s 11C Powers of Minister in relation to requirements for admission as lawyer (NP) of Supreme Court
11C.—(1) Upon an application made to the Minister by any person who is not otherwise entitled to be a qualified person, the Minister may, in his or her discretion, if the Minister is of the opinion that the person possesses such qualification or expertise as would contribute to, promote or enhance the quality of legal services in Singapore or the economic or technological development of Singapore —(a) approve the person as a qualified person for the purposes of this Act, subject to any conditions that the Minister may think fit to impose; and (b) issue to the person a written notice to that effect. (2) Where any qualification conferred by an institution of higher learning is a qualification prescribed under section 2(2), and an application is made to the Minister by any person who possesses any equivalent qualification conferred by that institution of higher learning, the Minister may, after consulting the Board of Directors of the Institute —(a) deem that equivalent qualification to be the prescribed qualification, subject to any conditions that the Minister may think fit to impose; and (b) issue to that person a written notice to that effect. (3) Upon an application made to the Minister by any person who possesses any qualification that is recognised by a foreign authority having the function conferred by law of authorising or registering persons to practise law in a state or territory other than Singapore, as a qualification required for eligibility to practise law in that state or territory, the Minister may, after consulting the Board of Directors of the Institute and if the Minister is of the opinion that the person’s qualification is equivalent to any qualification prescribed under section 2(2) —(a) deem the person’s qualification as a qualification that is so prescribed, subject to any conditions that the Minister may think fit to impose; and (b) issue to the person a written notice to that effect. (4) The Minister may, after consulting the Board of Directors of the Institute, make rules under section 11E for the exemption of any qualified person who satisfies, or any class of qualified persons each of whom satisfies, such requirements as may be prescribed in those rules from all or any, and from the whole or any part of any, of the requirements under section 11B(1)(c) and (d) and any rules made under section 10(2)(c) and (d). (5) Without affecting subsection (4), upon an application made to the Minister by any qualified person, the Minister may exempt the qualified person from all or any, and from the whole or any part of any, of the requirements under section 11B(1)(c) and (d) and any rules made under section 10(2)(c) and (d), if the Minister is of the opinion that the qualified person is, by reason of his or her standing and experience or for any other cause, a fit and proper person to be so exempted. (6) An exemption granted to a person under subsection (5) —(a) may be subject to any conditions that the Minister may think fit to impose by written notice to the person; (b) must be notified in writing to the person; and (c) need not be published in the Gazette.[Act 37 of 2023 wef 17/07/2024]