Legal Profession (Provisional Practising Certificate) Rules 2024

These Rules are the Legal Profession (Provisional Practising Certificate) Rules 2024 and come into operation on 24 July 2024.

In these Rules —“conveyancing account”, “conveyancing (CPF) account” and “conveyancing money” have the meanings given by rule 2(2) of the Conveyancing and Law of Property (Conveyancing) Rules 2011 (G.N. No. S 391/2011);“Provisional Practising Certificate Training Course” means the course approved by the Council for the training of a lawyer (NP) who intends to apply to the Registrar for a provisional practising certificate under section 18 of the Act;“Society’s website” means the website at https://www.lawsociety.org.sg;“supervising solicitor” has the meaning given by rule 2 of the Legal Profession (Admission) Rules 2024 (G.N. No. S 597/2024);“trust account” has the meaning given by rule 2 of the Legal Profession (Solicitors’ Trust Accounts) Rules (R 9).

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

“Provisional Practising Certificate Training Course” means the course approved by the Council for the training of a lawyer (NP) who intends to apply to the Registrar for a provisional practising certificate under section 18 of the Act;

“Society’s website” means the website at https://www.lawsociety.org.sg;

“supervising solicitor” has the meaning given by rule 2 of the Legal Profession (Admission) Rules 2024 (G.N. No. S 597/2024);

“trust account” has the meaning given by rule 2 of the Legal Profession (Solicitors’ Trust Accounts) Rules (R 9).

For the purposes of section 18(1)(b) of the Act, the prescribed period of a lawyer (NP)’s practice training period is 6 months.

For the purposes of section 18(3)(a) of the Act, an application by a lawyer (NP) (X) to the Registrar for a provisional practising certificate must be accompanied by the following:

a declaration in writing, in the form specified on the Society’s website, by the supervising solicitor currently supervising X as regards the training X is receiving during his or her practice training period, stating that —

X has completed the prescribed period of his or her practice training period mentioned in rule 3;

the supervising solicitor will continue to supervise X as regards the training X is receiving —

during the remainder of his or her practice training period; and

after the end of that practice training period and before he or she is admitted as an advocate and solicitor;

the supervising solicitor has complied with the requirements to be the supervising solicitor of X in the Legal Profession (Admission) Rules 2024; and

the supervising solicitor has been approved by the Institute to supervise X for the periods mentioned in sub‑paragraph (ii)(A) and (B);

a declaration in writing, by X, stating —

X’s full name;

the full name of the supervising solicitor supervising X;

the name of the Singapore law practice in which X is serving X’s practice training period;

the principal address, and every other address in Singapore, of that Singapore law practice;

that X is not disqualified under section 23(1) of the Act from applying for a provisional practising certificate; and

that X has paid, or has made arrangements to pay, all moneys, contributions and subscriptions payable by X under the Singapore Academy of Law Act 1988 (including any rules made under that Act);

the prescribed fee.

For the purposes of section 18(9)(c) of the Act, the prescribed conditions that apply to a provisional practising certificate that is issued to a lawyer (NP) are as follows:

the lawyer (NP) must not hold or receive client’s money, conveyancing money or trust money or any security on behalf of a client;

the lawyer (NP) must not open, maintain or operate any client account, conveyancing account, conveyancing (CPF) account or trust account;

the lawyer (NP) must not give instructions in respect of any client account, conveyancing account, conveyancing (CPF) account or trust account;

the lawyer (NP) must not sign any cheque or effect any instruction for the withdrawal of money from a client account, conveyancing account, conveyancing (CPF) account or trust account;

the lawyer (NP) must not sign any bill of costs mentioned in section 118 of the Act, or any letter accompanying that bill;

the lawyer (NP) must not act as a solicitor‑trustee;

the lawyer (NP) must be supervised by the supervising solicitor mentioned in rule 4(a) in doing any act in the capacity of an advocate and solicitor.

For the purposes of section 18(1)(c) of the Act, a lawyer (NP) must successfully complete the Provisional Practising Certificate Training Course before applying to the Registrar for a provisional practising certificate.

The Registrar or the Council, in his, her or its discretion, may require a statutory declaration or any other evidence that the Registrar or the Council may consider necessary to support any facts, circumstances or particulars contained in any application or statement given under these Rules.

A provisional practising certificate must be in either Form A or Form B set out in the Schedule.

For the purposes of section 18(9)(a) of the Act, the prescribed particulars under section 24(1) of the Act to be entered in the register of provisional practitioners are the particulars of each holder of a provisional practising certificate listed in rule 4(b)(i) to (iv) that are stated in a declaration made under rule 4(b).

For the purposes of section 18(7)(c) of the Act, a provisional practising certificate ceases to be in force when —

the lawyer (NP) ceases to be a practice trainee;

the lawyer (NP) leaves the Singapore law practice mentioned in rule 4(b)(iii); or

the lawyer (NP) ceases to be supervised by the supervising solicitor mentioned in rule 4(a) in the Singapore law practice.