Senior NUS law professor killed in road accident

SINGAPORE - Emeritus Professor Tan Yock Lin, a senior law professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS), died after he was involved in a road accident on Friday morning (July 7). He was 70.

In an e-mail sent by NUS law faculty dean Andrew Simester to staff on Saturday, which was seen by The Straits Times, Professor Simester said: "I write with deeply distressing news... Our colleague and friend, Tan Yock Lin, has passed away following a road accident yesterday morning."

NUS vice-provost (educational innovation) Simon Chesterman, who was law faculty dean from 2012 to 2022, said that he was shocked and saddened to hear about Prof Tan's passing.

He described Prof Tan as a passionate teacher and a painstaking researcher who was constantly innovating and trying new things throughout his career.

Prof Chesterman said: "He dedicated his professional life to NUS Law over four decades... holding himself to exacting standards but always being generous as a mentor and counsel to others. He leaves a wealth of scholarship and generations of students whom he taught."

NUS law professor Hans Tjio called Prof Tan a "legal giant who behaved like he was the least of us".

"He was a jack of all trades who also mastered more areas of law than any modern academic," said Prof Tjio.

"He constantly pushed us to see things from a different perspective in ways we did not always appreciate. He would hate that these words were said of him, but he also leaves us with no choice but to do so. His contrarian spirit remains and will be commemorated each time we rely on something he taught us."

Singapore Management University law professor Tan Seow Hon shared fond memories as a former student of Prof Tan.

She said: "Students in my cohort held Yock Lin in highest regard for his intellectual prowess. He would come to tutorials empty-handed - without even the tutorial question sheet - as he had an amazing memory.

"He was also one of the most eloquent teachers. His monographs were very deep and not only were they written with his unique flair, but he was able to pack many points into each sentence. I recall his opening line in his first lecture on evidence law left some of us awestruck - and scrambling for the dictionary."

[[nid:571008]]

She added that Prof Tan was exceedingly generous with his time and ideas.

"I greatly admired his analytical mind and his prodigious memory," she said. "Whether it (was) a question on law or on theology, he had an ability to answer comprehensively and deeply off the top of his head.

"While many will remember him for his intellectual capabilities, I want to remember him most for his gentle kindness, his humility and his generosity."

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.