The Problem with the Law Profession in Singapore

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Singapore lawyers are quite unique. They must pay subscription fees to two bodies - the Law Society and the Law Academy. The Academy is seen by many as another way to control lawyers because it was established in January 1989, shortly after the tumultuous year (1986) of the Society being being led by Mr Francis Seow and the arrest of six lawyers (including Mr Seow) in 1987 and 1988 under the Internal Security Act. Many speculated that the Academy will take over the Law Society one day which may not a bad thing really.

In the early years of the Academy's existence, many lawyers refused to pay the subscription fee of $100 per annum. However, in later years, the Law Society was forced to collect the subscription fees for the Academy or no practising certificates would be issued. Lawyers, including me who was in prison and was not in practice for some years, were compelled to pay all fees back dated to the formation of the Academy in 1989.

I remember feeling very much aggrieved because while I did not pay any fee to the Law Society for the years I was compulsorily deprived of my livelihood, I had to pay the subscriptions compulsorily imposed on me. I appealed to the Senate but they were unsympathetic. A few hundred dollars to those judges and big time lawyers was of no consequence. It was a lot of money to me then because I was not even earning sufficient to pay my subsidised rent when I restarted my legal practice. So much for being learned and honourable.