
‒ Customary law
‒ International law
‒ English law
Comments:
‒ Students should be able to set out the different sources of law
E.
Classifications of Law
‒ Criminal law v Civil law
‒ Common law v Equity
Comments:
‒ Students should be understand the above 2 ways of classifying law and be able
to distinguish the different categories
F.
Case law technique
- Doctrine of stare decisis
Comments:
‒ Students should be able to resolve legal issues by using case law
G.
Statutory interpretation
- Interpretation Act
- Rules of interpretation
a) Literal rule
b) Golden rule
c) Mischief rule
d) Statute to be read as whole
e) Contextual interpretation
f) Ejusdem generis
- Precedence of statutes over case law
Comments:
‒ Students should be able to resolve legal issues by using statutes