Justice Teh Hwee Hwee: Opening address at the Family Conference 2025

Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Law and Ministry of Social and Family Development, Mr Eric Chua,

Vice-President of the Law Society of Singapore, Ms Engelin Teh, SC,

Co-chairs of the Organising Committee of the Family Conference 2025, Ms Kee Lay Lian and Ms Wong Kai Yun,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1    A very good morning to everyone. I am delighted to be with you and honoured to deliver the Opening Address at this year’s Family Conference.

2    For years, we have been nurturing a different kind of family justice, transforming potential courtroom battlefields into fertile ground for the cultivation of new beginnings. Where family justice is tended like a living garden, even soil scorched by conflict can be restored to give space for renewal. Where the goal is not victory at all costs, but to plant seeds of healing, fresh growth can take root. Where lawyers are not wielding weapons of war, but are expert gardeners of peace, life-changing solutions are nurtured. 

3    Since I addressed you at the Family Conference last September, we have witnessed our cultivation bearing fruit across different areas of family justice. Let’s start by reflecting on the harvest we have gathered in the past year.

4    Last July, Divorce by Mutual Agreement (“DMA”) was introduced as a sixth way to establish the fact of irretrievable breakdown in a marriage,⁽¹⁾ giving couples a new path forward with minimal acrimony. Parties no longer need to assign blame or fault in order to obtain a divorce without an extended period of separation. Before the legislative amendment facilitating this was brought into effect, the Family Law Practice Committee worked together with the Family Justice Courts (“FJC”) to refine the form in the Practice Directions that guides these matters.⁽²⁾ In its first year from July 2024 to June 2025, DMA was relied on in about 1 in 6 of the divorce applications filed in that period. While there was a modest uptake initially, DMA was relied on in about 1 in 5 divorce applications filed in the second half of that period, from January to June 2025. This suggests that we are gaining ground in reducing acrimony in divorce proceedings and pivoting away from an adversarial stance. In the majority of the inaugural cohort of cases relying on DMA, the Family Bar has demonstrated meticulous attention in guiding parties and providing the requisite particulars on the breakdown of marriage and attempts to reconcile, exemplifying commitment to the responsible use of this new pathway.

5    In October 2024, we saw a series of important developments. We implemented four sets of Family Justice Rules that comprehensively dealt with procedures for family, probate, harassment and Youth Court proceedings,⁽³⁾ creating a more purposeful, proactive and protective framework that enhances both the administration of family justice and family law practice. The Adoption of Children Act 1939 was also repealed and re-enacted⁽⁴⁾ to address the increasing complexity in this evolving area, and to prioritise the child’s welfare and tighten regulatory oversight. 

6    Also in October 2024, at the FJC’s 10th Anniversary Celebrations, the Honourable the Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon launched the FJC Therapeutic Justice (“TJ”) Model.⁽⁵⁾ We envisaged that this model would continue to grow and mature,⁽⁶⁾  and indeed, we have steadily expanded and deepened our TJ processes. Under this TJ Model, cases not filed under the simplified track are triaged to either the Standard Track or Teams Track. As you may be familiar by now, under the Teams Track, cases are managed by a multi-disciplinary team consisting of a mediation judge, a hearing judge, and a court family specialist such as a counsellor or psychologist. Our capacity for the Teams Track cases has more than doubled, from 85 cases when the Teams Track was piloted in November 2023, to 200 cases as at March 2025.⁽⁷⁾ What this means is that all cases with contested child issues that proceed to hearing, as well as high-conflict non-child cases, now benefit from this collaborative approach.⁽⁸⁾ We will continue to review the cases managed under the Teams Track to ensure that appropriate cases benefit from this multi-disciplinary approach.

