Chief Justice urges legal sector to embrace technology

SINGAPORE'S legal process must be transformed in response to the advances of technology, which threatens to disrupt how the sector operates.

This was the main thrust of Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon's speech at the opening of the legal year on Monday at the Supreme Court.

Technology, he said, should translate to higher quality legal services and cost savings for law firms and ultimately, society.

To this end, a technology blueprint as well as a committee to look into this over the next five years will be set up.

In tandem, the Singapore Academy of Law will work with the Ministry of Law, the Law Society and the judiciary to realise its legal technology vision.

It includes encouraging the adoption of baseline technologies such as billing systems and practice management systems, as well as creating fresh legal technologies by exploring ways to link the legal sector with innovative professionals from other disciplines.

The academy will roll out in phases a training and education scheme, Lifted, so that lawyers can develop core and specialist competencies.

It will also implement a specialist accreditation scheme that will start with building and construction lawyers, the chief justice said, adding that the initiative could later be extended to areas such as shipping and arbitration.