Asian Legal Review

Courts in South Africa have been sending an unmistakable message to litigants: mandatory mediation is no longer a procedural formality that parties can sidestep.

A recent Privy Council decision to set aside a £1.5million award to a contractor highlights the “dramatic consequences” of failing to comply with FIDIC contract requirements, according to an expert.

India’s approval for a 3.6 trillion rupee (US$40 billion) purchase of defence equipment on Thursday – including 114 Rafale French fighter jets – will significantly boost the capabilities of the country’s armed forces amid heightened tensions with Pakistan, analysts say.
The decision comes at a time when the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) fighter squadron strength has shrunk to 29, well below the 42 considered essential in the event of a simultaneous war with Pakistan and China.
French President…

Indonesia’s largest Islamic organisations appear to be recalibrating their stance on Palestine by softening earlier criticisms of President Prabowo Subianto’s decision to join US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”, in what analysts describe as a shift from prioritising Palestinian independence to broader security issues.
The adjustment, which followed a closed-door meeting at the presidential palace earlier this month, has fuelled a debate on whether major Muslim bodies are being nudged…

Freedom of speech will increasingly be front and centre of universities’ minds, particularly given some of the high-profile situations in recent months.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to be taking steps to ‌consolidate his daughter’s position as successor, and there are signs she is providing input on policy matters, South Korean lawmakers said on Thursday, citing a spy agency briefing.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Agency (NIS) will be closely watching whether the daughter, believed to be named Kim Ju-ae, attends a coming meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party and how she is presented, including ⁠whether she takes on any official…

Officials from the Philippines-claimed Kalayaan group of islands within the disputed Spratly Islands archipelago plan to expand its civilian population amid a war of words with the Chinese embassy in the country.
Local authorities in Kalayaan, which falls under the jurisdiction of Palawan province, were working on plans to grow the population beyond its current outpost on Thitu Island, known locally as Pagasa, and to the six other land masses under its administration, Vice-Mayor Maurice Phillip…

Australia has summoned the Laotian ambassador to protest against what a victim’s family described as an “absolute injustice” after 10 people linked to a deadly methanol poisoning case received suspended sentences and fines equivalent to US$130.
The case stems from a fatal incident in the riverside town of Vang Vieng, a popular tourist destination in Laos, in November 2024.
Melbourne teenagers Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, both 19, died after drinking methanol-tainted alcohol at Nana…

Malaysia Airports Holdings (MAHB) has been asked to explore ways to ensure goods and food sold at airports are priced reasonably, according to Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing.
Tiong added his ministry had received complaints from the public over the steep prices of items such as chocolates, food and alcohol at the airport shops compared to the prices outside.
“Visitors at the airport have mentioned that items sold at duty-free shops are expensive and that it is cheaper to buy…

Vietnam’s comprehensive overhaul of the country’s construction legal framework will deliver welcome clarifications in areas that have long created uncertainty for investors, contractors and project owners when it comes into effect.