Council Update

24 June 2005

The Future of the Building Levy 

Ms Malathi Das, the Treasurer of the Law Society, reported that 188 members had responded to the Society’s e-survey on the future of the building levy. The majority of members had indicated support for reducing the building levy fee to $50. The Finance Committee of Council would review if the sum of $50 was adequate for the long-term maintenance of the Society’s current premises. 

Council would discuss the issue of the future of the building levy with members at the Annual General Meting to be held on 21 October 2005.  

Building Leadership — Law Society Committees

 Council deliberated on the report by the committee of Council on the above and decided on the following changes from 2006:

1   Chairpersons of committees would be advised to hold an 
       induction meeting for members at their first meeting.

2   Chairpersons would be advised that  they could form ad hoc committees and invite volunteers to assist their committees in projects.

3   Chairpersons would be invited to serve a term of three years, and to appoint a vice-chairperson, and if desired, a secretary to the committee.

4   Chairpersons would be requested to look at the attendance of committee members and determine if they should continue to serve after prolonged absence at meetings.

Moving Forward on the Liberalisation of Ethics 

Council was informed that the ad hoc committee would hold its first meeting in July, and would put forth its first draft report to Council thereafter.

A Paper on Police Custody and Criminal Discovery for Submission to the Minister for Law

 Mr Chia Boon Teck advised Council that the Criminal Practice Committee would work to present its draft report by mid-August 2005.

First Status Report on the PrimeLaw Project for 2005

 Mr Leo Cheng Suan outlined the PrimeLaw assessment process to Council. Ms Yasho Dhoraisingam reported that to date, nine law practices had registered for a series of four PrimeLaw workshops that would enable the practices to assess if the processes and systems of their law practices were ready to apply for PrimeLaw assessment.

 Council gave its in-principle approval for subsidies to help meet technical co-assessors’ fees for the first five small law practices that committed to undergo PrimeLaw assessment. A subsidy of $500 each to meet the consultation fees of the Law Society’s approved consultants Bizibody Technology Pte Ltd will also be given to the first five small practices that committed themselves to PrimeLaw assessment.

Hosting the Presidents of Law Associations (‘POLA’) Conference in 2006

 Council was advised of the status of the work of the committee of Council organising the Society’s hosting of this conference on 24 and 25 August 2006.

 Council was advised that invitation letters would be sent to the Asian and Pacific Bar Associations to attend the conference whose theme was ‘Role of the Legal Profession in Society’.

Update on Law Awareness Project 2005

 Mr Leong Yung Chang, as the Council representative on the Law Awareness Committee, reported that the project was on track with 14 secondary schools agreeing to have talks held at their schools on ‘Youth Crime’ given by members who had volunteered. A newsletter that would be distributed to every secondary school student was being finalised. He also advised Council that a teachers’ seminar would be conducted on 13 August 2005 to help teachers use the newsletter as a tool to educate their students on ‘Youth Crime’.

 A media release on the Society’s Law Awareness programme would be released shortly by the Society’s 
Communications department.

Making Contact with Law Undergraduates

 Mr Anand Nalachandran, as co-chair of the Young Lawyers Committee, advised Council that the President and Ms Jacintha Thannimalai met with the Dean of the Law faculty in May 2005. Following that meeting the Young Lawyers Committee would meet office bearers of the University’s Law Club and its newly formed Pro bono Society later this year to form closer links between the Society and the undergraduate body of the Law Faculty. Council was also advised that undergraduates from the Pro bono Society were keen to undertake internship at the CLAS office.

8 July 2005

Meeting with the Minister for Home Affairs

 Council was advised that the President, Mr Jimmy Yim SC, Mr Edmond Pereira and Mr Chia Boon Teck met with the Minister, the Commissioner of Police and the Director of the Criminal Investigation Department. At this meeting it was agreed that the Police and the Society hold quarterly dialogues with the Society’s Criminal Practice Committee to hear feedback from the profession. Council noted that an announcement had been made to members and a further announcement would be made in the Society’s weekly newsletter, eJus News, requesting criminal practitioners to advise the Society via e-mail or in writing of any specific issues it wished to raise during these regular dialogue sessions with the Police. Members could convey their views at the e-mail address feedback@lawsoc.org.sg.

Criminal Discovery — Second Status Report on Submission of Paper to the Minister for Law

 Mr Chia Boon Teck informed Council that he was working to collate various papers that would form the paper to be submitted for Council’s consideration.

Second Status Report on Law Society’s Annual Dinner & Dance 2005 in Conjunction with CLAS’s 20th Anniversary

 The President updated Council that to date, seven ‘silver’ donation tables to raise funds for CLAS had been sold. Council agreed that the memorandum sent to members to attend the dinner also indicate that members could donate a sum of $20, $50 and $100 for CLAS. 

Law Society’s Representatives on Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) Committees

Council agreed to nominate the members named below as the Society’s nominees to the following committees of the SAL: 

Executive Committee: Mr Leo Cheng Suan
Publications Committee: Ms Malathi Das
Legal Education & Studies Committee: Mr Thio Shen Yi
Membership & Social Committee: Mr Anand Nalachandran
Professional Affairs Committee: Dr G Raman & Mr Chia Boon Teck
Board of Commissioners for Oaths & Notaries Public Committee: Mr Sivakumar Murugaiyan
Council for Law Reporting: Mr Petrus Hwang 
LawNet Management Committee: Mr Jim Lim/Mr Lim Seng Siew