SINGAPORE: Harassment and bullying are an unacceptable red line in the legal profession, both in the workplace and in the way lawyers are treated in court, said incoming Chief Justice Sushil Nair on Wednesday (Jul 29).Speaking at the Singapore Academy of Law's Legal Profession Symposium, he said this is something all leaders in the industry should recognise and act on.The practice of law, especially at the high end, is inevitably demanding, and that is unlikely to change, said Justice Nair. But firm leaders need to properly appreciate the specific issues young lawyers face and carefully consider how their firms deal with them."While the practice of law is demanding, there is a need to recognise the need for proper distribution of work and for a system that alerts leaders to the fact that particular lawyers are being pressed to an unsustainable level," he said.
As incoming Chief Justice, he assured lawyers he is committed to the long-term health, strength and sustainability of the profession.Singapore's economic success and social safety is supported by the rule of law, which depends on the strength of the bench and the bar, said Justice Nair. "The sustainability of the legal profession is therefore of national importance," he added. Some teams regularly go under significant work pressure but manage to retain most of their younger lawyers, while others suffer high turnover, he said. "As the saying goes, people join organisations but leave bosses," said Justice Nair, adding that mentoring juniors is essential to building strong teams. "Law practice is ultimately a business that provides services. If we do not nurture our lawyers, we will be unable to deliver good legal services and we will become less competitive." Younger lawyers do not just want to be consulted – they want to contribute to solutions and shape the future of the profession, said Justice Nair. Senior leaders in the community will focus on turning insight into action, and action into meaningful improvement, he added. Justice Nair, currently a Judge of Appeal of the Supreme Court, will be Singapore's fifth Chief Justice. He takes over from Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, who retires on Feb 26 next year after more than 14 years in the role.The comments come after a four-year study found in June that lawyers are leaving private practice amid toxic workplace cultures, bullying, unreasonable workloads and a profession that intrudes on their personal lives.The Legal Profession Sustainability study, commissioned by the Law Society of Singapore, also found law schools had not prepared graduates enough for the realities of practice, and cited multiple lawyers who were "scolded, ridiculed or publicly humiliated" by judicial officers over inflexible court timelines.
