A recent publication of the Supreme Court, In Session, and its Open House Heritage Exhibition recount an interesting anecdote involving two of Singapore’s early litigators, Sir Walter John Napier of Messrs Drew and Napier fame and his alleged arch rival at the Bar,

Mr William Nanson of Messrs Rodyk and Davidson.

It is reported that in an application for an interlocutory mandatory injunction, Sir Walter is said to have argued at great length, much to the annoyance of Mr Nanson, who fidgeted irritably throughout the tedious process, only to say after Sir Walter had concluded ‘My Lord, it is one thing to ask for an interlocutory mandatory injunction; it is an entirely different thing to get it’. And promptly sat down. Unfortunately, there appears to be no record of the outcome of the application.

Restlessness in the legal profession is nothing new and perhaps those worried about the trend of lawyers leaving the profession to seek a different calling should take heart from the example of that doyen of the legal profession, the late David Marshall.

Called to the local Bar in 1938, Mr Marshall rapidly built a reputation for himself as a formidable litigator, especially in the criminal Bar. However in 1950, nearing the height of his career, and at age 42, he resigned from partnership at Allen & Gledhill to consider fulfilling his lifelong ambition of studying medicine! Luckily for the legal profession, Mr Marshall later changed his mind and rejoined the profession.

So, take heart, they do return!

We know what a bunch of roses is, but have you ever heard of a Bench of Roses? Apparently, that was what the Court of Appeal was known as during the reign of Sir Alan Edward Percival Rose, Singapore’s last expatriate Chief Justice, whenever he and two other then judges, Justice Buttrose and Justice Ambrose, constituted the court. See for example: The New India Assurance Co Ltd v Woo Ching Fong [1962] 1 MLJ 432.

More on the trend of young lawyers leaving the profession. Work culture and firm welfare can contribute much to employee loyalty and motivating younger members to remain in the profession. As one new Council member aptly put it at the Council’s Workplan meeting last Saturday, ‘No specie which eats its young survives for long’. Visions of Animal Planet and National Geographic aside, some food for thought or a discovery to be channelled to managing partners perhaps?