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Singapore Law Watch
01-07-2025
- Singapore Law Watch
‘Trailblazer' and ‘role model', ex-NUS law dean Thio Su Mien dies at 86
'Trailblazer' and 'role model', ex-NUS law dean Thio Su Mien dies at 86 Source: Business Times Article Date: 01 Jul 2025 Author: Renald Yeo & Tessa Oh Dr Thio Su Mien was the first Singaporean woman – and the youngest person – to head the NUS Faculty of Law, serving as dean from 1968 to 1971. Thio Su Mien, a pioneering legal academic and practitioner who served as dean of the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Law and co-founded TSMP Law Corporation, died on Monday (Jun 30) morning. She was 86. Dr Thio had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in May. Law Minister Edwin Tong paid tribute to her in a Facebook post: 'I am saddened by the passing of Dr Thio Su Mien, a respected figure in our legal profession. 'Dr Thio was a trailblazer who set the highest standard for excellence, integrity and dedication to the profession throughout her career.' She was also a 'role model', he added, noting that she was the first Singaporean woman – and the youngest person – to head the NUS Faculty of Law, serving as dean from 1968 to 1971. After leaving academia, she moved into corporate law. She became managing partner at Big Four law firm Drew & Napier. In 1998, at the age of 60, when many would have been considering retirement, she co-founded TSMP with Tan Bee Lian. Dr Thio proved that 'both women and men can excel and contribute immensely and on equal terms in the legal field and to society at large and beyond', said Tong. Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam also paid tribute, calling her a 'highly accomplished, highly regarded corporate lawyer' in an Instagram post. 'Dr Thio's passing is a sad day for the profession,' he said. Andrew Simester, dean of the NUS Faculty of Law, described Dr Thio as 'a remarkable leader who played a key role in shaping the course of legal education in Singapore'. 'As the first woman and the youngest to lead the law school as dean, Dr Thio left an indelible mark on the faculty and generations of students that she inspired,' said Prof Simester. Survived by three children Dr Thio acted as a 'feminist mentor' to a Christian faction which attempted a leadership takeover of the Association of Women for Action and Research in 2009. The group was later ousted by a no-confidence vote. She was married to Thio Gim Hock, the former chief executive officer of real estate firm OUE. Thio, who represented Singapore in water polo in the 1956 Olympic Games, died in 2020 at the age of 82. Dr Thio is survived by three children: Thio Shen Yi, senior counsel and joint managing partner of TSMP; NUS law professor Thio Li-ann; and Thio Chi-ann, a homemaker. Thio Shen Yi said: 'I never appreciated how much of a trailblazer mum was when I was growing up. I thought it was normal. But she crashed past glass ceilings, was strong and assertive without losing femininity, yet in all things, her moral and ethical compass was front and centre.' Source: The Business Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction. Print
Business Times
30-06-2025
- Business Times
‘Trailblazer' and ‘role model', ex-NUS law dean Thio Su Mien dies at 86
[SINGAPORE] Thio Su Mien, a pioneering legal academic and practitioner who served as dean of the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Law and co-founded TSMP Law Corporation, died on Monday (Jun 30) morning. She was 86. Dr Thio had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in May. Law Minister Edwin Tong paid tribute to her in a Facebook post: 'I am saddened by the passing of Dr Thio Su Mien, a respected figure in our legal profession. 'Dr Thio was a trailblazer who set the highest standard for excellence, integrity and dedication to the profession throughout her career.' She was also a 'role model', he added, noting that she was the first Singaporean woman – and the youngest person – to head the NUS Faculty of Law, serving as dean from 1968 to 1971. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up After leaving academia, she moved into corporate law. She became managing partner at Big Four law firm Drew & Napier. In 1998, at the age of 60, when many would have been considering retirement, she co-founded TSMP with Tan Bee Lian. Dr Thio proved that 'both women and men can excel and contribute immensely and on equal terms in the legal field and to society at large and beyond', said Tong. Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam also paid tribute, calling her a 'highly accomplished, highly regarded corporate lawyer' in an Instagram post. 'Dr Thio's passing is a sad day for the profession,' he said. Andrew Simester, dean of the NUS Faculty of Law, described Dr Thio as 'a remarkable leader who played a key role in shaping the course of legal education in Singapore'. 'As the first woman and the youngest to lead the law school as dean, Dr Thio left an indelible mark on the faculty and generations of students that she inspired,' said Prof Simester. Survived by three children Dr Thio acted as a 'feminist mentor' to a Christian faction which attempted a leadership takeover of the Association of Women for Action and Research in 2009. The group was later ousted by a no-confidence vote. She was married to Thio Gim Hock, the former chief executive officer of real estate firm OUE. Thio, who represented Singapore in water polo in the 1956 Olympic Games, died in 2020 at the age of 82. Dr Thio is survived by three children: Thio Shen Yi, Senior Counsel and joint managing partner of TSMP; NUS law professor Thio Li-ann; and Thio Chi-ann, a homemaker. Thio Shen Yi said: 'I never appreciated how much of a trailblazer mum was when I was growing up. I thought it was normal. But she crashed past glass ceilings, was strong and assertive without losing femininity, yet in all things, her moral and ethical compass was front and centre.' Additional reporting by Tessa Oh
Straits Times
30-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Former NUS law dean Thio Su Mien dies aged 86
Madam Thio Su Mien was the first woman dean of the NUS law faculty, a post she held from 1969 to 1971. PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER FILE SINGAPORE - Former National University of Singapore (NUS) law dean Thio Su Mien died at the age of 86 on the morning of June 30. Dr Thio died from acute myeloid leukaemia, which she was diagnosed with in early May. She was the first woman dean of the NUS law faculty, a post she held from 1969 to 1971. Aged 30 when she was appointed, she was also the youngest person to assume the role . Dr Thio's son, Senior Counsel Thio Shen Yi of TSMP Law Corporation, said Dr Thio was a legal luminary to many. The 58-year-old, who was Law Society president from 2015 to 2016, added: 'But more importantly to me, mum taught me to value fairness and justice, and to speak up for what I believed was right. I hope I've done a bit of that.' Former Nominated Member of Parliament Thio Li-ann, Dr Thio's first daughter, said her mother was a woman of great courage, integrity and justice 'who loved her family, church and country'. 'A committed Christian, she devoted hours teaching and counselling many, earnest that they be whole and find their call and destiny, as she most indubitably did,' said Professor Thio, 57. Dr Thio founded Singapore-based TSMP Law Corporation with Ms Tan Bee Lian in 1998. As one of the foremost constitutional law experts in Singapore, she served as a judge on the World Bank Administrative Tribunal and the Asian Development Bank Administrative Tribunal. Dr Thio also played a key role in the 2009 takeover of the Association of Women for Action and Research's (Aware) leadership by a Christian faction. Dr Thio was married to Olympian and real estate tycoon Thio Gim Hock, who died at the age of 82 in 2020. The couple had three children. Their youngest child Thio Chi-ann, 52, is a housewife who lives in the UK. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
