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est. 2023 · baked daily, no holidays
THE WEEKLY BAKE · W25
15–21 JUN 2026
142 cookies this week

the week's batch
cooled & sorted

Seven days of Singapore legal signal, with the patterns that rose out of it.

★ THE WEEKLY BAKE ★

WEEKW25 · 2026
DATES15–21 JUN 2026
DAYS BAKED1/7
○ NEWS124
⬡ JUDGMENTS18
▲ PINEAPPLE TARTS32
FRESH72
COOLING RACK38
BUSIEST OVENEMPLOYMENT LAW ×51
NEW INGREDIENT"PENALTIES"

thank you — fresh batch every week

WEEK IN REVIEW

a week's worth, tray by tray

The Week in Days

each morning's bake — tap a day for the full tray

MON 15 rested TUE 16 142 cookies WED 17 rested THU 18 rested FRI 19 rested SAT 20 rested SUN 21 rested

red dot = a pineapple tart came out that day

This Week's Specials

the pineapple tarts — the signals worth acting on
01TUE · ○ NEWS

Construction firm and six individuals charged with statutory offences following Tanjong Katong sinkhole incident.

Ohin Construction and six personnel, including directors and qualified persons, face charges under the Workplace Safety and Health Act and Building Control Act following a 2025 sinkhole. The allegations include failure to adhere to approved structural plans, unauthorised modifications to caisson rings, and failure to notify authorities of preceding ground depressions.

Why it mattersConstruction practitioners must ensure strict adherence to approved structural plans and immediate reporting of ground instabilities to avoid criminal liability under safety and building control statutes.

SLW READ SOURCE ↗
02TUE · ○ NEWS

Criminal penalties and sanctions apply for making false declarations under the EFMA.

Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990, individuals convicted of making false declarations in work pass applications face fines up to $20,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both. Convicted parties may also face suspension of work pass privileges and being barred from working in Singapore.

Why it mattersCompliance officers and directors must verify the accuracy of all information submitted in work pass applications to prevent severe personal and corporate sanctions.

MOM READ SOURCE ↗
03TUE · ⬡ JUDGMENT

High Court in Equation Recycling Pte Ltd v Leading Bio-Energy (S) Pte Ltd [2026] SGHC 126 reaffirms that a clause is only a penalty if it is 'extravagant and unconscionable' relative to a legitimate interest.

The Court set aside the District Judge's finding that a forfeiture clause was a penalty, ruling that the judge erred by applying a

Why it mattersLawyers should focus on demonstrating a legitimate commercial interest to defend against penalty claims, rather than merely arguing the sum is disproportionate to the breach.

JUDICIARY READ JUDGMENT ↗
04TUE · ⬡ JUDGMENT

High Court in Lateral Solutions Pte Ltd (in liquidation) v Low Tuck Lo . Low Raymond [2026] SGHCR 18 holds that a breach of trust is 'fraudulent' under s 22(1)(a) of the Limitation Act if the trustee's conduct was contrary to the interests of the beneficiaries and the trustee was dishonest by being aware of this or recklessly indifferent to it.

The court addressed whether the advancement of loans with no intention of repayment constituted a fraudulent breach of trust. It held that such conduct meets the standard of dishonesty if the trustee knew, by the standards of an honest and reasonable person in a director's position, that the conduct was contrary to the company's interests.

Why it mattersPractitioners should note that pleading 'fraud' is not strictly necessary to invoke the limitation period exception, provided the conduct is shown to be contrary to the principal's interests and meets the established standard of dishonesty.

JUDICIARY READ JUDGMENT ↗
05TUE · ○ NEWS

Introduction of the Skills and Workforce Development Agency Bill to merge SSG and WSG.

The Ministry of Manpower has introduced a Bill to establish the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA), a new statutory board created by merging SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and Workforce Singapore (WSG). The agency will operate under the joint oversight of MOM and MOE to provide integrated career guidance, skills training, and job matching services.

Why it mattersLawyers advising clients in HR, talent management, or corporate training should note the upcoming structural change in the primary regulatory and support bodies governing Singapore's workforce development.

MOM READ SOURCE ↗
06TUE · ○ NEWS

Introduction of the SkillsFuture Workforce Development Grant (Job Redesign+) for enterprise transformation.

