Legal Profession Act 1966 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 4A · Registration of Foreign Lawyers, Solicitors in Foreign Law Practices and Non-Practitioners, Etc.
36B. Registration of foreign lawyer to practise both Singapore law and foreign law in Singapore
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 2014.
An application may be made for a foreign lawyer to be registered under this section, if the foreign lawyer possesses such qualifications and satisfies such requirements as may be prescribed.
foreign lawyer
“foreign lawyer” means an individual who is duly authorised or registered to practise law in a state or territory other than Singapore by a foreign authority having the function conferred by law of authorising or registering persons to practise law in that state or territory;
The Director of Legal Services may approve an application under subsection (1), and register a foreign lawyer to practise both Singapore law and foreign law in Singapore, subject to —
Director of Legal Services
“Director of Legal Services” means the Director of Legal Services appointed under section 2A(1);
such conditions as may be prescribed; and
such conditions as the Director of Legal Services may think fit to impose in any particular case.
A foreign lawyer who is registered under this section is entitled —
despite anything to the contrary in Part 4 —
to practise Singapore law in, and only in, the permitted areas of legal practice; and
to recover costs and retain payments in respect of such practice; and
to such other privileges as may be prescribed.
The registration of a foreign lawyer under this section —
lapses on the occurrence of such events as may be prescribed; or
is suspended, for such period as the Director of Legal Services may think fit, on the occurrence of such events as may be prescribed.
Nothing in this section is to be construed so as to affect any right or privilege of an advocate and solicitor conferred by this Act or any other written law.
advocate and solicitor
“advocate and solicitor”, “advocate” and “solicitor” mean an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court;
With effect from 18 November 2015 —
a foreign lawyer who, immediately before that date, was or was deemed to be registered under the repealed section 130I as in force immediately before that date is deemed to be registered under this section, subject to —
the conditions mentioned in subsection (2)(a);
the conditions (if any) imposed by the Attorney‑General under the repealed section 130I(2)(b) or (6) or 130P(5)(b) as in force immediately before that date, subject to which the foreign lawyer was or was deemed to be registered; and
such conditions as the Director of Legal Services may think fit to impose in any particular case; and
any undertaking provided by that foreign lawyer under the repealed section 130M or 130Q as in force immediately before that date is enforceable by the Director of Legal Services as if that undertaking were provided under section 177 or 36I, as the case may be.
The Attorney-General may transfer to the Director of Legal Services the particulars of and documents relating to any foreign lawyer mentioned in subsection (6), and the Director of Legal Services may, upon receiving those particulars and documents, issue a foreign practitioner certificate to that foreign lawyer, without any action on the part of that foreign lawyer.
foreign practitioner certificate
“foreign practitioner certificate” means a certificate issued in respect of the registration of a foreign lawyer under section 36B;
With effect from 18 November 2015 —
any application which was made before that date for a foreign lawyer to be registered under the repealed section 130I as in force immediately before that date, and which is pending immediately before that date, is deemed to be an application for that foreign lawyer to be registered under this section; and
any undertaking provided by that foreign lawyer under the repealed section 130M or 130Q as in force immediately before that date is deemed to be an undertaking provided by that foreign lawyer under section 177 or 36I, as the case may be.
The Attorney-General may transfer to the Director of Legal Services the particulars of and documents relating to any foreign lawyer mentioned in subsection (8).