Singapore legislation
Section 171
Section 171
Qualifying Foreign Law Practice
(1)
A foreign law practice may apply for a Qualifying Foreign Law Practice licence if it satisfies —
such conditions as may be prescribed; and
such conditions as the Director of Legal Services may think fit to impose in any particular case.
(2)
The Director of Legal Services may, after consulting such authorities as he or she thinks fit, grant or refuse an application under subsection (1).
(3)
An application under subsection (1) may be granted, and a Qualifying Foreign Law Practice licence may be issued, subject to —
such conditions as may be prescribed; and
such conditions as the Director of Legal Services may think fit to impose in any particular case.
(4)
A Qualifying Foreign Law Practice licence, despite anything to the contrary in Part 4, entitles the foreign law practice to which the licence has been issued, during the period of validity of the licence —
to practise Singapore law in, and only in, the permitted areas of legal practice, in accordance with such terms and conditions as may be prescribed; and
to such other privileges as may be prescribed or otherwise conferred by law, or as the Director of Legal Services may confer.
(5)
A Qualifying Foreign Law Practice must pay to the Director of Legal Services such licence fee at such times and in such manner as may be prescribed.
(6)
In exercising his or her powers under this section, the Director of Legal Services may waive or modify the application of any requirement under this Division in relation to a Qualifying Foreign Law Practice.
(7)
With effect from 18 November 2015 —
a foreign law practice which, immediately before that date, was issued a licence under the repealed section 130D as in force immediately before that date is deemed, until the day on which that licence would otherwise expire or until the Director of Legal Services issues a Qualifying Foreign Law Practice licence to that foreign law practice under subsection (8) (whichever is the earlier) —
to be a Qualifying Foreign Law Practice; and
to have been issued a Qualifying Foreign Law Practice licence subject to —
the conditions mentioned in subsection (3)(a);
the conditions (if any) imposed by the Attorney‑General under the repealed section 130D(3)(b) or 130P(5)(b) as in force immediately before that date, subject to which that licence was issued; and
such conditions as the Director of Legal Services may think fit to impose in any particular case; and
any undertaking provided by or in respect of that foreign law practice under the repealed section 130Q as in force immediately before that date is enforceable by the Director of Legal Services as if that undertaking were provided under section 179.
(8)
The Attorney-General may transfer to the Director of Legal Services the particulars of and documents relating to any foreign law practice mentioned in subsection (7), and the Director of Legal Services may, upon receiving those particulars and documents, issue a Qualifying Foreign Law Practice licence to that foreign law practice, subject to the conditions mentioned in subsection (3)(a) and such conditions as the Director of Legal Services may think fit to impose in any particular case, without any action on the part of that foreign law practice.
(9)
With effect from 18 November 2015 —
any application which was made before that date for a Qualifying Foreign Law Practice licence under the repealed section 130D as in force immediately before that date, and which is pending immediately before that date, is deemed to be an application for a Qualifying Foreign Law Practice licence under this section; and
any undertaking provided under the repealed section 130Q as in force immediately before that date, by a person making that application, is deemed to be an undertaking provided under section 179 by that person.
(10)
The Attorney-General may transfer to the Director of Legal Services the particulars of and documents relating to any application mentioned in subsection (9).