Wai Kum Leong

Professor Leong Wai Kum

Professor, Law Programmes

School of Law

Tel: +65 6240 8924

Email: d2tsZW9uZ0BzdXNzLmVkdS5zZw==

Educational Qualifications

1979
Master of Laws Harvard University

1976
Bachelor of Laws (Hons) (Class 1) University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur

Academic and Professional Experience

Jul 2020 - Present
Professor, SUSS School of Law

Jun 2020 - Present
Emeritus Professor, NUS Faculty of Law

Jan 2003 - Jun 2020
Professor, NUS Faculty of Law

Oct 2015 - Jan 2016
Visiting Professor, University of Hong Kong

Aug 2015 - Sept 2015
Visiting Professor, University of Malaya

Mar 2012 - Apr 2012
Visiting Professor, University of Western Australia Faculty of Law

Oct 2011 - Jan 2012
Visiting Professor, University of Hong Kong

Jul 1990 - Dec 2002
Associate Professor, NUS Faculty of Law

Nov 2002
First Visiting Researcher, Clarke Program of East Asian Law and Culture, Cornell Law School

Dec 2000
Visiting Scholar, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London

Sept 1992
Visiting Scholar, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

Sept 1992
Visiting Scholar, Uppsala University Faculty of Law

Aug 1985 - May 1986
Visiting Scholar, Harvard University

1989 - Present
Associate Member, Singapore Academy of Law

1983 - Present
Advocate & Solicitor, High Court of Malaya

Jul 1981 - Jun 1990
Senior Lecturer, NUS Faculty of Law

Jun 1976 - Jun 1981
Lecturer, University of Singapore Faculty of Law

Leong Wai Kum "Definition of property as matrimonial asset through the lens of therapeutic justice" [2024] SAL Prac 4

Leong Wai Kum and Debbie Ong “Justice Phang and therapeutic justice: With head and heart in equal measure” in Goh Yihan (gen ed) Pursuing Justice and Justice Alone (Singapore: Academy Publishing, 2022)

Leong Wai Kum and Debbie Ong"Family justice in divorce proceedings in Singapore for spouses and their children" [2020] Special Issue JMJ 165-189

Leong Wai Kum "From substantive law towards family justice for the child in divorce proceedings in Singapore" (2018) Special Issue on Children SAcLJ

Leong Wai Kum "Back to the Future: The 2017 amendments of power to divide matrimonial assets" (2018) JMJ 171-192

Leong Wai Kum "Moral messaging towards harmonious living" in Anne Scully-Hill, Sala Sihombing and Katherine Lynch (eds) Reforming Hong Kong's Child & Family Justice System: Intergrating Legal, Comparative & Multidisciplinary Approaches (Hong Kong: Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2016) pp 363-385

Leong Wai Kum "Towards the elimination of prescriptive sexual regulation in family law in Singapore" HKLJ Focus Issue (2016) Vol 46:1 pp 130-149

Leong Wai Kum, Burton Ong and Alexander Loke "The conceptual basis of the solicitor's liability to a third party related to the client: Reconstructing the White v Jones principle in Singapore" PN (2016) 32:1 pp 32-49

Leong Wai Kum "For our children's sake: Gentle reminders of parental responsibility" in Speaking of Children (Singapore: World Scientific, 2015) pp 113-131

Leong Wai Kum “Marital agreements and private autonomy in Singapore” in Jens M Scherpe (ed) Marital Agreements and Private Autonomy in Comparative Perspective (Oxford, Hart Publishing: 2012) 311-349

Leong Wai Kum “Parental responsibility as the core principle in legal regulation of the parent-child relationship” in Yeo Tiong Min, Hans Tjio and Tang Hang Wu (gen eds) Developments in Singapore Law between 2006 and 2010: Trends and Perspectives (Singapore, Academy Publishing: 2011) 244-271

Leong Wai Kum “Fifty years and more of the Women’s Charter of Singapore” [2008] SingJLS 1-24

Leong Wai Kum “The just and equitable division of gains between former equal partners in marriage” [2000] SingJLS 208-240

Leong Wai Kum “Formation of marriage in England and Singapore by contract: Void marriage and non-marriage” (2000) 14 IJLPF256-280

Leong Wai Kum “Solemnisation of marriage: Conceptualisation and statutory interpretation” [1995] SingJLS 283-314

Leong Wai Kum “Division of matrimonial assets: Recent cases and thoughts for reform” [1993] SingJLS 351-400