The government has launched the SkillsFuture Workforce Development Grant (Job Redesign+), offering up to 70% funding for workforce transformation and job redesign projects. The grant is capped at $150,000 per enterprise, with enhanced support tiers available for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Why it mattersEmployers should review their workforce restructuring and job redesign plans to leverage this new funding for cost mitigation.

MOM READ SOURCE ↗
07TUE · ○ NEWS

Lawyers face personal liability and costs orders for presenting AI-generated fictitious authorities to the court.

Recent Singapore case law, including *Tan Hai Peng Micheal v Tan Cheong Joo* [2026] SGHC 49, demonstrates that courts are imposing personal costs orders against lawyers who submit AI-generated fictitious cases. The court holds that the duty to verify authorities is non-delegable, meaning lawyers cannot escape liability by blaming junior staff, paralegals, or the use of AI tools.

Why it mattersPractitioners must independently verify every legal authority and citation produced by generative AI to avoid personal financial sanctions and potential disciplinary action.

SLW READ SOURCE ↗
08TUE · ○ NEWS

MAS to lift the 5 per cent cap on physical investment precious metals for tax-incentivised funds.

MAS will remove the existing 5 per cent limit on physical investment in precious metals under tax incentive schemes for funds. Further implementation details are expected to be released by September 2026.

Why it mattersFund managers and family offices should review their investment mandates and portfolio allocations in light of increased flexibility for physical gold holdings.

SLW READ SOURCE ↗
09TUE · ○ NEWS

New statutory protections for platform workers under the Platform Workers Act are now reflected in national safety statistics.

Following the commencement of the Platform Workers Act on 1 January 2025, the Ministry of Manpower has begun including non-fatal injury data for platform workers in its annual reports. This allows for the monitoring of injury rates specifically for this group, which recorded a high rate of 84.6 per 100,000 workers in 2025.

Why it mattersLawyers handling personal injury or employment matters should note the expanded scope of injury reporting and the specific statutory protections now applicable to platform workers.

MOM READ SOURCE ↗
10TUE · ○ NEWS

New three-year wage increase schedule approved for Food Services Progressive Wage Model (PWM).

The Government has accepted recommendations to implement a phased increase in baseline monthly gross wages for over 53,000 food services workers. The new schedule runs from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2029, raising the entry-level requirement from $2,080 to $2,220 in July 2026, with subsequent annual increases reaching $2,500 by 2028.

Why it mattersEmployers in the food services sector must adjust payroll and budgeting to comply with the new mandatory wage floors effective 1 July 2026.

MOM READ SOURCE ↗
11TUE · ○ NEWS

Platform workers are now covered by the Work Injury Compensation Act and the Workplace Safety and Health Act.

Since 1 January 2025, platform workers are entitled to injury compensation under WICA and safety protections under WSHA. This regulatory framework requires all work-related injuries involving platform workers to be reported to the Ministry of Manpower.

Why it mattersPractitioners must account for these specific statutory entitlements when advising clients on work-related injury claims involving platform-based delivery or service roles.

MOM READ SOURCE ↗
12TUE · ○ NEWS

Regulators initiate prosecutions and warnings following Tanjong Katong Road South sinkhole incident.

Following an investigation into a July 2025 sinkhole, the BCA, MOM, and LTA are pursuing enforcement actions against seven parties, including a builder, directors, and qualified persons. Allegations include conducting unauthorised works, performing specialist building works without licences, failing to conduct mandatory tests, and making false declarations regarding site supervision.

Why it mattersConstruction professionals and directors should note the heightened regulatory scrutiny and the personal liability being pursued against individuals for supervisory and compliance failures.

MOM READ SOURCE ↗

+ 20 more pineapple tarts this week — find them in the daily trays.

What Rose to the Top

the areas and doctrine that ran through the week — see them spread on the counter map

Busiest Ovens areas of law
○Employment Law×51 ○Public and Administrative Law×23 ○Corporate Law×14 ○Labor and Employment Law×12 ○Criminal Law×10 ○Privacy Law×9 ○Banking Law×7 ○Commercial and Trade Law×6 ○Consumer Protection Law×5 ○Contract Law×5 ○Civil Contract Law×4 ○Construction and Development Law×4
Recurring Doctrine shared this week
◆Form×8 ◆Car×4 ◆Employment Status×4 ◆Par×4 ◆Pleadings×4 ◆Res Judicata×4 ◆Accountability Principle×3 ◆Administrative Dispute Proceeding Practice×3