7    Following that, we started 2025 by ushering in, in January, a trio of amendments to the Women’s Charter 1961. First, the court’s powers to enforce child access orders were expanded to better ensure that children maintain meaningful relationships with both parents.⁽⁹⁾ Second, a more robust maintenance enforcement process was introduced.⁽¹⁰⁾ Among other things,⁽¹¹⁾ the legislative amendments provide for the appointment of Maintenance Enforcement Officers, who can conduct conciliation, exercise fact-finding powers and report on the parties’ financial circumstances to the Court.⁽¹²⁾ Third, protection for victims of family violence has been  strengthened by broadening the definition of family violence and expanding the scope of available reliefs.⁽¹³⁾ Importantly, there is greater streamlining of the types of abuse recognised under the Women’s Charter 1961, the Vulnerable Adults Act 2018⁽¹⁴⁾ and the Children and Young Persons Act 1993,⁽¹⁵⁾ creating a more coherent and comprehensive protective framework.

8    This year also delivered a landmark occasion for all of us in the family justice ecosystem. On 23 July 2025, the new FJC building was officially opened by His Excellency, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a moment of profound significance for our entire community. We also held an open house that day, welcoming more than 1,500 visitors, which gave us a wonderful opportunity to showcase what family justice is about. Many of you will remember the building as the former Subordinate Courts, with its imposing Brutalist features. While we have preserved the exterior as a tribute to its distinguished legacy, we have completely transformed the interior, guided by TJ principles. Warm tones and wooden textures now soften the hard edges, while beautiful artworks by youths from the Singapore Boys’ and Girls’ Homes give vibrance to our walls, and child-friendly furnishings line our interview rooms for children. All of us now share a purpose-built space dedicated not only for resolving disputes, but for rebuilding lives with dignity.⁽¹⁶⁾

9    At that event, the Honourable the Chief Justice announced that TJ principles would be extended to the Youth Courts in innovative ways.⁽¹⁷⁾ We have since adapted the “One Family, One Team” approach and adopted a “Collaborative Teams” approach to holistically manage proceedings across both the Family Court and Youth Court when they involve the same family. Through collaboration with our stakeholders, we are also providing enhanced therapeutic interventions and preventive measures. We will continue to develop these efforts and expand them across other areas of family practice.

10    Having reflected on the harvest we have gathered in the past year, I pause to acknowledge with deep appreciation the Bar’s generous and continuous support in bringing these reforms to life every step of the way. The progress in our family justice system is made possible only through the dynamic and collaborative partnership between the Bench and the Bar. You not only navigated changes in both the law and procedure, but also provided significant input that has been critical in implementing the reforms undertaken. I take the next few moments to celebrate together with you this special partnership that we share, which has grown stronger over the years. 

11    When we implemented the Family Justice Rules, for example, we engaged extensively with the Family Bar through multiple briefings and dialogue sessions, both before and after the Rules came into force. It was with your feedback that we could work through the teething issues and ensure smooth implementation. 

12    Similarly, the TJ Model would not have been possible without the efforts of the TJ Consultative Committee, including representatives from the Family Bar,⁽¹⁸⁾ as well as the inputs from members of the broader Family Bar community. We continue working hand in hand to produce positive outcomes, with our most recent TJ Engagement Session with the Family Bar held on 8 May 2025.  In this regard, your partnership in growing awareness of TJ principles and values has yielded encouraging results. In a recent survey of 142 lawyers conducted in June 2025: 8 in 10 agreed that the TJ model increased awareness that clients should resolve matrimonial disputes more amicably; 7 in 10 agreed that clients were more open to receiving therapeutic interventions such as counselling; and 2 in 3 agreed that overall, the TJ model encouraged parties to come to terms with the past, focus on their long-term interests and move towards their best possible future. Judges have not only encouraged parties to act in accordance with TJ ideals, but have also acknowledged and commended parties who do so. I was also delighted to learn that more than one senior practitioner has expressly stated in their terms of engagement that TJ is part of their practice. I hope that many more will do so.

