The Conceptualisation of Pro Bono in Singapore

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 97-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena Whalen-Bridge
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
Access To Justice ◽  
Legal Services ◽  
Legal Aid ◽  
Pro Bono ◽  
Over Time

Abstract“Pro bono” is a familiar phrase in North American jurisdictions that generally refers to a lawyer’s provision of free legal services to indigent persons. The phrase “pro bono” has also come to imply a particular approach to a lawyer’s relationship to indigent persons, one that stresses the obligatory as opposed to the charitable nature of the services provided. To what extent has this phrase, and its conceptualisation of a lawyer’s role, been used in Asian jurisdictions? This article examines how one Asian jurisdiction, Singapore, conceptualises a lawyer’s relationship to indigent persons by examining newspaper usage of phrases describing legal services for indigent persons. The article argues that changes in usage over time, from free legal services and legal aid to inclusion of pro bono, coupled with increased discussions of access to justice, represent a shift to a more obligatory concept of indigent legal services. An obligatory conceptualisation potentially exerts greater pressure on lawyers to provide indigent legal services, but can also exert pressure to revise the historical lack of broad-based government funded criminal legal aid in Singapore.

The Conceptualisation of Pro Bono in Singapore

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena Whalen-Bridge
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
Access To Justice ◽  
Legal Services ◽  
Legal Aid ◽  
Pro Bono ◽  
Over Time

Abstract“Pro bono” is a familiar phrase in North American jurisdictions that generally refers to a lawyer’s provision of free legal services to indigent persons. The phrase “pro bono” has also come to imply a particular approach to a lawyer’s relationship to indigent persons, one that stresses the obligatory as opposed to the charitable nature of the services provided. To what extent has this phrase, and its conceptualisation of a lawyer’s role, been used in Asian jurisdictions? This article examines how one Asian jurisdiction, Singapore, conceptualises a lawyer’s relationship to indigent persons by examining newspaper usage of phrases describing legal services for indigent persons. The article argues that changes in usage over time, from free legal services and legal aid to inclusion of pro bono, coupled with increased discussions of access to justice, represent a shift to a more obligatory concept of indigent legal services. An obligatory conceptualisation potentially exerts greater pressure on lawyers to provide indigent legal services, but can also exert pressure to revise the historical lack of broad-based government funded criminal legal aid in Singapore.

scholarly journals Corporate Support for Legal Services

Daedalus ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 148 (1) ◽  
pp. 136-139
Author(s):  
Jo-Ann Wallace
Keyword(s):  
Large Firm ◽  
Law Firms ◽  
Legal Services ◽  
Private Law ◽  
Legal Aid ◽  
Business Experience ◽  
Pro Bono ◽  
Corporate Support ◽  
Corporate Lawyers ◽  
The Impact

The gap in pro bono legal services provided by corporate legal departments and large private law firms is not surprising: The formalization of pro bono work by large firms has been underway on a significant scale for far longer than it has within corporations. This process has made large firm pro bono efforts more efficient and effective through improved practices. It has also led firm leaders and lawyers generally to expect more volunteerism of this sort. Companies that apply their resources, business experience, or other assets have successfully expanded the impact of their pro bono hours. Because of the scale of this need, and because legal-services lawyers have specialized expertise that corporate lawyers can't easily replicate, corporate pro bono efforts will not, on their own, close the justice gap. But these efforts have the potential to contribute significantly more to the ability of legal-aid organizations to serve their clients, and to help close this gap.

scholarly journals Courts and Access to Justice

2000 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 163 ◽  
Author(s):  
I L M Richardson
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Access To Justice ◽  
Court System ◽  
Legal Aid ◽  
The Public ◽  
Societal Values ◽  
Basic Functions ◽  
Court Of Appeal ◽  
Over Time

(This article was presented as a lecture at the Australasian Law Teachers' Association Conference held at Victoria University of Wellington, 6 July 1999.) Ensuring access to justice is one of the most basic functions of the state. The author discusses the role and functioning of the Court of Appeal, the operation of the legal aid system in New Zealand, and the extent to which the operations of the court system should be open to the public. It is argued that any system of justice should reflect the values of its society. The author concludes that what is thought desirable in these three areas will change over time, and that there will always be a need for fine-tuning in light of societal values.

scholarly journals Executive Branch Support for Civil Legal Aid

Daedalus ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 148 (1) ◽  
pp. 160-170
Author(s):  
Karen A. Lash
Keyword(s):  
State Government ◽  
Executive Branch ◽  
Access To Justice ◽  
Legal Services ◽  
Legal Aid ◽  
Supportive Services ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Branch Support ◽  
Work Done

For government, access to justice is about more than legal justice. Legal services are essential tools to enable government programs to achieve a wide range of goals that help to provide an orderly, prosperous, and safe country. Recent efforts have transformed how some federal and state government officials think about and use civil legal aid to get their work done. Key in convincing them has been empirical evidence about the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of including legal services alongside other supportive services.

