Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
submittedVersion
Publication Date
10-2025
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the rigidity of will-making laws requiring in-person witnessing. Jurisdictions responded differently: some introduced temporary measures, others implemented permanent reforms allowing remote witnessing. This article compares responses in England and Wales, selected Australian states, Singapore, and Hong Kong SAR, tracing developments toward potential recognition of electronic wills. The central argument is that law reform should balance accessibility with safeguards against fraud and undue influence, avoiding overly burdensome formalities that deter compliance. The article concludes by examining how national digital identity systems could be used for the execution of electronic wills.
Discipline
Comparative and Foreign Law | Legal History
Research Areas
Corporate, Finance and Securities Law
Areas of Excellence
Growth in Asia
Publication
The Chinese Journal of Comparative Law
First Page
1
Last Page
22
ISSN
2050-4802
Publisher
Oxford University Press
City or Country
Oxford
Embargo Period
11-2-2025
Citation
TI, Edward and TANG, Hang Wu.
Precipitated by the pandemic: From remote witnessing to electronic wills. (2025). The Chinese Journal of Comparative Law. 1-22.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sol_research/4678
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.