| 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 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.
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]
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:
It also publishes advisories and guidelines for lawyers relating to various matters, including ethics and professional responsibility[9] and advertising of legal services.[10]
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]
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]
| 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] |
