SAL Annual Report 2011
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MY SAL Engaging the Legal Community Singapore Academy of Law Annual Report 2011/12 ANNUAL REPORT 2011/12 1 OUR MISSION & VALUES ABOUT US Building up the intellectual capital, capability and infrastructure of members of the Singapore Academy of Law and promoting ESPRIT DE CORPS among the members of the Singapore Academy of Law. OUR MEMBERS The Singapore Academy of Law (the “Academy”) has close to 10,000 members comprising all persons who are called as advocates and solicitors of the Supreme Court or who are appointed as Legal Service Officers. The membership of the Academy comprises the Bench, the Bar, and large numbers of corporate CONTENTS counsel and faculty members of the local law schools. About Us 01 OUR WORK The work of the Academy is focused Interview with the President, SAL 02 on three key areas: supporting the growth and Our Leaders 08 The Executive Committee 10 development of the Legal Industry; building up Your Say 14 the intellectual capital of the legal profession Facts, Figures & Highlights 16 by enhancing Legal Knowledge; and improving Legal Knowledge 18 the efficiency of legal practice through Legal Legal Industry 26 Technology. The work of the Academy is driven by Corporate Services 34 these three core mandates. This in turn is directed Key Executives 36 towards raising the standard and quality of legal Financial Review 38 practice and building a strong and dynamic legal community in Singapore. MICA (P) 180/09/2012 ISBN: 1793 - 5679 SINGAPORE ANNUAL ACADEMY REPORT OF LAW 2011/12 3 on land rights which was the foundation has been written on the subject. That is why INTERVIEW WITH THE PRESIDENT, of economic growth in the past. academics who specialise in a particular SINGAPORE ACADEMY OF LAW subject know more about that area of the A non-legal book worth reading is David law than judges. The same reasoning applies Denby’s personal reflections on two to counsel in a particular case, especially humanities courses (literature humanities counsel who specialise in that area of the and contemporary civilisation), based law. His practical experience makes his on the Western Canon, he re-studied knowledge even more useful to his clients. in Columbia University entitled Great onourable The H ustice Books: My Adventures with Homer, As for understanding the law, you need the ChiefEK J Keong Rousseau, Woolf, and Other Indestructible more than knowledge and experience. Chan S Writers of the Western World. You need to know something about the vast body of knowledge of human endeavour, Q: What book would you recommend a especially politics, economics, history, young lawyer to have on his bookshelf? social science, and maybe literature. I leave Mediation and I thought that we could usefully make use out hard science and medicine which the Q: You were visionary in mooting mediation of mediation, and its many advantages, as A: It is better for young lawyers to receive lawyer has to learn and understand if related in 1996 when it was a fairly unknown a good way to resolve all kinds of disputes. instruction rather than to read books on issues arise in the cases he is handling. concept outside the Subordinate Courts When I found out that the Subordinate instruction. Nothing sticks more in the mind in Singapore. What was the impetus Courts were already experimenting with than scintillating oral instruction on how to Continuing legal education from either your personal experiences or mediation in family law cases, I decided to practise law. Young lawyers should read law Q: How can SAL provide continuing legal work in public service or private practice float the idea of mediation for commercial books for entertainment. Learning the Law education that is engaging and relevant that led you to introduce mediation? disputes, and made the suggestion in my by Glanville Williams is a favourite of many especially to the more experienced lawyers? Opening of the Legal Year speech lawyers. How many young lawyers know what A: There was no vision. In 1992, I was a (as AG then) that SAL should set up a “a wooden falsehood” is? A more recent book A: SAL has helped to establish the member of a judicial delegation to China centre to do it. The idea was evolutionary. by Alan Dershowitz called Letters to a Young Singapore Institute of Legal Education. where our Chinese hosts enacted a Lawyer is also worth the attention of young SAL has also enhanced its own legal mediation scenario which involved a female Publishing and books court lawyers. Locally, I can think of no better education plans to provide a richer complainant who was a worker in a Chinese Q: What is your favourite book? book than A Civil Practice: Good Counsel for programme of seminars and conferences medicine firm. Her complaint was that her Why? Can you give examples of Learned Friends, a vade mecum that is so full for all lawyers. If you want to learn, you boss had failed to respect her as a person and a legal and non-legal title? of wit and humour that it can only animate a will learn. Providing courses, seminars, discriminated against her. The mediation young lawyer to pursue his court craft with joy. workshops will make it easier for those ended with the boss apologising to the A: I read too many books on too many who want to improve themselves to do so. complainant. We were told that this was subjects to have a favourite book. Re a book Q: Many know you as a practitioner and But, there is a limit to mandatory learning. how the majority of employment and with a legal title, my favourite book on land Chief Justice with a deep knowledge of I believe in the adage “You can lead a horse other disputes were resolved in China law is Introduction to the Law of Property the law. What is your advice to someone to water, but …”. Basically, except for those as the China then did not have enough by Frederick Henry Lawson. He explains who wishes to acquire this same degree of who have an interest in the law for its own courts and a proper legal system. the concepts of land law in clear and knowledge and understanding of the law? sake, most lawyers can and do succeed in simple language. His exposition made their profession on a “need to know” basis. Later, I read an article on the success of me appreciate the genius of English land A: To acquire knowledge of a particular area There is no need to know what the law is, mediation in family law disputes in the US, law and its role in wealth creation based of the law, you need to read everything that unless it is relevant to the case in hand. SINGAPORE ANNUAL ACADEMY REPORT OF LAW 2011/12 5 LawNet A: To continue to provide a forum for all which has created a greater sense of Law Society in its work in tangible ways. Q: You were involved in LawNet from its the stakeholders in our legal institutions community within the legal community. They do not compete with each other to early days. Do you think that it has fulfilled to meet and discuss, and to come up with It is a popular site and is “watched” by many duplicate services to the legal community. its potential and what would be your advice new ideas to improve our legal system and at home and abroad. It has reached the Any initial suspicion or unhappiness on the for LawNet and the use of technology ensure that it meets the needs of our people, critical level of “spontaneous combustion” part of the Law Society on the role of SAL in for legal work in the next ten years? our economy and social stability and law as events are posted therein without improving our legal system or law practice and order. In the last two decades, SAL has any prompting from the webmaster. was wholly unwarranted. There were A: LawNet has certainly fulfilled its been able to do many things to improve the some members of the Bar who did not want potential in making available, quickly and standing of the legal profession. A good Others who contributed are the Vice- or could not see beyond the source of its cheaply, all the Singapore and English example of this is Singapore Law Watch. Presidents of SAL and the chairmen of all the origination. I believe that the majority of case law that a Singapore lawyer needs SAL will no doubt continue to formulate SAL Committees, and our Chief Executive, lawyers appreciate the role of SAL. to know for his general practice. It has and implement foundational and advanced Ms Serene Wee. Every organisation, with I should also acknowledge the invaluable also made the provision of legal services programmes to improve its services to functions as important as those of SAL, role of our two law schools in raising the fast, convenient, and therefore very its members and the legal community. must relook every few years the continuing standard of related law services provided efficient. Quantitative improvements can relevance of its policies, practices and by SAL to the legal profession. Without still be expected with improvements in Relevance of SAL in future years programmes, to ensure that it is not them, our Singapore Academy of Law technology. What SAL needs to acquire Q: Under your leadership, SAL underwent falling behind in achieving its mission. Journal (“SAcLJ”) would not have survived. (or develop) is an accurate and reliable a major restructuring in 2007 to focus on It is now a respected law journal.