The Singapore Institute of Legal Education (“SILE”) is also a statutory body established under the Legal Profession Act 1966. It was established in May 2011 to maintain and improve the standards of legal education in Singapore.
As part of it functions, SILE may review the implementation of initiatives, programs and curricula relating to legal education in Singapore, including diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate programs, and continuing professional development.
SILE’s other functions include:
(a) to maintain and improve the standards of legal education in Singapore and, in particular, to make recommendations to the appropriate authorities on the training and education required for the qualification of persons as qualified persons and lawyers (non-practitioner) of lawyer (NP), and to review the implementation of initiatives, programmes and curricula relating to legal education in Singapore, including diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and continuing professional development;
(b) to register qualified persons seeking admission as lawyers (NP);
(c) to provide for the training, education and examination, by the Institute or by any other body, of —
(i) eligible persons intending to practise the profession of law in Singapore;
(ii) qualified persons intending to be admitted as lawyers (NP); and
(iii) foreign lawyers intending to be registered under section 36B;
(d) to exercise supervision over practice trainees during their practice training periods;
(e) to exercise supervision over Singapore law practices, qualifying entities and relevant legal officers as regards the supervised training in relation to the practice of Singapore law that is to be provided to a practice trainee during the practice training period;
(f) to certify whether any degree conferred by any institution of higher learning in or outside Singapore is a qualification prescribed by any rules made under section 2(2);
(g) to grant prizes and scholarships, and to establish and subsidise lectureships in educational institutions, in subjects of study relating to law;
(h) to determine the requirements relating to continuing professional development that must be satisfied by —
(i) lawyers (NP);
(ii) advocates and solicitors; and
(iii) foreign lawyers registered under section 36B;
(i) to coordinate and exercise supervision over continuing professional development for the legal profession in Singapore, including the provision of courses and materials relating to continuing professional development;
(j) to facilitate the development of Singapore as an international centre for legal education
To be admitted to the Singapore Bar, an aspirant has to first attain the status of a ‘qualified person’ by, among other requirements, obtaining a law degree from one of the three local law schools or from one of the approved overseas universities of the United Kingdom, United States, Australia and New Zealand.
Law graduates from approved overseas universities will be required to pass the Part A Bar Examinations. Law graduates from the local law schools are not required to undertake the Part A Bar Examinations. The law graduates from both the local and approved overseas universities would have to undertake a full-time Preparatory Course leading to Part B of the Singapore Bar Examinations (consisting of compulsory and elective subjects) and pass the Part B Bar Examinations. Completing the Part B Bar Course and passing the Part B Bar Examinations is a requirement for admission as a lawyer (NP).
A qualified person may be admitted as a lawyer (NP) after they have attended the Part B Bar Course and passed the Part B Bar Examinations. A lawyer (NP) may be admitted as an advocate and solicitor after serving a practice training period of 12 months. The practice training period may be fulfilled through supervised training in Singapore: (a) under a practice training contract with a Singapore Law Practice; (b) under a practice training contract with a qualifying entity (for a period of up to three months); or (c) through working as a Judicial Service Officer, a Legal Service Officer or under the supervision of a qualifying relevant legal officer.
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