In the last two days, Singapore was struck by the devastating loss of two of its distinguished legal figures. The Law Society President, Adrian Tan, passed away yesterday (8 July 2023) following a protracted battle with cancer. A day before that, a tragic traffic incident claimed the life of Emeritus Professor Tan Yock Lin, a respected law professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
The fatal accident, which occurred along Upper Thomson Road, was initially reported as a severe traffic collision. It has now been disclosed that the elderly victim was Professor Tan.
Aged 70, Professor Tan died on the scene following the accident involving four vehicles: a car, a bus, a lorry, and a van.
A video posted on Facebook captured the chilling moment when a white lorry, driven by a 26-year-old man, crossed over a road divider, leading to a collision with a black car moving in the opposite direction.
This black car was subsequently propelled into a dark grey van parked beside it. Witnesses at the scene reported surrounding vehicles slowing down in response to the developing chaos.
A subsequent police investigation led to the arrest of the lorry driver on charges of careless driving causing death.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) evaluated two other individuals at the site of the accident, but they declined to be transported to the hospital.
This morning (9 July 2023), The Straits Times obtained an email sent by NUS law faculty dean Andrew Simester to staff on 8 July, saying that their “colleague and friend, Tan Yock Lin, has passed away following a road accident yesterday morning.”
Professor Tan had been revered in the academic and legal fraternity for his comprehensive works on conflict-of-law related issues, criminal procedure, and the broader legal profession. His public service career, preceding his appointment as a law professor in 2000, was marked by immense dedication and integrity.
In recognition of his invaluable contributions to law reform in collaboration with the Singapore Academy of Law, Professor Tan was conferred the Public Service Medal (PBM) during the National Day Awards 2008. This prestigious honor is given to individuals who have rendered commendable public service in Singapore or achieved notable accomplishments in various fields such as arts and letters, sports, sciences, business, professions, and the labour movement.
Other illustrious recipients of the PBM include footballer Fandi Ahmad, lawyer K. S. Rajah, and former Ang Mo Kio GRC MP, Inderjit Singh.