Council Update   

19 August 2005

First Status Report on the Liberalisation of the Rules of Ethics

Council was advised that the draft rules would be put before Council for its approval at the meeting of 30 September 2005.
 

Third Status Report on the Law Awareness Project 2005

Mr Leong Yung Chang, the Council’s representative on the Law Awareness Committee, reported that the teachers’ seminar was attended by secondary and a few primary school teachers from a total of 64 schools. The seminar was well received and teachers had requested that the seminar be delivered at their ‘cluster level’ to reach out to more teachers.  

Mr Leong also advised Council that to date assembly talks on ‘Youth Crime’ had been given at 18 secondary schools by members of the Society.

 
Second Status Report on the Work of the Council Workplan Committee 2005 on Pastoral Care

Ms Malathi Das, as chairperson of this Workplan Committee, advised Council that the work of the Committee was on-going and that a further report would be presented to Council before late October 2005.

Workplan 2006

Council appointed the following members to the Workplan 2006 Committee, to draft and plan the next workplan session fixed for 26 November 2005: Mr Peter Low, Mr Leong Yung Chang, Mr Rajan Chettiar, Mr Lee Terk Yang and Mr Yap Teong Liang. The Committee would be assisted by the Chief Executive Officer, Ms Yasho Dhoraisingam.

Council decided that chairpersons of committees or their nominee be invited to attend the workplan session.

 
Building Relations with the Beijing Bar Association

Council welcomed a visit by the Beijing Bar Association to Singapore in 2006. The meeting decided that Mr George Tan as Chairman of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee or Mr Tan Siah Yong, also a member of the Committee, meet the Executive Director of the Beijing Arbitration Centre when she visits the Society in September 2005.

Singapore’s LawAsia Councillor and Alternate Councillor for 2005 to 2007

Council re-nominated Ms Malathi Das as Country Councillor of LawAsia and Mr Pathma Selvadurai as Alternate Councillor.

 
9 September 2005

Adoption of the Audited Accounts of the Law Society by Council for the Period 1 August 2004 to 31 July 2005 

Ms Malathi Das as Treasurer referred to the Society’s audited accounts. Council noted that the report had been reviewed by the Finance Committee of Council. Council was advised of the following:

1    Fixed assets of the Society had declined by five percent. 

2    Fund management of assets had been reduced.  

3    Jus Curio’s old stocks had been written off and thus the loss described in the accounts.  

4    The Society’s current liability to liquidity ratio was at a healthy 1:35.  

5    There was a surplus of $177,917 for the last financial year after transfers to specific funds.
 

Council passed a resolution to adopt the audited accounts of the Society at this meeting.

Criminal Discovery and Police Interrogation – Fourth Status Report on Submission of Paper to the Minister for Law on Criminal Discovery

Mr Peter Low referred to the report prepared by Mr Chia Boon Teck and himself on ‘Criminal Discovery and Access to Counsel’. Following a meeting between Council and the Minister for Law earlier this year, Council was invited to submit its report to the Minister. Mr Low reminded Council that an ad-hoc committee was formed for this purpose, comprising Mr Sant Singh, Mr Edmond Pereira, Mr KS Rajah, SC, Mr Chia and himself.

The current draft was an extension of an earlier report prepared by the Society in 1998 on the subject of Criminal Discovery.

Council members would give feedback on the report and the finalised report signed by the President of the Law Society would be submitted to the Minister for Law by the end of September 2005.

Workplan 2006

Mr Peter Low reported that an ad-hoc committee for the 2006 workplan had met and would prepare a programme for the session to be held on 26 November 2005. Council approved a proposal to engage a media adviser to review media coverage for the year from press reports and present and advise Council on how it can better deal with the media.

A Seminar on ‘Future of the Legal Profession’ to be Held on 16 February 2006

Mr Jimmy Yim, SC, gave a status report on this seminar, ‘Future of the Legal Profession’ which the Society would be organising next year at the new Supreme Court building. The draft programme was tabled and the meeting was advised that the keynote address would be delivered by the Attorney-General.

Ms Malathi Das advised that a budget would be proposed for the event and the Society would seek sponsorship for the event to keep seminar fees very reasonable.

Law Society’s Annual Dinner & Dance 2005 in Conjunction with the 20th Anniversary of the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (‘CLAS’)

Mr Anand Nalachandran reported that a total of 46 tables were purchased for the dinner. Council noted that the evening was well organised and requested Mr Nalachandran to express Council’s appreciation to the organising committee.

Council was also advised that the total amount raised for CLAS was above $65,000 but the final accounts would be submitted to Council at its next meeting of 30 September 2005.

Proposed Mission of the Young Lawyers Committee to West Malaysia

Mr Anand Nalachandran advised Council that the Young Lawyers Committee (‘YLC’) had proposed a second Young Lawyers mission to Kuala Lumpur to coincide with the annual Malaysian Law Conference in November. Council gave its in-principle approval for the mission.

Forming Links with the National University of Singapore Law Undergraduates

Mr Anand Nalachandran advised Council that a talk by the President of the Society to all undergraduates on the Society’s role, functions and activities would be held on 19 October 2005. The aim of this talk was to foster interest among the undergraduates on the work of the Society in the hope that more young lawyers upon qualification would participate in the Society’s activities and programmes.