Louis Ng on Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill

The Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill will strengthen the training of law graduates and better equip them to enter the legal profession, said MP Louis Ng. Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 7), he sought clarifications on three aspects of the Bill. Firstly, he wanted to know how any breach of the moratorium date on applications for training contracts will be factored into calculating the training period completed and how breaches of the moratorium can be detected early. Secondly, he wanted to know what efforts will be made to ensure that even practice trainees in small law firms can have meaningful exposure in contrasting practice areas. Thirdly, he raised concerns that a longer training period will mean a lower salary for a longer period. He noted that some law firms are looking to increase the salaries of practice trainees but cautioned that this will likely lead to unequal and inequitable outcomes across the board. He wanted to know what steps will be taken across the board to review the salaries of practice trainees.