Overview on Legal Aid in Singapore

CONFIDENTIAL1

©2011 MinLaw. All Rights Reserved

Louis NgCounsel for Parliamentary Affairs

Ministry of Law

13 August 2015

“We may have the best laws, the best courts and the best system, but all that

would be lost if they cannot be accessed by persons in need”

Senior Minister of State for Law Indranee Rajah

at Second Reading of Legal Aid and Advice (Amd) Bill 2013

Overview of Legal Aid

• Facilitating Access to Justice

• Legal Aid in Civil Cases

• Legal Aid in Criminal Cases

Facilitating Access to Justice

Availability of Information for Litigants• State Courts’ website:

Facilitating Access to Justice

Availability of Information for Litigants• State Courts’ website:

Facilitating Access to Justice

• Have introduced simplified processes in three areas:

• Family Justice Act 2014• Simplified and streamlined court process

• Protection from Harassment Bill 2014• Simplified court procedures and court forms

for obtaining Protection Orders

• Community Disputes Resolution Bill 2015• Default: No legal representation• Simplified Procedures

Civil Legal Aid

• Administered by Legal Aid Bureau (LAB)

• LAB provides:• Legal Advice• Legal Assistance• Legal Aid

• Means Test

• Merits Test

• Co-Payment

Criminal Legal Aid

• For non-capital cases• Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (“CLAS”)• Administered by Law Society, funded by

Ministry of Law• Subject to means test and merits test

• For capital cases• Legal Assistance Scheme for Capital Offences

(“LASCO”)• For all persons facing capital criminal charges• No means test or other eligibility criteria• Two counsel per case.

References

• Statutes: http://statutes.agc.gov.sg

• Parliament Hansard: available on http://www.parliament.gov.sg/

• Ministry of Law website: http://www.mlaw.gov.sg/

Thank you!