Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules

Legal Profession Act

(Chapter 161, Section 71)

R 1

G.N. No. S 156/1998

REVISED EDITION 2010

(31st May 2010)

[1st June 1998]

Citation

1. These Rules may be cited as the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules.

PART I

PRELIMINARY

Application

2.—(1) These Rules shall apply to every advocate and solicitor who has in force a practising certificate.

(2) In the interpretation of these Rules, regard shall be had to the principle that an advocate and solicitor shall not in the conduct of his practice do any act which would compromise or hinder the following obligations:

(a)	to maintain the Rule of Law and assist in the administration of justice;
(b)	to maintain the independence and integrity of the profession;
(c)	to act in the best interests of his client and to charge fairly for work done; and
(d)	to facilitate access to justice by members of the public.

(3) These Rules shall, to the extent of any inconsistency, prevail over the Practice Directions and Rulings 1989 issued by the Law Society or any additions or amendments thereto.

Definitions

3.—(1) In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires —

“client account” has the same meaning as in the Legal Profession (Solicitors’ Accounts) Rules (R 8);

“client’s money” has the same meaning as in the Legal Profession (Solicitors’ Accounts) Rules;

“conveyancing account”, “conveyancing (CPF) account” and “conveyancing money” have the same meanings as in rule 2(2) of the Conveyancing and Law of Property (Conveyancing) Rules 2011 (G.N. No. S 391/2011);

[S 393/2011 wef 01/08/2011]

“Court” means any court, tribunal, board or committee where an advocate and solicitor appears as a representative of another person, whether or not for a fee;

“Judge” means a Judge of the Supreme Court, a District Judge, Magistrate, Coroner or any person presiding over a court or statutory tribunal;

“law firm” means a firm of advocates and solicitors and includes a sole-proprietorship and partnership of 2 or more advocates and solicitors, but does not include a limited liability law partnership;

“law practice” means a law firm, a limited liability law partnership or a law corporation;

“solicitor-trustee” has the same meaning as in the Legal Profession (Solicitors’ Trust Accounts) Rules (R 9);

“trust account” has the same meaning as in the Legal Profession (Solicitors’ Trust Accounts) Rules (R 9);

“trust money” has the same meaning as in the Legal Profession (Solicitors’ Accounts) Rules (R 8).

(2) In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires —

(a)	references to an employee of a solicitor or law firm or limited liability law partnership or law corporation shall be construed to include a locum solicitor engaged by the solicitor or law firm or limited liability law partnership or law corporation; and
(b)	references to a member of a law firm or limited liability law partnership or law corporation shall be construed to include a locum solicitor engaged by the law firm or limited liability law partnership or law corporation.

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