Government accepts Singapore Institute of Legal Education’s recommendations on Overseas Scheduled Universities list

24 FEB 2015

24 Feb 2015 Posted in Press releases

  1. On 28 May 2013, the Government accepted the recommendations of the 4th Committee on the Supply of Lawyers that the Singapore Institute of Legal Education (SILE) should conduct a regular review of the list of Overseas Scheduled Universities (OSUs) recognised for the purposes of the admission to the Singapore Bar.

  2. The SILE has since conducted its first review of the list and submitted its recommendations to the Ministry. In coming to its recommendations, SILE took into consideration the methodology set out in the report of the 4th Committee on the Supply of Lawyers and representations from the universities.

  1. SILE’s recommendations are to:
    1. Revise the list of United Kingdom OSUs to 11 universities 1 ; and
    2. Retain the two New Zealand universities currently on the list of OSUs, namely, University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington.
  1. The Ministry of Law has considered these recommendations and accepted them for implementation for prospective intakes from the Academic Year 2016/17 2 onwards. In implementing the revised list, transitional provisions will be put in place to ensure that Singaporean citizens and permanent residents 3 who have secured a place before the relevant cut-off date in any of the UK OSUs omitted from the list 4 are not adversely affected by the change.
  1. The list of OSUs was first implemented in 1994 further to recommendations by the 1st Committee on the Supply of Lawyers. The composition of universities has since undergone periodic revisions over the years pursuant to recommendations by subsequent Committees based on the prevalent standards and desired quality of education required for the practice of Singapore law.
  1. Going forward, the list of OSUs will be reviewed by SILE every 5 years to ensure the continued quality of law graduates seeking admission to the Singapore Bar.

[1]The retained UK universities are: University of Birmingham; University of Bristol; University of Cambridge; University of Durham; King’s College, London, University of London; London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London; Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London; University College, University of London; University of Nottingham; University of Oxford; and University of Warwick.

[2] I.e. UK Academic Year commencing September/October 2016.

[3] Including National Servicemen who may apply to universities early and defer their enrolment

[4] The omitted UK universities are: University of Exeter; University of Leeds; University of Leicester; University of Liverpool; School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London; University of Manchester; University of Sheffield; and University of Southampton.

Last updated on 25 Feb 2015