Council Updates

17 August 2001

Dialogue Sessions with Proprietors and Partners in Smaller Firms

Council agreed that the dialogue sessions be held after the Report on the Survey of Lawyers Leaving Practice (to be published in the October issue of the Law Gazette) is finalised, so that there will be some background information from the survey for discussion with the participants at the sessions.

Proposed Census/Survey by MinLaw on the Legal Industry and Legal Profession

MinLaw will be conducting a census of the legal industry and legal profession and a survey of former lawyers who ceased practice between 1999-2000. This census and survey will be conducted in conjunction with the Department of Statistics.

MinLaw has sought the Law Society's assistance in providing some data, as well as comments and feedback from the Council on the draft census and survey.

Council agreed that the Law Society will render assistance to MinLaw on this project. A sub-committee was appointed by Council to assist MinLaw, comprising Mr Murugaiyan Sivakumar, Mr Thio Shen Yi, Mr Montague Choy and Mr Naresh Mahtani.

Rule 4 of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules 1998

Council discussed whether advocates and solicitors should be permitted to have designations such as 'manager' or 'chief executive officer' in law corporations. It was decided that lawyers in law corporations may use other designations, in addition to 'director', which was previously approved. The general guideline is that the designations should not demean the profession, and that letterheads and business cards should also specify that they are advocates and solicitors.

A Practice Direction will be issued to members.

Enhanced Website

The new website of the Law Society was 'soft-launched' on 15 August 2001 (at www.lawsociety.org.sg in conjunction with the 'old' website at www.lawsoc.org.sg).