Council Updates |
|
| 26 May 2000 |
The
article in the May 2000 issue of The Singapore Law Gazette entitled ‘The Real
Picture of Practice — The Profession Speaks’ was the subject of various
articles in the Straits Times, Business Times and the Lianhe Zaobao.
The
Practice Structures Committee’s Dialogue Session with Members was held on 27
June 2000 and a Law Corporation Handbook is being prepared.
Rule
6 of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules 1998
The
Council decided that non-legally trained persons may be named on a law firm’s
letterhead, if they satisfy the following requirements:
they
are members of a recognised profession;
their
work is incidental to the practice of law; and
the
description of the person cannot be confusing (ie cause a lay person to
think that the person is legally trained).
The
Council will consider requests by law firms to name non-legally trained persons
on their letterheads on a case-by-case basis. The Council approved the
publication on the letterhead of a law firm, the designation of a ‘Patent
Agent’ or ‘Patent Attorney’ employed by the firm.
Mr
Ang Sin Teck, Council Member, informed the Council that law firms have to
collect notices of hearings from the Family Court Registry and asked if the
Family Court could send the notices of hearings to law firms instead.
Mr
George Lim, Immediate Past President, noted that there is no system of
acknowledgement to confirm that notices and documents are indeed collected by
the law firms that they are intended for.
The
Council decided that this issue would be referred to the Family Law and Civil
Practice Committees and brought to the attention of the Family Court.
The
Conveyancing Fees Review Committee has requested that the Society nominate a
representative to serve on the Committee.
Mr
Palakrishnan, President, will enquire whether the Society may nominate two
representatives to serve on the Committee, or alternatively, nominate one
representative together with an alternative representative to be present on
occasions when the Society’s main representative could not be present.
The
Council decided that Mr Derrick Wong, Council Member, will be the Council’s
representative on the Committee and that Mr Philip Jeyaretnam, Council Member,
will be the Society’s second representative.
Practitioners
who had been in the previous Committee, which had been set up in 1995, will be
asked to assist in providing background information as to the deliberations of
the previous Committee.
The
Council has approved the Sports Committee’s proposal that law firms or
external companies sponsor certain sports activities. A
sponsor will provide the
funds to organise and run such activities. The sponsorship scheme will be
implemented for the Malaysia-Singapore Law Games, the Law Society Shield
(inter-law firm games) and the Law Games organised by the Sports Committee.
Mr
Bala Chandran, Council Member, informed the Council that the moneys al located
by the Council for the Malaysia-Singapore Law Games need not be used as the
expenses for the Games have already been covered by sponsorships and other
sources.
The
Council was referred to the meeting of 24 April 2000 between Mr Ng Peng Hong,
Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court, and Law Society representatives and was
informed that the Supreme Court will be implementing the electronic payment
system by 1 July 2000.
Mr
William Phua, Director of IT and Finance, reported that the tenders for the
redevelopment of the Law Society’s Website have been received and are being
reviewed by the IT Committee. The Ex-Co will be consulted prior to the award of
the contract.
