The Legal Profession in Singapore
The legal profession in Singapore is ‘intertwined’ – the Singapore legal counsellor may go about as both an Advocate just as a Solicitor. All through, the individual stays an official of the Supreme Court. The Singapore attorney may serve in fluctuated jobs including as a legal or legal official in the Singapore Legal Service, in-house guidance of an organization or specialize in legal matters in a nearby or global law office. In the neighbourhood firm, the attorney ordinarily handles the case, corporate work, conveyancing and protected innovation work. The legal counsellor in the universal law office is commonly constrained to complex corporate, fund and banking exchanges.
The Law Society principally maintains the interests of the rehearsing legal advisors while the Singapore Academy of Law tries to propel the legal profession in general.
There are marginally in excess of 800 law rehearses in 2006 as indicated by the law society measurements with 88% of them being little practices with 5 or less legal counsellors. Starting at 31 Mar 2006, there are 3,476 dynamic specialists who hold a rehearsing declaration.
To be admitted to the Singapore Bar, a wannabe needs to initially achieve the status of a ‘qualified individual’ by getting a law degree from the National University of Singapore or from one of the endorsed abroad colleges of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The law moves on from such endorsed colleges are additionally required to finish the Diploma in Singapore Law given by the National University of Singapore. The second significant obstacle is to clear the Postgraduate Law Course tests directed by the Board of Legal Education. At long last, the law graduate is required to satisfy the endorsed time of pupilage with an Advocate and Solicitor in private practice for a half year just as indicated eating prerequisites. Endless supply of the above necessities, the individual is admitted to the Singapore Bar.
There are different roads for admission to the Singapore Bar but increasingly constrained, for Queen’s Counsel and Malaysian professionals.
The Singapore Academy of Law (“SAL” or “the Academy”) was set up by the Singapore Academy of Law Act (Cap. 294A) in 1988. At the hour of its origin, Parliament had conceived a foundation designed after the English Inns of Court, to create among the legal profession in Singapore a university soul which is fundamental for pride in the profession and in its decent norms and practices.
Throughout the years, the Academy has developed from an enrollment-based body to a help based foundation. It is currently additionally the law revealing organization in Singapore; a proceeding with legal instruction supplier; a legal productions body; an alternative dispute resolutions office; a delegating body for Senior Counsel, magistrates for pledges and legal officials open; an advertiser of legal data innovation and the attendant of stake-holding funds in Singapore.
The Academy is a statutory body with a wide arrangement of capacities. Under the Academy is its backup, the Singapore Mediation Center, which plays a particular and special job in the advancement of intercession as alternative methods for the resolution of civil, business and exchange disputes.
Law degrees in Singapore like the UK are at the undergrad level. This is enhanced by the Postgraduate Law course. There has verifiably been a sole workforce of law in the nation at the National University of Singapore. Notwithstanding, in Jan 2007, it was reported that another workforce of law will be set up at the Singapore Management University to offer multi-year law or multi-year joint-degree courses.
