Summary
The Law Society of Singapore is an organisation which represents all lawyers in Singapore. The Law Society of Singapore is a law society and is analogous to what is called a Bar Association in many countries and should not be confused with the Singapore Academy of Law.
| Formation | 1967 |
|---|---|
| Type | Bar association |
| Purpose | To serve its members and the public by sustaining an independent bar which upholds the rule of law and ensures access to justice |
| Headquarters | Maxwell Chambers |
Region served | Singapore |
Official language | English |
President | Lisa Sam Hui Min |
| Website | https://www.lawsociety.org.sg/ |
The society's motto is "An Advocate for the Profession, An Advocate for the Community." The Law Society moved its premises from South Bridge Road to Maxwell Chambers in 2019.[1]
Activities edit
The society provides services and support to lawyers in Singapore, does advocacy for issues affecting its members, publishes the Law Gazette, and operates a pro bono scheme to provide access to justice for those who may not be able to afford it.[2][3] Other services that it offers include:
- Providing an announcement/notice dissemination service for members' notices, such as notices of a change in the name of a law practice, a change in the composition of the partners/directors in a law practice, change in contact details, and office closures[4]
- From 1 November 2019, it has administered an Unclaimed Money Fund to hold money left in lawyers' client accounts that are unclaimed by clients[5][6][7]
- It administers various alternative dispute resolution schemes, including an arbitration scheme, mediation scheme, and neutral evaluation and determination scheme[8]
It also publishes advisories and guidelines for lawyers relating to various matters, including ethics and professional responsibility[9] and advertising of legal services.[10]
Committees edit
The society has various standing committees tasked with managing particular issues or areas of practice, including an advocacy committee, alternative dispute resolution committee, civil practice committee, information technology committee, amongst others.[11]
Disciplinary proceedings edit
Under the Legal Profession Act 1967, when the Council of the Law Society receives a complaint against a lawyer, it will refer the complaint to the Chairperson of the society's Inquiry Panel, who may constitute a Review Committee to review the complaint.
The Review Committee will determine whether the complaint is frivolous, vexatious, misconceived, or lacking in substance and should therefore be dismissed, or should be referred to the Chairperson of the Inquiry Panel, who will then constitute an Inquiry Committee to inquire into the complaint.
The Inquiry Committee will report its findings and recommendations to the Council, who will decide if a formal investigation is necessary. If it does so determine, it may apply to the Chief Justice to appoint a Disciplinary Committee to hear and investigate the matter.
If the Disciplinary Committee finds that there has been cause of sufficient gravity for disciplinary action to be taken against the lawyer who is the subject of the complaint, the Law Society will make an application to the Court of Three Judges for an appropriate order against the lawyer, such as an order that the lawyer be censured, fined, suspended, or struck off the roll.[12][13]
Leadership edit
| Year | President | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| 1963–1964 | Tan Chye Cheng | [14][15] |
| 1965 | Mr Po Guan Hock | |
| 1966 | C. F. J. Ess | |
| 1967 | C. C. Tan | |
| 1968 | H. P. Godwin | |
| 1969–1972 | G. Starforth Hill | |
| 1973–1974 | M. Karthigesu | |
| 1975–1977 | H. L. Wee | |
| 1978 | M. Karthigesu | |
| 1979 | Phyllis P. L. Tan | |
| 1980–1983 | T. P. B. Menon | |
| 1984–1985 | Harry Elias SC | |
| 1986 | Francis Seow | |
| 1987–1989 | Giam Chin Toon SC | |
| 1990–1992 | C. R. Rajah SC | |
| 1993–1994 | Peter Cuthbert Low | |
| 1995–1997 | Chandra Mohan K. Nair | |
| 1998–1999 | George Lim Teong Jin SC | |
| 2000–2002 | Palakrishnan SC | |
| 2003 | Arfat Selvam | |
| 2004–2007 | Philip Jeyaretnam SC | |
| 2008–July 2010 | Michael Hwang SC | |
| August 2010–2012 | Wong Meng Meng SC | |
| 2013–2014 | Lok Vi Ming SC | |
| 2015–2016 | Thio Shen Yi SC | |
| 2017–2021 | Gregory Vijayendran SC | |
| 2022–July 2023 | Adrian Tan Gim Hai | Passed away while in office[16] |
| July 2023 - November 2023 | Jason Chan Tai-Hui SC | [17] |
| November 2023 | Lisa Sam Hui Min | [18] |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Vijayendran, Gregory. "President's Message". Singapore Law Gazette.
- ^ "Free legal help for victims' kin". The Straits Times. 29 January 2005.
- ^ "The Law Society of Singapore". www.singaporelawwatch.sg. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
- ^ "Email Dissemination Service – The Law Society of Singapore". www.lawsociety.org.sg. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ "Unclaimed Money Fund – The Law Society of Singapore". www.lawsociety.org.sg. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ Vijayan, K. C. (2018-03-20). "Parliament: New Law Society fund to benefit those eligible and in need of free legal services, says Indranee". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ "Parliament: New framework for Law Society to handle unclaimed client money". The Business Times. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ "Dispute Resolution Schemes – The Law Society of Singapore". www.lawsociety.org.sg. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ "Ethics & Professional Responsibility – The Law Society of Singapore". www.lawsociety.org.sg. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ Siow Li Sen (8 March 2006). "Law Society studies permitting referral fees". Business Times.
- ^ "Standing Committees 2023 – The Law Society of Singapore". www.lawsociety.org.sg. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ "The New Procedure for the Consideration of Complaints by the Law Society and Other Amendments to Disciplinary Proceedings under the Legal Profession Act". Law Society - Council Bulletin. 1 December 2001. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
- ^ Teo, Sarah Hui Yan. "Iskandar bin Rahmat v Law Society of Singapore". Case briefs by the Singapore Management University. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ Auto, Hermes (2017-11-10). "Law Society confers lifetime achievement award on 'friend of the underdog' | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
- ^ "Portrait of Mr. C.C. Tan, Member of Singapore Legislative Council - BookSG - National Library Board, Singapore". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
- ^ "Law Society president Adrian Tan dies aged 57". CNA. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
- ^ ChengCorrespondent, Ian (2023-07-23). "Senior Counsel Jason Chan is new Law Society president following Adrian Tan's death". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ Xuan, Yong Li (2023-11-07). "Law Society elects first female president in 20 years". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
External links edit
- Law Society of Singapore website