Legal Professional Privilege

The law of legal professional privilege is of immense importance to clients, in-house counsel, and external lawyers. This is the first publication that undertakes a critical evaluation of existing rules of legal professional privilege both in Singapore and across Commonwealth jurisdictions.

It draws on applicable legislation, case law, and academic commentary, and seeks to provide the reader with a sound doctrinal and analytical framework with which to approach the different aspects of this subject, as well as practical advice on how to assert and defend claims of privilege.

In addition to comparing legal professional privilege with other forms of privilege and objections to disclosure, this book examines the procedural and forensic issues surrounding an assertion of privilege and discusses the substantive law (as contained in the Evidence Act and the common law) concerning legal advice privilege, litigation privilege, joint and common interest privilege, as well as exceptions to privilege and waiver.

The reader’s attention is drawn to where Singapore law diverges from the law of other jurisdictions, and every effort has been made to make the law both clear and accessible.