The phrase "subject to contract" is generally understood in the context of the sale of land to mean that the parties are not bound until a formal contract is signed. The use of this expression can affect the formation of contract and/or its enforceability, which are or should be two separate issues. This article attempts to show the confusion of these two issues by the Courts in the understanding, interpretation and use of cases which have dealt with one or both of these issues and some consequences, actual or possible, of such confusion.

This article examines the tax status of partnerships under the Singapore Income Tax Act. The author considers the common law and statutory rules respecting the formation of partnerships, with particular reference to the use of a partnership as an income-splitting device. Calculation of income at the partnership level and the rules for taxing income in the hands of the individual partners are also considered. The tax advantages of the partnership form are reviewed. The administrative mechanism for collecting taxes from partners is also examined, with particular reference to the position where some partners default on their tax obligations respecting partnership income. The position of non-resident partners of a Singapore partnership is also considered.

This article deals with the principles that relate to actions for breach of trust by partners against co-partners in regard to the use of partnership property, both in civil and criminal law. As the principles in regard to civil and criminal breaches of trust have not been laid down in a clear and concise manner by the courts in Singapore, an effort is made in this article to explain the principles that may enable the courts to identify breaches of trust. The scope and significance of these principles is then discussed in the context of breaches of trust by partners. In doing so, the article also focuses on the differences in the concepts of civil and criminal breaches of trust.

This article deals with some problematic aspects of the general reception of English law in Singapore. It examines, first, the concept of the 'cut-off' date for statutes and the common law. The second substantive part deals with the concepts of suitability and modification, analysing their theoretical cogency as well as their application in the local context. The third and final part of the article examines the relationship between reception and stare decisis, indicating and examining potential contradictions as well as other allied issues.