Part 18: Matters Under The Legal Profession Act 1966

156. Applications for admission as an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court

157. “Part-call” applications pursuant to section 32(3) of the Legal Profession Act 1966

158. Electronic applications for practising certificate

156. Applications for admission as an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court

(1) The attention of applicants for admission as an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court is drawn to the filing and service deadlines as set out in Rules 25, 26 and 27 of the Legal Profession (Admission) Rules 2011.

(2) In view of the requirements under Rules 25, 26 and 27 of the Legal Profession (Admission) Rules 2011, an applicant is to ensure the requisite document(s) for admission are served on the Attorney General, the Law Society of Singapore and the Singapore Institute of Legal Education in compliance with the timelines stipulated in the respective Rules (“applicable timelines”).

(3) All applications for admission must be filed through the Electronic Filing Service. Supervising solicitors may allow their practice trainees to file the relevant papers for admission as an advocate and solicitor through the Electronic Filing Service using the law practice’s front-end system. Alternatively, applicants may file their requisite documents for admission through the service bureau.

(4) The applicant must file a Request for hearing together with the applicant’s affidavit for admission as advocate and solicitor. In the Request for hearing, the applicant must request the issuance of the following documents:

(a) the instrument of admission under section 16(3) of the Legal Profession Act 1966; and

(b) the declaration required under Rule 30 of the Legal Profession (Admission) Rules 2011.

The declaration will be generated for the applicant’s signature at the hearing if the applicant’s application for admission as an advocate and solicitor is granted. $120 is payable when filing the Request for hearing which includes $100 for the issuance of the instrument of admission (under the Legal Profession (Prescribed Fees) Rules).

(5) Upon the filing of the Request for hearing and all requisite documents for admission in accordance with the applicable timelines, the admission application will be fixed for hearing by the Registry (“Original Call Date”).

(6) An applicant who is not able to comply with the applicable timelines may apply for an abridgment of time (“abridgement application”). An abridgment application must be made by way of a summons, supported by an affidavit, and filed through the Electronic Filing Service at least 14 days before the applicant’s intended admission hearing date (“Intended Call Date”). The abridgement application is to be served on the Attorney-General, the Law Society of Singapore and the Singapore Institute of Legal Education, any of whom may object to the abridgement application.

(7) The abridgment application will be fixed for hearing as follows:

(a) where the abridgment application has been filed at least 14 days before the Intended Call Date, it will be fixed for hearing on the Monday before the Intended Call Date. If the abridgment application is granted, the admission application will be re- fixed for hearing on the Intended Call Date;

(b) where the abridgment application is filed less than 14 days before the Intended Call Date, the abridgment application will be fixed on the Monday before the Original Call Date. If the applicant wishes to bring forward the hearing date to the Monday before the Intended Call Date, the applicant has to obtain the written consent of the Attorney-General, the Law Society of Singapore and the Singapore Institute of Legal Education, and file a Request to bring forward the hearing date of the abridgment application enclosing the relevant written consent.

157. “Part-call” applications pursuant to section 32(3) of the Legal Profession Act 1966

Section 32(3) of the Legal Profession Act 1966 allows “part-call” applications to be brought in respect of practice trainees who have completed not less than 3 months of their practice training period. A “part-call” application must be brought by way of a summons, supported by an affidavit, and served on the Attorney-General, the Law Society of Singapore and the Singapore Institute of Legal Education. The attendance of representatives of the Attorney-General, the Law Society of Singapore and the Singapore Institute of Legal Education at the hearing of a “part-call” application is not required, unless there are any objections to the application or if the Court otherwise directs.

158. Electronic applications for practising certificate

(1) Subject to section 26 of the Legal Profession Act 1966, section 25 of the same requires all practising solicitors to have in force a valid Practising Certificate issued by the Registrar, before he or she does any act in the capacity of an advocate and solicitor. Unless otherwise directed, all applications for practising certificates must be made only through the Practising Certificate Module (PC Module) of the Integrated Electronic Litigation System (eLitigation) according to the procedures set out on the eLitigation website at https://www.elitigation.sg.

(2) Solicitors who do not have access to eLitigation may file an application through the service bureau. Payment for applications made through the service bureau must be made by way of NETS, cashier’s order, cash or a law firm issued cheque.

(3) Payment for applications made directly through the PC Module of eLitigation must be by way of GIRO electronic payment. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the designated bank account has sufficient funds for GIRO electronic payment of all applicable subscriptions, levies, contributions, fees and charges (which may include outstanding amounts due to the Law Society of Singapore and/or the Singapore Academy of Law) at the time of the application. The issuance of any practising certificate is subject to the clearance of funds. Upon notification that a payment transaction is unsuccessful, the applicant must make arrangements to effect full payment within 5 working days. At any time before full payment is made, the applicant must, immediately upon demand, surrender to the Registrar all hard copies of any practising certificate issued to him or her for the practice year for which payment has not been settled and certify to the Registrar that he or she has destroyed all electronic copies thereof.

(4) Section 27(3) of the Legal Profession Act 1966 requires solicitors to notify the Registrar and the Council of the Law Society of Singapore any changes in particulars submitted in the course of applying for a practising certificate or with respect to the status of his or her practising certificate. This notification must be made only through the PC Module of eLitigation.

(5) The Registrar may exercise his or her discretion to issue another practising certificate to a solicitor after receiving notification of any change of particulars. If the Registrar subsequently issues another practising certificate, section 26(9)(c) of the Legal Profession Act 1966 provides that the earlier practising certificate will cease to be in force.