Monday, January 10, 2011

Rules to be eased for foreign lawyers to practise corporate law

Rules to be eased for foreign lawyers to practise corporate law
By Tanya Fong | Posted: 10 January 2011 1732 hrs

SINGAPORE: A new Foreign Practitioner Certificate (FPC) will allow foreign lawyers to practise corporate law in Singapore, under proposed amendments to the Legal Profession Act introduced in Parliament by Law Minister K Shanmugam on Monday.

The new certificate will see a relaxation of the current policy which only accepts foreign lawyers with degrees from universities that are approved by the Attorney-General.

The Law Ministry says the FPC will allow Singapore to diversify legal talent in the commercial areas.

Currently more than 900 foreign lawyers are registered with the Attorney-General's Chambers to practise only foreign law, with about 3,500 lawyers in total practising law in Singapore.

Foreign lawyers who wish to obtain the FPC will have to pass a Foreign Practitioner Examination, to be run by the Singapore Institute of Legal Education.

The same goes for Singaporean corporate lawyers with overseas qualifications.

The institute, to be headed by former Attorney-General Professor Walter Woon, is expected to open before the end of the year.

- CNA/ir

- wong chee tat :)

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