Board of Legal Education: Outline

Outline

C2. Pupillage

Periods of pupillage

A qualified person shall, during his period of pupillage, be known as a pupil and a person with whom a pupil serves his period of pupillage or any part thereof shall be known as a master.

The prescribed period of pupillage shall be 6 months.

No person shall, without the special leave in writing of the Board of Legal Education (Board), hold any office or engage in any employment of whatsoever kind and whether full-time or part-time during his period of pupillage.

Paragraph (3) shall not -

(a)

apply to a legal officer; or

(b)

preclude a pupil receiving remuneration from his master.

Where a pupil attends the PLC concurrently with his period of pupillage, the period spent in attendance at the PLC shall not be counted for the purpose of paragraph (2).

Service of pupillage

A pupil shall, subject to the approval of the Board, serve his prescribed period of pupillage -

(a)

with an advocate and solicitor in active practice in Singapore of not less than 5 years’ standing who, for a total of not less than 5 out of the 7 years immediately preceding the relevant date, has been in such practice or has been a legal officer or both;

(b)

with any legal officer in Singapore who is an advocate and solicitor of not less than 5 years’ standing who, for 5 out of the 7 years immediately preceding the relevant date, has been a legal officer or has been in active practice in Singapore or both;

(c)

with an advocate and solicitor who has at any time held office as the Attorney-General or as a Judge of the Supreme Court; or

(d)

partly with an advocate and solicitor under paragraph (a) or (c) and partly with a legal officer under paragraph (b).

In any case where paragraphs (1)(b) or (d) applies, 6 months’ pupillage with a legal officer shall count as one month’s period of pupillage with an advocate and solicitor.

For the purposes of pupillage, “legal officer” includes a legal officer of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore or of such other statutory board or authority as the Minister may prescribe.

The Board may approve a request that a qualified person serve different parts of his period of pupillage with different masters.

Pursuant to Section 14(5) of the Legal Profession Act [Cap. 161, Revised Edition 2001] (Act), the Board may, in its discretion, exempt a qualified person from pupillage, wholly or for such period as the Board thinks fit, upon application made supported by satisfactory evidence that the applicant -

(a)

has been a pupil or read in the chambers of a practising barrister of the United Kingdom or of a member of the Faculty of Advocates in Scotland of more than 7 years’ standing;

(b)

is a solicitor in England or Northern Ireland or a writer to the Signet, law agent or solicitor in Scotland;

(c)

has been engaged in active practice as a legal practitioner by whatever name called in any part of the Commonwealth; or

(d)

has attended such course of instruction and successfully passed such examination as may be approved by the Board for the purposes of this section.

Information on Pupillage Application

Pupils are required to seek the approval from the Board to serve their pupillage by submitting an application form to the Board, which can be downloaded from its webpage. Upon approval, a letter will be sent to inform the pupils.

The approval of your pupillage is subject to the following, namely, while you are a pupil:

(a)

you have been adjudged a bankrupt in Singapore or elsewhere;

(b)

you have been and are the subject of any proceedings, whether concluded or pending, for professional misconduct on your part in any other foreign jurisdiction in which you are admitted to practice as an advocate and solicitor;

(c)

you have been the subject of any order, judgment, finding or conviction arising from any criminal proceedings brought against you, and are the subject of any pending criminal proceedings in Singapore or elsewhere; and

(d)

you have knowledge of any fact that affects your suitability to practise as an advocate and solicitor in Singapore or elsewhere,

you shall forthwith give notice in writing to the Secretary of the Board and abide by and carry out any order the Board may make arising out of such notification.

Please note that with effect from 1 June 2003, the number of pupils that a pupil master may take at the same time is limited to two (2). Your attention is drawn to the new Practice Direction that was published to members of the Bar on 11 March 2003 via the Law Society’s E-Jus News.

If there is a change in your pupil master, you are required to write to the Board immediately by way of a letter, for approval. The contents of the letter should include the name of your new pupil master, the name of the firm and the effective date of change.

Forms for admission to the Singapore Bar can be purchased from the Board’s office at S$10.00. Forms can be typed, however please note the Legal Profession (Amendment) Rules 2005 read with the Supreme Court Practice Directions (2006 Edition).

You are not permitted to photocopy Forms purchased from the Board. They must all be ORIGINAL COPIES. (This will not apply to Forms that have been typed by you.) All four sets of the Forms (irrespective of whether it is purchased from the Board or personally typed by you) must bear ORIGINAL SIGNATURES.

For more information on Petitions for admission, please refer to Section 17 of the Act.

On receipt of the approval letter from the Board to serve pupillage, pupils can file the Notice (Form B) via the Electronic Filing System (EFS). Please note Registrar’s Circular No. 6 of 2001.

Upon filing, the Notice (Form B) must be posted and continue to be posted at the Supreme Court’s website Notice Board at www.supcourt.gov.sg for a period of 6 months before the petitioner is admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor. Please note Section 17(3) of the Act.

All Forms must be served on the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Law Society of Singapore and the Board within 5 days after filing. For more information regarding service of documents and objections, please refer to Section 19 of the Act.

Training Visit Pass (TVP) - Please refer to paragraph on TVP in Item C.