SINGAPORE: As Singapore's legal services sector further liberalises, managing the hopes and aspirations of both local and foreign lawyers will be a key challenge for incoming Law Minister K Shanmugam, according to senior lawyers in Singapore.

Lawyers' wish list for Mr Shanmugam has items that range from meeting the needs of the common man to ensuring that local lawyers do not get hollowed out in the process of globalising the legal sector.

In its continuous bid to liberalise the legal market, Singapore has introduced new schemes to attract foreign lawyers and overseas law firms.

Senior lawyers noted that local lawyers are a bit worried that with the entry of foreign lawyers, they would be losing business. But two senior counsels felt that Singapore only stands to gain if its local lawyers live up to the challenge and excel.

Member of Parliament Alvin Yeo, who is also a senior counsel, said: "The legal market – like other markets we have in Singapore – are increasingly tiered. So you have the smaller law firms that serve the man in the street for simple litigation. Those are aspects of the work the foreign lawyers won't be after.

"The challenge is more severe for the large law firms who are competing for the slice of the corporate pie. The only remedy for them is to shape up, improve and run faster because they would have to compete."

Another MP and senior counsel, Indranee Rajah, said: "I hope to see a time where Singapore lawyers are as good as the international lawyers and in some cases, better for their specialised fields where Singapore law or a Singapore lawyer may be the lawyer of choice for any client internationally."

Lawyers also added that the concept of 'Justice for All' is vital and that includes making every effort to make legal services affordable to the common man.

"Hopefully, the Legal Aid Bureau can review its mandate and see whether that can be extended to people who need access to justice but may not fall within the narrow income band," said Ms Rajah.

Subhas Anandan, president of the Association of Criminal Lawyers, said: "I hope they will look into problems like quick access to counsel when accused are arrested. I hope they would look into the fact that the accused's statements are not given to us in the Subordinate Courts. I hope they would rectify it.

"With the new Attorney-General (Professor Walter Woon), who is a brilliant man, and Shanmugam who is equally brilliant if not more... this combination will be very good for the people. Our profession lost Shanmugam but our loss is the people's gain – it would only bring good things for us."

Mr Shanmugam assumes his ministerial post on 1 May.


- CNA/so