Guest Lectures by Prof. Wing-Cheong Chan from Singapore Management University | Nov 13 & 14, 2025
November 7, 2025
NLSIU is hosting two guest lectures by Prof. Wing-Cheong Chan, Professor of Law, Singapore Management University (SMU) at the NLS campus on November 13 and 14, 2025. Details of both talks are provided below.
‘Deconstructing public opinion on the death penalty’ | Thursday, November 13
Room 201, New Academic Block, NLSIU | 5 PM
This talk is primarily aimed at students but is open to other members of the NLS community.
Abstract: Governments often use public support to justify and legitimise the retention or reinstatement of the death penalty, rejecting evidence, expert opinion and international human rights standards. This presentation explores the importance of critically examining the public opinion survey’s methodology and question design in order to have an accurate understanding of attitudes towards capital punishment.
‘SMU’s Pro Bono Programme’| Friday, November 14, 2025
Room 205, New Academic Block, | 4- 5:30 PM
This talk is primarily for faculty, specifically those teaching clinics, but is open to other members of the NLS community.
Abstract: This presentation highlights some of the pro bono activities organised by the SMU Pro Bono Centre. From running a legal clinic on campus and delivering legal awareness talks to drafting wills for caregivers, these projects empower students to make a tangible difference in the community. By engaging in pro bono work, students not only apply their legal knowledge to real-life situations but also develop empathy, social responsibility, and a deeper understanding of the issues faced by those in need.
About the SMU Pro Bono Centre
Since 2013, the Singapore Management University (SMU) Pro Bono Centre has championed access to justice and nurtured a generation of socially conscious lawyers from the Yong Pung How School of Law. Through student-led initiatives and partnerships with the wider community, the Centre connects classroom learning with real-world impact — empowering future legal professionals to serve with empathy, integrity, and purpose. To learn more about the SMU Pro Bono Centre, please click here.
About the Speaker
Wing Cheong is Professor of Law at SMU. He completed his undergraduate studies in Law from Oxford University, England and his Master’s degree from Cornell University, USA. He is an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore, a barrister of Gray’s Inn (England & Wales), and a qualified attorney of New York State (USA).
His academic career started with the Faculty of Law at the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 1993. His areas of specialisation include Criminal Law, Family Law, Child Law and Elder Law. He is the co-author of ‘Criminal Law in Singapore’ which is used by law students and practitioners, and it has been cited numerous times by the courts of both Malaysia and Singapore. His recent projects include an examination of the death penalty in Singapore, and the criminal laws of regional countries (Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India, Laos, Bhutan and Bangladesh). Two of his works have been translated into other languages: ‘Family Law in Singapore’ (Japanese) and ‘Criminal Law in Myanmar’ (Burmese).