Advisories and Notices
The Institute releases advisories and notices regarding the operation of the CPD scheme from time to time. Referring to such advisories and notices may help you understand the corresponding part of the CPD scheme better.
For current advisories and notices, please refer below under the headings ‘Current advisories’ and ‘Current notices’. Please click on the hyperlink to view a PDF version of the full advisory or notice.
Advisories and notices that are no longer current may be found in the Advisories archive.
Current advisories
Advocates and solicitors of the Supreme Court of Singapore seeking to apply for a Singapore practising certificate (‘PC’) must make one of the three declarations set out under rule 8 of the CPD Rules in the online PC application form. Foreign lawyers seeking to apply for or renew their registration under section 36B of the Legal Profession Act 1966 must make one of the three declarations set out under rule 5(4)(e) of the Regulated Individuals Rules as part of their application in 2024. This advisory clarifies the appropriate declaration to be made by solicitors and s36B Foreign Lawyers seeking to apply for PCs or foreign practitioner certificates (‘FPCs’) in 2024.
If you are unable to fulfil your CPD requirements for CPD Year 2023 even with the Extension Waiver and any applicable Deemed Waivers, or if they do not apply to your situation, then you may consider applying for a waiver using the Waiver Application for CPD Year 2023 Form ahead of the renewal of your practising certificate/foreign practitioner certificate in 2024.
The Singapore Institute of Legal Education has implemented an Extension Waiver for CPD Year 2023. The extension period is from 1 January 2024 to 31 March 2024. During the extension period, lawyers may attend CPD activities and obtain CPD points that can be applied towards fulfilling their CPD points requirements for either CPD Year 2023 or CPD Year 2024. Lawyers seeking to rely on the Extension Waiver must lodge a formal Extension Waiver Notice accessible through their ePortfolio accounts in the SILE CPD Centre.
Group 1 Lawyers will be able to obtain CPD Points for speaking or teaching at CPD Activities.
The term “practice needs” in rule 3(2)(c) of the Legal Profession (Continuing Professional Development) Rules 2012 need not be construed as being restricted to a lawyer’s primary or current area(s) of practice, but should be considered widely.
The Singapore Institute of Legal Education has implemented three ‘deemed waiver’ categories. In each CPD year, advocates and solicitors of the Supreme Court of Singapore with CPD points requirements to fulfil may self-assess whether they fall into any of the ‘deemed waiver’ categories and then fulfil their CPD points requirements for a given CPD year accordingly.
Current notices
This notice clarifies the CPD Points Requirements for Group 3 Lawyers, Group 2 Lawyers, Group 1 Lawyers and s36B Foreign Lawyers for CPD Year 2024.
SILE will continue the accreditation of eligible webinars until further notice.
This notice concerns the availability of a video on lawyers' ePortfolio accounts.