23 June 2006

Strengthening the Legal Profession’s Accountability of Client Monies

Council studied the written feedback from members on the subject and noted the terms of a petition from 156 members requesting that any changes to the Legal Profession (Solicitors’ Accounts) Rules (‘the Rules’) apply to all law practices regardless of size.

Council also studied the minutes of meeting of the Small Firms Committee held on 12 June 2006 on the subject of review of the Rules that was attended by the President of the Society.

The meeting agreed that the profession had to review the custody of client monies by the legal profession as soon as possible. Council also agreed to hold a dialogue session with members.

Council discussed options to better police client monies held by the profession under the Rules and measures to improve the profession’s accountability of monies it held on behalf of the public.

Council agreed that firms holding clients’ monies had to establish some form of second key, whether this was to be another advocate and solicitor or an arrangement with a third party, such as an accountant, or a trust company.

The President would write to members to advise them of the proposals discussed by Council and seek members’ feedback and views at a dialogue session.

Meeting of the Presidents of Law Associations of Asia (‘POLA’) Conference from 24 to 25 August 2006, Singapore

Council noted that to date, Presidents and members from Bar Associations and Law Societies from Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and New Zealand had registered to attend the conference.

Council approved the budget presented for hosting the conference and noted that as part of the conference, the Young Lawyers Committee would hold a Malaysia and Singapore 
Young Lawyers forum where law undergraduates and 
postgraduate law students from Singapore would also be invited.

Design Concept for 2006 e-Annual Report of the Society

Council approved the design concept presented by the Publications Department. A budget of $5,000 was set for the e-annual report. 

The Community Court and CLAS

Council was advised of the meeting with the Subordinate Courts as regards its Community Court for which assistance was sought from the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (‘CLAS’) to assign counsel to act for accused persons in need of representation before the court. The Society supported the work of the Community Court and noted that CLAS would assign counsel to accused persons referred to it who were eligible for aid.

Renovation of the Subordinate Courts Bar Room