Lawyers in Singapore
Encyclopedia
Lawyers in Singapore are part of a fused profession
, meaning that they may act as both a solicitor
and as an advocate
, although lawyers usually specialize in one of litigation, conveyancing
or corporate law
.
The number of lawyers in Singapore has declined in the first decade of the 21st century. There were 3,300 lawyers in 2006. Parliament approved changes in 2009 to replace the 'pupillage' system with structured training, and to make it easier for lawyers to return to practise.
International law firms are generally limited to corporate, finance and banking law. There were 95 foreign firms with offices in Singapore in July 2009, and 840 foreign lawyers, up from 576 in 2000. Six international firms were given license to practice local corporate law for the first time in December 2008.
Fused profession
Fused profession is a term relating to jurisdictions where the legal profession is not divided between barristers and solicitors.It is generally used in the context of Commonwealth countries which have provided by statute for there to be a single profession of "Barrister and Solicitor".In practice,...
, meaning that they may act as both a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
and as an advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
, although lawyers usually specialize in one of litigation, conveyancing
Conveyancing
In law, conveyancing is the transfer of legal title of property from one person to another, or the granting of an encumbrance such as a mortgage or a lien....
or corporate law
Corporate law
Corporate law is the study of how shareholders, directors, employees, creditors, and other stakeholders such as consumers, the community and the environment interact with one another. Corporate law is a part of a broader companies law...
.
The number of lawyers in Singapore has declined in the first decade of the 21st century. There were 3,300 lawyers in 2006. Parliament approved changes in 2009 to replace the 'pupillage' system with structured training, and to make it easier for lawyers to return to practise.
International law firms are generally limited to corporate, finance and banking law. There were 95 foreign firms with offices in Singapore in July 2009, and 840 foreign lawyers, up from 576 in 2000. Six international firms were given license to practice local corporate law for the first time in December 2008.
See also
- Admission in practice law in Singapore
- Judicial system of SingaporeJudicial system of SingaporeThe full Judicial power in Singapore is vested in the Supreme Court as well as subordinate courts by the Constitution of Singapore. The Supreme Court consists of the Court of Appeal and the High Court. The Court of Appeal exercises appellate criminal and civil jurisdiction, while the High Court...
- Law of SingaporeLaw of SingaporeThe legal system of Singapore is based on the English common law system. Major areas of law – particularly administrative law, contract law, equity and trust law, property law and tort law – are largely judge-made, though certain aspects have now been modified to some extent by statutes...
- Law Society of SingaporeLaw Society of SingaporeThe Law Society of Singapore is the organisation that represents all lawyers in Singapore. It publishes the Law Gazette and operates a scheme for needy people to benefit from legal services free-of-charge. The Society also sets out rules for how lawyers should advertise. The Law Society is...
- Singapore Academy of LawSingapore Academy of LawThe Singapore Academy of Law or is an organization in Singapore. This organization has nearly 8,000 members and provides legal services and information to Singapore's legal community....
- Singapore Corporate Counsel Association
- Singapore Legal ServiceSingapore Legal ServiceThe Singapore Legal Service is the collective body of lawyers who serve in the courts, the Attorney-General's Chambers, and the legal departments of various government ministries and statutory boards in Singapore...