Singapore legislation
Section 30
Section 30
Appointment of Senior Counsel
(1)
A Selection Committee comprising the Chief Justice, the Attorney‑General and the Justices of the Court of Appeal may appoint an advocate and solicitor or a Legal Service Officer as Senior Counsel if the Selection Committee is of the opinion that, by virtue of the person’s ability, standing at the Bar or special knowledge or experience in law, he or she is deserving of such distinction.
(2)
At every meeting of the Selection Committee, 3 members constitute a quorum, and no business is to be transacted unless a quorum is present.
(3)
A decision at a meeting of the Selection Committee is to be adopted by a simple majority of the members present and voting except that, in the case of an equality of votes, the Chief Justice has a casting vote in addition to his or her original vote.
(4)
Subject to this section, the Selection Committee may establish its own practice and regulate its own procedure.
(5)
The appointment of a Senior Counsel is deemed to be revoked if the Senior Counsel —
[Deleted by Act 19 of 2008](b)being a Legal Service Officer, is dismissed from the Singapore Legal Service;
being a member of the Faculty of Law of the National University of Singapore, the School of Law of the Singapore Management University or the School of Law of the Singapore University of Social Sciences, is dismissed from the Faculty or School, as the case may be;
is convicted of an offence by a court of law in Singapore or elsewhere and sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than 12 months or to a fine of not less than $2,000 and has not received a free pardon;
has a mental disorder and becomes incapable of managing himself or herself or his or her affairs;
is an undischarged bankrupt; or
enters into a composition with his or her creditors or a deed of arrangement with his or her creditors.
(5A)
The appointment of a Senior Counsel is deemed to be revoked if, upon an application under section 82A(10) or 98(1) —
the Senior Counsel is suspended from practice or struck off the roll; or
a court of 3 Supreme Court Judges recommends that the appointment of the Senior Counsel be revoked.
(6)
No person may be appointed as a Senior Counsel unless the person has for an aggregate period of not less than 10 years been an advocate and solicitor or a Legal Service Officer or both.
(7)
On 21 April 1989, those persons who, on the date immediately preceding that date, are holding office as the Attorney‑General and the Solicitor‑General are deemed to have been appointed as Senior Counsel under this section.
(8)
Any person who, on or after 1 June 2007, holds office as the Attorney‑General, a Deputy Attorney‑General or the Solicitor‑General is deemed, if he or she is not a Senior Counsel, to have been appointed as Senior Counsel under this section on that date or the date on which he or she is appointed Attorney‑General, Deputy Attorney‑General or Solicitor‑General, whichever is the later.