The Chief Justice touched on the issues faced by those in legitimate practice in the final payment of a series of meetings organized by the Singapore Courts and local institutions to engage the community.
Around two-thirds of the 234 responders to the recent mass call, which is where doctors are en masse, said they were likely to leave legitimate practice in the next five years.
Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon revealed on Friday ( Sep 20 ) that slightly more than a third of respondents were likely to leave the legal profession altogether.
He made these notes in a speech to mark the conclusion of the Singapore Courts Conversations with the Community line, a collaboration between the Singapore Courts and the Singapore Management University, Singapore Management University, and Singapore University of Social Sciences.
More than 1, 100 individuals- judges, professionals, students, educators, people officers and specialists- have participated in the conversations since they began a year ago.  ,
The Chief Justice stated in his statement that the survey findings are concerning because they reflect the opinions of those just beginning their lawful occupations and because the majority of these actions appeared to be driven by “push” rather than “pull” aspects.
According to Chief Justice Menon,” a considerable proportion of respondents indicated that their current inclination to keep was influenced by increased workload, poor work-life balance, and bad workplace culture.”
He suggested that this matter be looked into “urgently,” with an eye on “each of our offices” keeping a close eye on ecological practices.
He suggested working on three main points: first, if there are issues with the legal profession’s anticipation and a century space that needs to be immediately addressed.
It may be stressed to young attorneys that a career in the law requires a lot of hard work over the long haul, especially in the formative years, where there is definitely a steep learning curve, he said.
However, he added that older attorneys may be informed that workplace norms have changed over time and that there has “rightly been a change” towards more sustainable and conscious practices, which the job as a whole should adopt.
He argued that law firms and their employees must have mutual respect for one another’s well-being and acknowledge that this must not prevent efficient performance.
The development of material policies to ensure the adoption of sustainable workplace practices is the second component.
The Chief Justice stated that the Ethics and Professional Standards Committee will soon launch its last comments.
The committee was established as a result of a fall in administrative proceedings against attorneys, with the number of disciplinary violations rising from 2018 to 2022.
The final element relates to how to “more efficiently communicate and instill the values that are fundamental to our practice of law,” which should be the main motivation for lawyers to practice law.
The Chief Justice also spoke about access to justice- a long-standing issue that has become more serious with a” important” part of judge customers now self-represented.
” In this’ new normal’, we must ensure that all parties, and particularly self-represented people, have a realistic chance to start or justify a claim, and a fair chance at presenting their situation, regardless of their assets or legal literacy”, said Chief Justice Menon.
The sustainability of the legal system depends on a shared societal commitment to the rule of law, which requires the public to believe that the courts will provide justice to all, especially for those who are most in need.
By simplifying procedural frameworks for particular types of cases, changes have already been made at the structural level.
The High Court introduced an Express Track program two months ago to facilitate the quick resolution of some civil disputes that can be settled within four days of trial.
The Chief Justice noted that the courts ‘ responses to the issues that were raised will “have a direct impact on the level of trust and confidence in our courts, the courts ‘ legitimacy, and, consequently, the continued relevance of the rule of law to future generations of Singaporeans.”
A spokesperson for the judiciary responded to inquiries from CNA saying the feedback from the more than 1,100 participants in the conversations was “encouraging.”
She said,” The SG Courts will continue to communicate with the community through such programs and platforms, such as our social media channels.”