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