Singapore law body adds AI tools to LawNet platform
Tue, 22nd Sep 2026 (Today)
The Singapore Academy of Law has introduced a series of artificial intelligence tools and other upgrades to its LawNet legal research platform, spanning legislation, legal commentary, sentencing research and third-party software access.
According to the Singapore Academy of Law, more than 75 per cent of practising lawyers in Singapore use LawNet as their main legal research resource, giving the update broad reach across the profession.
The changes include wider coverage in an enhanced legislation module, a new system for AI-generated annotated statutes, digital access to Academy Publishing titles within LawNet, a revamped sentencing research repository and a partner application programming interface for legal technology providers.
The legislation module, first introduced with the Companies Act, now covers 10 pieces of legislation across areas including civil procedure, criminal law and family law. It allows users to view cases tagged to a specific statutory provision alongside the text of the law, reducing the time needed to find relevant judgments.
Another addition is AI-generated annotated statutes. Starting with the Companies Act, the feature extracts legal principles linked to a statutory provision, helping users identify the judgments most likely to be relevant to their research.
The academy has filed a provisional patent application for the methodology used to generate those annotations. It said the approach was developed internally and is intended to be expanded to other Acts of Parliament and subsidiary legislation.
Library access
LawNet has also added Academy Library 2.0, giving users digital access to 79 Academy Publishing titles within the same research environment. Lawyers can search within individual books, move between chapters, view cited references side by side and download selected pages as PDFs while preserving the pagination of the print editions.
Those titles will also appear in both LawNet's classic search and its AI-powered question-and-answer search, allowing users to move between textbook discussion, case law and legislation without leaving the platform.
A further change affects sentencing research. The first phase of a revamped Sentencing Information and Research Repository will let users search by legislation and statutory provision, then view sentencing charts, relevant cases, charge listings and appeal records in a single view.
The organisation is also piloting a LawNet partner API that will allow selected legal technology platforms to integrate LawNet judgment content for users with active subscriptions. The move points to a broader effort to place legal research material inside the software tools lawyers already use in their daily work.
Separate from LawNet, the Singapore Academy of Law has entered into a partnership with LegalOn Technologies to place its corporate legal reference materials on LegalOn's platform. The integration covers the SAL Clause Bank, Commercial Precedents, Guides and Toolkits.
The arrangement is aimed at corporate lawyers and in-house counsel who use LegalOn, giving them access to Singapore-focused legal content within an existing workflow. Users will be able to search and retrieve the material and generate AI-based responses that draw on it, with the Singapore Academy of Law identified as the source.
The developments reflect how legal institutions and legal technology providers are trying to combine generative AI tools with controlled source material at a time when reliability and traceability remain central concerns for lawyers using automated research systems.
Yeong Zee Kin, Chief Executive, Singapore Academy of Law, said the changes were intended to connect legal sources while keeping the platform rooted in primary and established materials.
"Legal research is becoming increasingly interconnected, but it must remain grounded in trusted and authoritative sources. LawNet's latest enhancements provide lawyers with a more seamless and efficient research experience, enabling them to navigate easily between statutory provisions, case law, and legal commentary. By integrating AI-powered capabilities, lawyers can more effectively identify relevant legal principles, authorities, and research materials within a connected research ecosystem. As legal research continues to evolve, we remain committed to making LawNet more accessible, relevant, and affordable for the profession, while preserving the trusted authority and reliability that lawyers depend on," Yeong said.
He also linked the LawNet changes to a broader distribution strategy for Singapore legal material across external platforms.
"This is part of SAL's broader strategy to make trusted Singapore legal content accessible through the platforms where legal professionals work. Last year's partnerships with international content providers have made Singapore legal materials easier to discover and use across jurisdictions. Our new partnership with LegalOn extends this approach into the corporate legal workflow, giving corporate lawyers and in-house counsel another way to access SAL's Corporate References within their existing tools, with SAL clearly identified as the source. It also advances our wider mission to make Singapore law more accessible globally," Yeong said.
LegalOn said the partnership reflects growing demand for AI tools that fit established legal processes rather than replace them. The company's regional leadership described the agreement as part of a broader shift in how legal teams handle routine drafting, contract review and legal research tasks.
"Legal AI is rapidly becoming an important part of how modern legal teams work, but its true value lies in enabling lawyers to work more efficiently while maintaining the quality, judgement, and trust that underpin the legal profession. Our partnership with the Singapore Academy of Law reflects our shared commitment to supporting Singapore's legal community as it navigates this transformation.
"Through this partnership, we hope to empower Singapore lawyers and in-house legal teams with practical AI capabilities that can be integrated into their everyday workflows, helping them reduce time spent on repetitive work, accelerate contract and legal processes, and ultimately focus more of their time on higher-value strategic and advisory work. We are excited to work alongside SAL to contribute to the responsible adoption of Legal AI in Singapore and support the continued development of a more efficient, innovative, and future-ready legal profession," said Seah Yu-Hong, Regional Director, APAC, LegalOn Technologies.