Leong Wai Kum “Reform of the law of nullity in the Women’s Charter” [1992] SingJLS 1-39

Leong Wai Kum “Common Law and Chinese marriage custom in Singapore” in Andrew Harding (ed) The Common Law in Singapore and Malaysia (Singapore, Malaya Law Review: 1985) 177-194

Leong Wai Kum “Spouses as witnesses: Some aspects” (1976) 18 MalLR 225-229

  • Leong Wai Kum Elements of Family Law in Singapore 3rd Edition (Singapore, LexisNexis: 2018)
  • Leong Wai Kum Elements of Family Law in Singapore 2nd Edition (Singapore, LexisNexis: 2013)
  • Leong Wai Kum Elements of Family Law in Singapore (Singapore, LexisNexis: 2007)
  • Halsbury’s Laws of Singapore Reissue 2006 (contributed by Leong Wai Kum) (Singapore, LexisNexis: 2006)
  • Halsbury’s Laws of Singapore (contributed by Leong Wai Kum) (Singapore, LexisNexis: 2001)
  • Leong Wai Kum Cases and Materials of Family Law in Singapore (Singapore, Butterworths Asia: 1999)
  • Leong Wai Kum Principles of Family Law in Singapore (Singapore, Butterworths Asia: 1997)
  • Butterworths’ Annotated Statutes of Singapore Volume 6 Family (contributed by Leong Wai Kum) (Singapore, Butterworths Asia: 1997)
  • Leong Wai Kum Family Law in Singapore: Cases and Commentary on the Women’s Charter and Family Law (Singapore, Malayan Law Journal: 1990)

(Selection of past 10 years)

Jan 2024 - Present
Member of Therapeutic Justice Consultative Committee

Nov 2023
Speaker at Inaugural SUSS School of Law Family Law Seminar

16 Nov 2023
Commentator at SG Courts' Conversations with the Community

Jul 2019 - 2023
Supervisor, Doctoral candidate, NUS Faculty of Law

Jul 2019 - Present
Member of Panel of Referees, Journal of Malaysian Judiciary

Sept 2020
Delivered inaugural CJ Koh Family Law Lecture

Aug 2019
Speaker at Family Justice Courts' International Advisory Committee's Meeting

15 Jul 2019
Speaker at Family Judges' Learning Week

5 Jul 2019
Speaker at Law Society of Singapore Family Law Conference

10 Oct 2017
Speaker at Law Society of Singapore Family Law Conference

29 Aug 2017
Speaker at Family Justice Courts' International Advisory Council's Meeting

22 May 2017
Speaker at Family Justice Courts' JOs' Seminar

May 2017
External Examiner of Doctoral Thesis submitted to University of Malaya Faculty of Law

Jan 2016 - Present
Member of International Editorial Board, Journal of Malaysian and Comparative Law

22 Sept 2016
Speaker at Society of Middle Temple and Singapore Academy of Law Conference

28 Aug 2016
Speaker at Law Society of Singapore International Family Law Conference

Jul 2010 - Jun 2016
Member of NUS Nominating Committee for Honorary Degrees and Emeritus Professorships

Feb 2016
Speaker at Judicial College of Singapore

Jan 2015 - Jan 2016
Member of Family Law Review Working Group

18 Nov 2015
Speaker at Third Children's Forum at Chinese University of Hong Kong

Nov 2014
Speaker at Working Party on Mediation of South East Asia Region, Hague Conference on Private International Law

2013 - 2014
Curriculum Committee of proposed UniSIM School of Law

May 2014
Speaker at 11th Asian Law Institute's Conference

Nov 2019
Amicus curiae appointed to Court of Appeal in Singapore

Jul 2018
Legal Opinion to Court of Sweden

Family law and family practice

9 Nov 2023
The Inaugural SUSS School of Law Seminar “Division of matrimonial assets from the lens of therapeutic justice: An Update and Review”

14 Sep 2020
The Inaugural CJ Koh Family Law Lecture at Law Society of Singapore’s Conference on Family Law on “The Structured Approach to division between the former equal marital partners of their material gains is not writ in stone”

15 Jul 2019
Family Judges’ Learning Week (organised and delivered to Judges of the Family Justice Courts) on “The changing shape of the family in Singapore: Can current laws respond well enough?”

Back to top

This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. By continuing to navigate through this site or by clicking “Close”, you are consenting to the use of cookies on your device as described in our privacy statement.

Close
Follow us on
Alumni
Back to top