Faculty Profile

• SJD, Harvard Law School, 2004
• LLM, Harvard Law School, 1999
• LLB (First Class Honours), National University of Singapore, 1997
• Advocate & Solicitor, Singapore, 2002

Academic Positions Held

Current Appointment:

• Associate Professor of Law, School of Law, Singapore Management University, Jan 2010-Present

Previous Appointments:

• Associate Dean (Student, Alumni & Staff Affairs), School of Law, Singapore Management University, Jul 2017-Jun 2019
• Alumni Relations Director, 2011-Jun 2019
• Associate Dean (Research), School of Law, Singapore Management University, 2014-2015
• Member, Singapore Management University Senate, March 2011-March 2013
• Associate Professor, National University of Singapore, July 2009-Dec 2009
• Assistant Professor, National University of Singapore, 1999-2009
• Senior Tutor, National University of Singapore, 1997-1999
• Clark Byse Fellow, Harvard Law School, 2003-2004
• Landon Gammon Fellow, Harvard Law School, 1998-1999

Teaching Awards

• Singapore Management University School of Law Teaching Award 2023-2024
• Singapore Management University School of Law Teaching Award 2021-2022
• Singapore Management University School of Law Teaching Award 2019-2020
• Singapore Management University School of Law Teaching Award 2018-2019
• Singapore Management University School of Law Most Outstanding Teacher Award, 2017-2018
• Singapore Management University School of Law Teaching Award 2016-2017
• Singapore Management University School of Law Teaching Award, 2015-2016
• Singapore Management University Excellent Teacher Award, 2015
• Singapore Management University School of Law Most Outstanding Teacher Award, 2014-2015
• Singapore Management University School of Law Teaching Award, 2013-2014
• Singapore Management University Innovative Teacher Award, 2013
• Singapore Management University School of Law Most Outstanding Teacher Award, 2012-2013
• Singapore Management University School of Law Teaching Award, 2011-2012
• National University of Singapore Annual Teaching Excellence Award, 2008-2009
• NUS Faculty of Law Teaching Award, 2008-2009
• National University of Singapore Annual Teaching Excellence Award, 2007-2008
• National University of Singapore Annual Teaching Excellence Award, 2005-2006

Courses Taught in SMU

• Legal Theory & Philosophy
• Jurisprudence: Modern and Critical Theories of Law

Research Areas / Areas of Specialisation

• Jurisprudence / Legal Theory
• Legal Education

Personal Website

www.tanseowhon.com

Selected Publications

• Punishing Individuals Who Complied with Intolerably Unjust ‘Laws’ in Predecessor Regimes, Israel Law Review 57 Israel Law Review 480–506 (2024).
• Radbruch’s Formula Revisited: The ‘Lex Injusta Non Est Lex’ Maxim in Constitutional Democracies, Canadian Journal of Law & Jurisprudence (First View)
• Surrogacy and Human Flourishing, 45 Journal of Legal Philosophy 49-79 (2020) 
• Justice As Friendship: A Theory of Law. Paperback edition issued in 2017. 206pp.
• Surrogacy, child’s welfare and public policy in adoption applications: UKM v. Attorney-General, Sing. J. Leg. Stud. 263-273 (2019).
• The Case Against Physician-Assisted Suicide and Voluntary Active Euthanasia: A Jurisprudential Consideration, 29 Sing. Acad. L.J. 375-400 (2017).
• The Problems with Moral Subjectivism, Think, Vol 16, Issue 46, pp. 25–36 (2017).
• Between Judicial Oligarchy and Parliamentary Supremacy: Understanding the Court’s Dilemma in Constitutional Judicial Review, Sing. J. Leg. Stud. 307-335 (2016).
• Critique, philosophy, and the legally-trained citizen’s role in working towards just institutions, Gane & Huang, eds., Legal Education in the Global Context: Opportunities & Challenges 111–130 (Ashgate, 2016).
• Legal Education in Singapore: Current Issues and Challenges, Chan & Lee, eds., The Legal System of Singapore: Institutions, Principles and Practices 234–275 (Lexis-Nexis, 2015).
• Law Firm Internships and the Making of Future Lawyers: An Empirical Study in Singapore 17 Legal Ethics 79–106 (2014).
• Religion in the Abortion Discourse in Singapore: A Case Study of the Relevance of Religious Arguments in Law-making in Multi-Religious Democracies XXVI Journal of Law & Religion 505–539 (2011).