Incoming Chief Justice wants to ensure lawyers have sustainable careers, says bullying at work unacceptable

In his first public speech since his appointment was announced, incoming Chief Justice Sushil Nair said on July 29 he was committed to ensuring lawyers have healthy and sustainable careers.

He also made clear that harassment and bullying would not be tolerated at work or in court.

Nair, who will become the nation’s fifth Chief Justice in February, was speaking to more than 300 lawyers at the second Legal Profession Symposium at Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay.

He gave a short speech after outgoing Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon delivered the opening address at the event organised by the Singapore Academy of Law.

Nair noted that the future of the legal profession was such a priority that Menon and Law Minister Edwin Tong were guiding the plans and programmes aimed at enhancing its sustainability.

He said: “Let me assure you that I, too, view this a critical area that requires urgent action. I, therefore, assure you that this important work, currently ably driven by the Chief Justice, will continue unabated, even with leadership transition.”

Nair said that while the practice of law, especially at the high end, is inevitably demanding, it is incumbent on the leaders of law firms to appreciate and consider the issues faced by young lawyers.

He said: “Harassment and bullying are an unacceptable red line, whether in the context of the work environment or in the way lawyers are treated in court.”

On July 17, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that Menon, 64, who was appointed to the top role on Nov 6, 2012, is set to retire on Feb 26, 2027.

Nair, 62, is set to succeed him that day.

He joined the Bench as a judicial commissioner on April 1, 2025. He was later appointed a High Court judge, and then a justice of the Court of Appeal on June 15.

Menon said the sustainability of legal practice is a concern that has been examined over several years through surveys, consultations and direct engagement with the profession.

A survey of young lawyers in 2023 identified harassment, excessive workload and a culture of unethical behaviour as the leading impediments to successful practice.

Recently, the findings of a study by the Law Society of Singapore and human insights firm Anthro also raised concerns about pressures arising from court processes.

The attrition rate among lawyers was also highlighted by Senior Minister K. Shanmugam on July 26 at the NUS Law freshmen inauguration ceremony.

On July 29, Menon said it was clear that sustainability is not a single-issue problem, but the cumulative product of interconnected pressures across the legal ecosystem.

He noted that the pressure on modern lawyers is intensified as they are expected by clients and seniors to be constantly available.

Young lawyers are also expected to meet targets and acquire clients without adequate support or control over work allocation, he said.

Toxic work culture

Workplace culture is another factor.

Menon made it clear that not every hard deadline, late instruction or disagreement is bullying.

“But abusive e-mails, humiliation and persistent disrespect towards colleagues have no place in our profession,” he said.

He added that young lawyers also want more guidance and mentorship from seniors, and place greater weight on boundaries, flexibility and meaningful work.

Menon said these were systemic challenges that no single institution can resolve.

He said the future of the legal profession committee – comprising figures across the judiciary, the Government, law firms, academia and others – had identified three work streams in response to these pressures.

First, leadership capability across the profession has to be strengthened through practical programmes and guidelines on supervision, communication and talent development.

Second, law schools and law firms will work more closely together, while a new network will give law students earlier exposure to the realities and responsibilities of professional life.

The third initiative focuses on healthier workplace cultures and more respectful professional relationships, such as by rethinking how legal work is structured, supervised and valued.

Whether these reforms will make a tangible difference will depend on the daily decisions made within law firms, which have the greatest direct influence over the day-to-day experience of many lawyers.

Firms can start by examining how work is allocated, how targets are set, how feedback is given, how unacceptable conduct is addressed, and how opportunities for development are distributed.

Menon said the judiciary will likewise play its part.

This includes engaging the profession on procedures and timelines that may create avoidable pressure, while continuing to ensure justice is administered in a timely manner.

On concerns raised by lawyers over unpleasant interactions with judges, Menon said judicial officers must control proceedings and uphold exacting standards, but they must always do so with courtesy and respect.

He said: “Let me say, without reservation, that discourtesy or abusive conduct will not be tolerated. It is not in keeping with the standards we are all entitled to expect.”

Attrition not new

The Law Minister, in his closing address at the symposium, said attrition figures have remained broadly stable, and that the trend is not unique to the legal profession.

Between 2015 and 2024, around 60 per cent of lawyers stayed in practice after five years, and about 40 per cent remained after 10 years.

Tong added: “Many lawyers leave law firms, but they do not leave the law.”

Citing a survey of newly admitted lawyers in 2026, he noted that only eight of the 289 respondents working in law firms, or less than 3 per cent, said their sole intention was to leave the profession altogether.

Tong said it is not necessarily a loss to the profession if a lawyer leaves private practice and moves to an in-house role, academia or the public sector.

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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