SINGAPORE: Singapore's Law Ministry is studying the
possibility of licensing three to five top Queen's Counsel (QCs),
to work as independent practitioners and argue in
court.
This arrangement is to cater to the needs of mid
level law firms who are unable to get Singapore's Senior Counsel to
take on cases for their clients.
Law Minister K Shanmugam said most big corporations
or financial institutions are already the clients of these Senior
Counsel and hence cannot act for others wanting to sue their own
clients.
The minister shared this development with aspiring law students at
the Singapore Legal Forum.
He also said that Singapore is emerging as a leader in Alternative
Dispute Resolution.
Mr Shanmugam said that within a few short years, Singapore has
already been ranked as among the best in the world, taking away
work from New York and other centres. But he cautioned law firms
from remaining purely national in nature.
He said: "A lot of things which are routine which can be done
elsewhere may move. There is a business model growing up that is
taking work away from lawyers in the West and moving it to large
pools of lawyers sitting in Bangalore, doing the opinions and
sending it back. What it means is that we need to find a niche, a
way of individualising ourselves and making ourselves
relevant.
"It is going to be a challenge but we will work together. It is
becoming increasingly difficult for legal markets to be ring-fenced
from international competition. We will be very focused at looking
at the trends and making sure that we are not behind the curve, we
will make sure that it continues to be a vibrant legal
market."
There was also a word of advice from the minister for those who
want to have overseas attachments.
Mr Shanmugam said: "You got to get beaten up, you got to get
scolded...in courts. Get a few dismissals then you start seeing law
in a different perspective. And after the pupillage, two years in a
local law firm and then going overseas for attachment, gives you
the experience."
On the current job market in Singapore, Mr Shanmugam noted that
there continues to be a shortage of lawyers.
This year, there are about 350 reading Law with the NUS Law Faculty
and the Singapore Management University's Law School.
-CNA/ac