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Changes to the admission regime for lawyers-in-training will be deferred till 2024.

This was announced by Edwin Tong, Second Minister for Law, in Parliament on Feb. 27 as part of the ongoing Committee of Supply debates.

The changes include lengthening the practice training period for trainee lawyers from six months to one year, and were originally meant to take effect from the 2023 session of the Part B of the Singapore Bar Examination.

Due to disruptions to work caused by Covid-19

Tong, who is also Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, explained that the reason for this deferment was that the Ministry of Law had noted "feedback from the industry" around disruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Given the recent resumption of travel and business activities, more time would be needed to prepare for the changes planned for the admission regime.

As such, changes that were announced previously would be deferred and implemented in the 2024 session of the Part B of the Singapore Bar Examination onwards, instead of in 2023.

More information would be shared by MinLaw and other stakeholders in due course, said Tong.

Responding to a follow-up clarification by Member of Parliament (MP) Nadia Ahmad Samdin, Tong said the reason for the deferment was "not because there is a sudden urgent need to have lawyers qualify quickly".

He elaborated that most firms had experienced Covid-19 for two and a half years, and pointed out that as the world has opened up, "firm processes, workflow and work from home, and arrangements with the supervision of trainees" have been readjusted.

As the interaction between trainees and mentors as well as senior lawyers is a key part of training, MinLaw would thus prefer to let "new post-Covid work practices settle", before implementing new changes.

Tong added:

"But really there is no change in the regime at all. [...] It is just that the process will now kick start in 2024 instead of 2023."

Tong also shared that trainee lawyers would be kept informed "ahead of time" for the new timeline and arrangements.

Background on changes recommended to admission regime

Previously in 2018, the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) had announced that it would be changing the admission regime for trainee lawyers to qualify as practicing lawyers, accepting recommendations by the Committee for the Professional Training of Lawyers (CPTL) to strengthen the professional training of lawyers.

Recommended changes to the admission process included:

• Uncoupling of admission to the bar from the completion of a practice training contract. This means that law graduates who fulfil the requirements to be qualified lawyers would be admitted to the bar without needing to undergo practice training.
• Lengthening of the practice training period for trainee lawyers from six months to one year. A longer period of training would allow trainee lawyers to develop a strong foundation before beginning a career in legal practice.

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