The commencement of a new legal year has brought about the appointment of four new senior counsels in Singapore. Law firms WongPartnership, Allen & Gledhill and Wee Tay & Lim can now boast the addition of another senior counsel in their ranks while the Attorney-General’s Chambers has gained a female senior counsel, the fifth to have ever been appointed in Singapore.

Singapore first introduced the senior counsel scheme in 1997 to recognise the country’s best advocates. Since its introduction, 58 senior counsels have been appointed and another five hold this appointment ex officio.

Senior counsels are chosen by the Senior Counsel Selection Committee, comprising Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong, the Attorney-General Professor Walter Woon and the Judges of Appeal, and are chosen on the basis of their ability, standing at the bar or special knowledge or experience in law. They are required to demonstrate contributions to the law in the form of academic teaching, writing and research, and to the institutions of continuing legal education.

In court, senior counsels rank in precedence after the Attorney-General and the Solicitor-General according to their seniority of appointment.

Senior counsels appointed 9 January 2010

Number of senior counsels at major Singapore law firms

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