Your President Listens

Mr Palakrishnan, the President of the Law Society, will be available to meet members at the Law Society’s premises fortnightly, on Saturdays, between 10.30am to 12noon.

This is part of the Law Society’s vision for the year 2000: ‘Reaching Out’ to its members. These sessions will also help to gather feedback to effect better policy and administrative initiatives for the profession.

A session was held on 26 February 2000 and the next sessions will be on 11 and 25 March 2000.

From the Editor

The editorial staff at Butterworths, who worked feverishly to get the January issue of the Law Gazette off the ground, would like to thank the Law Society and its Editorial Board for their praise, support and encouragement on the publication of our inaugural January issue. We have noted the favourable response to the general look and layout of the whole magazine and other comments on improvement and would like to assure all our readers that we continually strive to bring you a better publication each month. Please keep those comments and suggestions coming in!

In this issue, our ‘Focus’ is on the Electronic Filing System (EFS). We start with an article giving a brief overview of what legal practice will be like under EFS, followed by a judicial prespective of what the new system entails. We also have a very practical and useful insight into the role of service bureaux and an article discussing the relevant aspects of the Rules of Court, under Order 63A, which pertains to the operation of EFS. As a conclusion, some possible implications of EFS are raised as food for thought. EFS marks a key stage of development in Singapore’s legal system and we hope that by bringing you information on EFS, awareness and understanding of the new system will be raised and, hopefully, this will help to dispel any qualms and misconceptions which practitioners may have about this new system.

In our non-theme ‘Features’ this month, we take a brief look at the electronic filing of practising certificates, and a lawyer and provider of electronic legal services shares his views on how developments in technology will affect the legal profession.

We also have an interesting opportunity to meet four newly elected Council members who have obligingly answered some personal questions for the benefit of our readers.

In this issue, we are also including a ‘pull-out’ supplement of the Law Society Secretariat and its Council and Committee members. Remember to file this supplement for ease of future reference.

Last but not least, we would like to remind our readers that we would like to hear from you. The existence of a ‘Forum’ page is dependent upon your contributions and comments on any aspect of your work related experiences. Please direct your letters to:

The Editor,
Singapore Law Gazette
Butterworths Asia
No 1 Temasek Avenue
#17-01 Millenia Tower
Singapore 039192
Fax: 336 9662
Email: slgbutterworths@netscape.net