13    This collaborative spirit flows both ways, and the FJC has on numerous occasions supported the Bar as well. On the international front, we have supported requests to send representatives to speak at international conferences that members of the Family Bar are involved in organising, and to host visits from foreign delegations, most recently from Malaysia and India. We recognise and support the Family Bar’s role in positioning Singapore at the frontiers of developments in family justice, and we are committed to backing your leadership and participation in these endeavours. This is aligned with the FJC’s commitment to excellence in family justice, identifying and promoting best practices through collaboration with international counterparts. We have, for example, hosted more than 70 Judges and judicial officers from more than 40 jurisdictions in May 2025 at the 4th Global Meeting of the International Hague Network of Judges, the Meeting of the Council of ASEAN Chief Justices Working Group on Cross-Border Disputes Involving Children, the Hague Network of Judges Judicial Roundtable, and the 3rd ASEAN Family Judges Forum, and strengthened our ties with our foreign counterparts.

14    We have also partnered with the Family Bar in developing its keen interest in gaining deeper insights into the TJ approach of deploying multi-disciplinary teams, recognising that the legal solutions often remain only part of the answer, and that effective, lasting intervention must start upstream and involve a multi-disciplinary approach. We have planned a series of fireside chats starting tomorrow, and extending to next year, aimed at further sensitising the Family Bar to the identification of root causes in family disputes, the proper role of social sciences in managing family disputes, and the options available to manage such disputes. I am heartened that this year’s Family Conference has built on this momentum and sought to assemble not only legal professionals, but also allied professionals, to affirm the need for an inter-disciplinary mindset in family lawyering and enrich our collective perspectives. This gathering reflects the very integration we have been working towards.

15    The topics selected for discussion in this year’s conference are timely. Even as we celebrate milestones in our reforms, we must not lose sight of the areas that require further development. This year’s theme—Mind the Gap: Closing the Lacunae in Family, Probate and Muslim Law—provides the perfect opportunity to harness our collective expertise and experience in addressing a diverse range of topical issues. These include the impact of divorce proceedings on other family members; and the implications of the expanded definition of family violence, which now encompasses emotional and psychological abuse, an area that calls for careful consideration of less visible but equally harmful behaviours. In the area of Muslim family law, there will be an opportunity to examine contemporary issues in relation to the interpretation of statutory provisions and the powers of the Syariah Court. In the light of our evolving demographics, the examination of key concepts and practical issues in proceedings involving legitimacy and guardianship of children, as well as vulnerable adults and adults who lack capacity, is both relevant and important.  

16    In closing, let me return to the garden metaphor with a complementary analogy. In any thriving garden ecosystem, bees play a vital role. Most bees follow the waggle dance to gather nectar from known flower sources within the garden. But a percentage of them venture beyond—these explorer bees intentionally fly a distance to discover new nectar sources in distant meadows and bring that knowledge back to enrich the entire hive. I hope that as we continue working together, we will show the courage to venture beyond our comfort zones, embracing exploration and new ideas as essential to our garden of family justice. Just as explorer bees strengthen the entire ecosystem by discovering new sources, we must be willing to embrace new approaches that can elevate our service to families, children and vulnerable persons.

17    The work of family lawyers is at once immensely challenging and profoundly important. As the Honourable the Chief Justice announced at the Opening of the Legal Year,⁽¹⁹⁾ a sub-committee has been set up to develop a family law specialist accreditation framework. This work will recognise the essential role of the family lawyer, affirming your expertise and strengthening your professional identity as lawyers who serve as both advocates and architects of new beginnings.⁽²⁰⁾

18    As the 19th-century jurist Albert Pike observed: “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.” In family law, this truth resonates deeply. Your work touches families in ways few other fields can, with impact that spans generations. Like bees in a flourishing garden, our ecosystem depends on each of us—whether following established paths or exploring new territories, to continue discovering new sources of hope and healing to bring back to our garden of family justice.

19    It remains for me to wish you all a fruitful and enriching conference over the next two days. 

20    Thank you.