Data, data on the screen (or in the cloud)

Who is the fairest & lawfully of all?

One (possible) answer – the devil is in the detail, and assuming that is – one can get hold of the detail.

I wonder whether one can determine ‘the fairest and lawfully’ when one do get hold of the detail. If you’re looking for the detail, then you have used the incorrect word ‘hold’. Well in Singaporean term…

Last October, I attended the e-Discovery Exchange Platform, an event organised by innoXcell, in Singapore (as I was out in that part of the world). I enjoyed a very different ediscovery conference/event.

Singapore, the Lion City, itself needs no introduction, what needs to be said is that when in Singapore do what the Singaporeans do or don’t do. My first encounter was in the MRT (the tube/metro) station. I have heard about the ‘no chewing gum’ stuff but not about the ‘no food/eating/drinking’ in station platform and train. Being blinded by the heat and travel exhaustion I naturally drank a bottle of water while waiting in the platform. This natural action could have set me back S$200 or more! I was lucky I wasn’t caught, so I was told. I also found out that chewing gum is permissible and not an offending action to chew gums. So better chew gums than drink water in trains and platforms in Singapore!

How does this translate into ediscovery setting in Singapore? I have to admit I turned up at the e-Discovery Exchange Platform event unprepared as I joined at the very last minute and only for one day. No matter, I did have some fun and met some interesting folks and had great exchanges. One exchange which I want to remember – is that the term ‘litigation hold’ is not in the Singaporean ediscovery vocabulary. Like don’t assume chewing gum is not OK. For ediscovery to take hold in clean and organised Singapore – use ‘lock down’ and do not aim to ‘get hold’ of the detail (like in the American sense of performing ediscovery). Are the Singaporeans taking hold of ‘creative ediscovery’ (fairest and lawfully?) to the next level ( i.e. like in their city planning or planned city), by having options available (opt-in framework) for dealing with matters involving discovery?

I also heard (during the coffee exchanges) that ediscovery is discovery. My guess is that technical drama in ediscovery is nothing to brag about in Singapore. For the creative Practice Direction, check out for the devil in the detail in the Practice Direction No.3 of 2009.

A Singaporean lawyer also kindly gave me an interesting case report (that challenges the PD right to the detail) to read which I won’t bore you with the detailed analysis.

Mmm.. This blog is posted in UK, dated 2nd February – end of a lunar calendar.  From 3rd February the lunar calendar falls under the rule of the White/Metal Rabbit. I wonder what the Rabbit brings…

Wishing all my Chinese friends and readers a ‘Very Happy and Prosperous New Year’ !

Oh! I just saw me in the front page of the video! (which I just found at the innoXcell event site). A nice way to close this blog.
Thanks!

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