Corrections made to reports linking S’pore legal practice with London chambers

SINGAPORE — A legal practice formed by former Attorney-General V K Rajah and three other Singapore-qualified lawyers have clarified that media reports on their links to an English barristers’ chambers based in London were inaccurate, and that they had asked for corrections to be published.

This came after the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) took issue last week with the characterisation of the practice and set a seven-day deadline for the lawyers to explain themselves and clear up the confusion.

On Nov 16, in response to media queries, the ministry issued a statement regarding the Essex Court Chambers Duxton, a Singapore group practice, saying that there were “misimpressions” created that it is part of the Essex Court Chambers in London. It appeared as if MinLaw had given approval to the London chambers to establish a related practice in Singapore.

In its application to MinLaw, Essex Court Chambers Duxton, which is located on Duxton Hill in Tanjong Pagar, had said that it was “separate and distinct from, and independent of” Essex Court Chambers in London.

Yet, reports by Singapore media outlets Channel NewsAsia and The Straits Times, as well as British magazine The Lawyer and legal journal Global Arbitration Review, “gave the impression” that the Singapore outfit was “set up” by the English chambers, or was an “annexe” or “local brand” of it.

In a statement published online, Queen’s Counsel David Foxton, head of chambers at Essex Court Chambers in London, extended his welcome to the four Singaporean lawyers as “new members” to the English chambers.

Under the Legal Profession Rules, a Singapore group practice can only be formed by local law firms coming together. A Singapore law practice can also form joint law ventures with a foreign law practice, but foreign practices are not allowed to set up a “Singapore branch” here.

Laywers V K Rajah, Colin Liew, Calvin Liang and Tham Lijing, who are in the group, explained to MinLaw in a letter dated Nov 22 that they are members of the Duxton outfit as well as the English chambers. However, they practise individually despite being members of a set of chambers. They are not partners in a firm nor are they employees.

While law firms here are typically organised as partnerships, where partners are joint owners and business directors of the legal operation, the chambers model itself as a group of independent barristers, each of whom is a self-employed sole practitioner.

In a statement on Friday (Nov 24), MinLaw said that Essex Court Chambers Duxton has explained that media reports suggesting that the Singapore group practice was set up by London’s Essex Court Chambers were “mistaken”, and that “any communications that may have contributed to this were inadvertent”.

The press statement on the London chambers’ website was also taken down.

“They also informed us that they had written to all relevant media outlets to ask that corrections be made,” the ministry said, adding that “the matter has been resolved”.

Essex Court Chambers Duxton said that it would ensure that in “future communications and publicity materials”, there would be “more clarity” that it is an independent Singapore group practice, and is not affiliated to the English chambers.