NEWS

Biennial Lecture 2009 A Life in the Law: Home and Away

The Law Society was honoured to have The Right Honourable Lord Peter Goldsmith, Queen's Counsel, Privy Counsellor, former Attorney-General of the United Kingdom, deliver the second Law Society Biennial Lecture on 10 July 2009 at the Supreme Court Auditorium. The first Biennial Lecture was held two years ago.

The objective of the Biennial Lecture is to bring to Singapore, distinguished international lawyers and legal jurists to share with us their experiences in promoting justice and to inspire our young lawyers to view law as a calling and to appreciate their ability to make a difference to society at large.

The Biennial Lecture was attended by an audience of about 250 people which included the Judges of Appeal; Judges of the Supreme Court; the Senior District Judge; the Solicitor-General; Deputy Solicitor-General; Registrars of both the Supreme Court and Subordinate Courts; many senior and junior lawyers; and law students.

Mr Philip Jeyaretnam, SC, Chairman of the International Relations Committee, in his introduction reminded the audience why the Law Society had organised the Lecture - lawyers, particularly young lawyers, were leaving the profession as they "could not see how the work they did made a difference to the lives of others, they felt their creativity stifled by mountains of paper, their own lives drifting in a sea of ink … . Following the first Lecture in 2007 by Professor Irwin Cotler, a distinguished Canadian advocate, young lawyers were reported to be holding their heads higher, looking Judges in the eye and speaking in louder voices".

Chairman of the International Relations Committee, Mr Philip Jeyaretnam, SC giving the welcome address

In his opening remarks, President of the Law Society, Mr Michael Hwang, SC, noted Lord Goldsmith's strong links with Singapore and his illustrious legal career which has spanned more than 30 years and included numerous international and domestic appointments - Member of the House of Lords; Bencher of Gray's Inn; Chairman of Bar Council; Council Member of the International Bar Association and Union Internationale des Avocats; Co-Chairman of the International Bar Association Human Rights Institute; Chairman of the Financial Reporting Review Panel; and President of the Bar's Pro Bono Unit, which he founded in 1996.

Lord Goldsmith, in his 45-minute address, spoke passionately on A Life in the Law: Home and Away where he drew from his experience as a lawyer, a bar leader, as well as politician, to touch on the role of lawyers in today's society. He noted the strong legal heritage shared by Singapore and the United Kingdom as being "one of the best things that join us." He also shared with the audience his admiration and affection for Singapore, noting that he made his first visit to Singapore some 20 years ago, and how he has over the years made repeated visits to Singapore and become friends with many lawyers.

Lord Goldsmith started his lecture by addressing the young lawyers amongst the audience. He reminded them that they are the future bar leaders or even the country's leaders and they will play an important role in the future in shaping laws, which ensure the prosperity of the country. Lord Goldsmith observed that many politicians in the world were lawyers by training.

He also spoke about how the role of law, lawyers and the wider part of society are, and will always be, closely intertwined. Because of this, and with the prominence of law and the rule of law in today's context, the role of lawyers has never been more important. As a society develops and matures, people are more willing to challenge the "officialdom" and "bureaucracy" of decisions. Lawyers, he stressed, are in a good position to help as they are familiar with how the law works.

Because of the skills lawyers possess, Lord Goldsmith also emphasised that lawyers have a special responsibility "… to see injustices and to want to right it, is for all of us a responsibility. If lawyers don't act if they see injustices, who will?"

On young lawyers, Lord Goldsmith also shared his view that they should, at the start of their career, be involved in pro bono work, a cause which he has personally championed through his years in practice, including his establishment of the Bar's Pro Bono Unit. He views pro bono work as a way of assisting lawyers to develop a sense of justice.

Lord Goldsmith's address was followed by a question and answer session, with President Mr Michael Hwang, SC, as moderator. Lord Goldsmith answered a host of questions from the audience with engaging sincerity and openness.

On what attributes a good litigator should have, he simply had two words of advice, "Be Clear!" Always visualise your story, know your written submissions by heart and never stop thinking about the opposition's views, as all these will affect your line of questioning.

He also touched on the professional responsibility of a lawyer when he addressed a question on whether the legal profession is an honourable profession. In his view, to uphold the legal profession as an honourable profession, lawyers have to first regard themselves as professionals who uphold the professional responsibility to care about justice and not to focus only on the bottom-line, as "the legal profession is not a trade."

Lord Goldsmith also viewed legal practice today as a "global practice" and he urged lawyers to think "outward."

On a more personal note, Lord Goldsmith also shared with the audience the demands of being a lawyer. For example, the schedule of a lawyer will always be subjected to clients' demands or the opposing parties (you can't stop the opposing parties from trying out new ideas). He drew laughter from the audience when he said, by way of an example, "A twitter from the opposing party at 5pm to inform you a new affidavit is on the way and there goes your dinner with your wife."

As for how he manages to maintain a balanced lifestyle, Lord Goldsmith says the key is to prioritise, keep your focus and make a conscous effort to have time with the family.

When bogged down with work in the office and the rigours of practice, it is easy to lose track of the role of the lawyer and the difference that a lawyer can make to society. It is hoped that Lord Goldsmith's lecture has served to remind us that lawyers have a larger role to play. In the words of Lord Goldsmith: "who will right the injustices in society if lawyers don't?"

The Law Society is grateful to the Singapore Academy of Law for being the main sponsor of the Biennial Lecture 2009.

Shawn Toh
Senior Assistant Director
Communications Department
The Law Society of Singapore