SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

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Opening of Legal Year 2007

Mass Call 2007

OPENING OF LEGAL YEAR 2007

The annual Opening of Legal Year ceremony, during which the legal community gathers to mark the beginning of a new legal year, took place on 6 January 2007 in the Supreme Court Auditorium. In their speeches, the Attorney-General and the President of the Law Society renewed their pledges of support, on behalf of the Attorney-General's Chambers and the practising Bar respectively, for the Singapore Judiciary in upholding the rule of law and the administration of justice.

The Attorney-General, Mr Chao Hick Tin, spoke about the need for reforms to ensure that Singapore continues to maintain its leading edge in the provision of local and foreign legal services, given today's increasingly global economy. He also touched on the importance of addressing the acute shortage of practising lawyers in Singapore and the need to improve the quality of Singapore's legal services so that the country can compete effectively in the region.

The President of the Law Society, Mr Philip Jeyaretnam SC, in turn, summarised the key reforms that would be implemented by the Law Society to improve the business competitiveness of law firms. In addition, Mr Jeyaretnam reminded the practising Bar that it was important for lawyers, while venturing into regional and international markets, not to overlook their responsibilities locally in terms of facilitating access to justice for the ordinary people of Singapore.

In his response, Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong emphasised the importance of ensuring efficiency in court administration through a system of close monitoring of cases, especially for civil cases. To assist the Judiciary in raising the courts' efficiency in the most cost-effective way, the Chief Justice gave a preview of the various technological initiatives that would be rolled out in 2007. He also touched on the systems being introduced in the Supreme Court and the Subordinate Courts to improve case management at the respective courts, while highlighting the need to avoid the two extremes of "justice delayed" and "justice hurried".

The Chief Justice also spoke of the need to ensure the accessibility of Singapore's case law to people and legal communities in other jurisdictions. In respect of criminal justice, the Chief Justice reiterated that the courts would continue to deal firmly, but fairly, with criminals by imposing sentences befitting both the crime and the offender.

While the Chief Justice expressed concern over the deterioration in professional values and ethics "among smaller law firms", he noted that steps had been taken by the Law Society to remedy this, especially by tightening the procedures which law firms have to comply with when dealing with clients' monies. The Chief Justice also lauded the Law Society's efforts in encouraging its members to engage in pro bono work.

The Chief Justice concluded his speech by announcing the results of an independent survey conducted in the fourth quarter of 2006, which affirmed the public's continued confidence in Singapore's legal system.

"We believe that we have a justice system in which the public has confidence...We will continue to maintain an efficient and effective legal system. We will be able to do it easier if we have the full co-operation of the Bar and the Legal Service."

His Honour then declared the new legal year open.

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MASS CALL 2007

Mass Call was held on 20 May 2007 at the Supreme Court. A total of 233 new advocates and solicitors were admitted to the Singapore Bar. Both the Chief Justice and Judge of Appeal Andrew Phang Boon Leong presided over the proceedings which were held in the Supreme Court Auditorium and the Court of Appeal, and delivered addresses congratulating the newly admitted lawyers and their families.

The Chief Justice highlighted the vast opportunities available to the newly admitted lawyers in the legal services sector and added that it was now the best of times for lawyers to contribute to their own welfare, to the profession, to the community and to the nation.

Further, it was emphasised that there are three essential qualities that every good lawyer should possess, namely: a strong understanding of legal doctrine and principles; a good sense of historical and social context; and a firm set of ethics. The Chief Justice concluded by reminding the newly admitted lawyers that:

"With the increasing globalisation of legal practice, a substantial number of you may not even be working in Singapore in the next five to ten years. The fact that the Singapore lawyer is recognised and sought after in the developed legal centres of the world is a testament to the quality of our legal education and its products.

Wherever you may choose to practice, whether it is in Singapore, London, New York, Hong Kong or any other city in the world, I hope that you will remember you are an ambassador of Singapore."