9. Funding Access to the English Legal System

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Thomas ◽  
Claire McGourlay
Keyword(s):  
Legal System ◽  
Public Funding ◽  
Legal Services ◽  
Legal Aid ◽  
Private Funding ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
System P ◽  
Pro Bono ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Individual

Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. This chapter addresses funding access to the English legal system. Funding legal services may be provided publicly or privately. Public funding relates to funding available from the state, whereas private funding specifically refers to the assets and monetary resources available to that specific individual. Only certain individuals are entitled to benefit from public funding, whilst all persons can, in theory, privately fund legal services. Moreover, legal aid — meaning state-funded assistance in legal matters — is available in both criminal and civil cases but is restricted to narrow circumstances and types of cases. The availability of legal aid depends on several tests set by the government. Where legal aid is not available and the individual cannot privately fund their case, pro bono institutions may be available to provide advice.

scholarly journals Recent Developments in the Provision of Pro Bono Legal Services by Attorneys in South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 128
Author(s):  
Dave Holness
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Private Practice ◽  
Access To Justice ◽  
Legal Services ◽  
Legal Service ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Economic Climate ◽  
The Status ◽  
Pro Bono ◽  
Recent Developments

This paper focuses on legal service delivery for the indigent by attorneys in private practice acting pro bono in civil rather than criminal matters.  In this regard there have been and continue to be considerable gaps between the proper access to civil justice imperatives of constitutional South Africa and the status quo which has existed from the advent of a democratic South Africa until the present. Law as a vehicle for necessary positive change in the daily lives of South African residents is pertinently considered within the country’s woefully unequal socio-economic climate. This paper considers the role which pro bono work by private attorneys is playing and should play in promoting a more just and equitable society through proper access to justice. It explores the current position in South Africa as well as the position in selected foreign jurisdictions regarding pro bono services by attorneys in private practice in civil matters. Part of the discussion focuses on the question of whether pro bono work should be voluntary or mandatory. The merits of introducing a pro bono obligation are critically analysed by looking at the effect on both legal practitioners as well as those receiving the pro bono services. Having defined pro bono work, the practical need for pro bono work by lawyers in private practice is highlighted due to the dearth of legal aid in civil matters for indigent South Africans. Possible constitutional imperatives for the provision of free legal services in civil matters are highlighted. An important part of the paper is a reflection on some of the pro bono work being conducted by private firms of attorneys.  The paper concludes with suggestions on means for establishing a more effective pro bono system in South Africa.

scholarly journals Pro Bono: What's in it for law students? The students' perspective

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Paul McKeown
Keyword(s):  
Public Service ◽  
Student Participation ◽  
Law School ◽  
Law Students ◽  
Influential Factor ◽  
Access To Justice ◽  
Legal Services ◽  
Motivating Factors ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Pro Bono

<p>In England and Wales, there is an increasing need for the provision of pro bono legal services.  Law students may be a resource that can help fill the access to justice gap, whilst at university and onwards in their future careers.  Whilst some students are intrinsically motivated towards altruistic behaviour, many are not.  This article will consider what motivates students to undertake pro bono work whilst at law school.</p><p>The article will explore the range of intrinsic and extrinsic motivating factors for student participation in pro bono programmes and consider how students can be encouraged to engage in such activities.  The article will also consider whether exposure to pro bono experience can instil a public service ethos in students.</p>In conclusion, the article will highlight experience as an influential factor in encouraging initial participation in pro bono work but also instilling a willingness to undertake pro bono work in the future.

10. Funding legal services

2019 ◽  
pp. 279-306
Author(s):  
Martin Partington
Keyword(s):  
Dispute Resolution ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Access To Justice ◽  
Legal Services ◽  
Publicly Funded ◽  
Legal Aid ◽  
The Poor ◽  
New Ideas

This chapter focuses on how legal services, in particular litigation, to the less well-off and the poor are paid for. It considers first the radically changed shape of legal aid and publicly funded legal services. It discusses developments designed to control the costs of litigation. It summarizes new ideas that have been developing for the funding of litigation and improving access to justice. Finally it asks whether other processes—alternatives to courts—might be better at providing cost effective and proportionate dispute resolution services.

10. Funding legal services

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Partington
Keyword(s):  
Dispute Resolution ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Access To Justice ◽  
Legal Services ◽  
Publicly Funded ◽  
Legal Aid ◽  
The Poor ◽  
New Ideas

This chapter focuses on how legal services, in particular litigation, to the less well-off and the poor are paid for. It considers first the radically changed shape of legal aid and publicly funded legal services. It discusses developments designed to control the costs of litigation. It summarizes new ideas that have been developing for the funding of litigation and improving access to justice. Finally it asks whether other processes—alternatives to courts—might be better at providing cost effective and proportionate dispute resolution services.

scholarly journals AN ASSESSMENT OF THE FRAMEWORK FOR BUILDING A PRO BONO CULTURE AMONG LEGAL PRACTITIONERS IN NIGERIA

2021 ◽  
pp. 13-26
Author(s):  
Ifeanyi Nnadi Henry, Esq. ◽  
◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Good ◽  
Professional Services ◽  
Equal Access ◽  
Access To Justice ◽  
Legal Services ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Pro Bono ◽  
Administrative Framework

Pro bono legal services are professional services rendered by lawyers or other legal experts1 to indigent and disadvantaged litigants in the society for the public good id est, in order to promote a just and equitable society. It is a subset of the principle of equal access to justice and is based on the assumption that the poor requires but cannot access justice because they lack the financial means. Using the doctrinal approach, this discourse assesses the existing legal and administrative framework for pro bono engagement by lawyers in Nigeria with a view to identifying areas of improvement. Having identified possible areas of improvement, recommendations are proffered on legislative and administrative measures towards improving the level of engagement in pro bono legal services by legal practitioners in the country.

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