CPD Requirements
CPD Requirements include having to:
- undertake CPD Activities and thereby obtain a minimum number of points.
- keep a record and evidence of CPD Activities undertaken.
- verify compliance with CPD Requirements if required by the Institute.
The CPD Year runs from 1 January to 31 December each year.
Points requirements for Group 3 Lawyers (lawyers with more than 15 years’ standing as at 1 January)
For CPD Year 2024, a Group 3 Lawyer is an advocate and solicitor (including a locum solicitor) admitted to the Singapore Bar on or before 31 December 2008 and holding a Singapore Practising Certificate. If you are a Group 3 Lawyer, the following table applies to you.
Between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024:
| a. |
If you hold a Practising Certificate for more than 5 months |
You need to obtain 4 CPD Points. At least 2 must be Public CPD Points (i.e., the other points may be Public or Private CPD Points). |
| b. |
If you hold a Practising Certificate for 5 months or less |
You do not need to obtain any minimum CPD Points. |
Points requirements for Group 2 Lawyers (lawyers with 5 to 15 years’ standing as at 1 January)
For CPD Year 2024, a Group 2 Lawyer is an advocate and solicitor (including a locum solicitor) admitted to the Singapore Bar between 1 January 2009 and 1 January 2019 and holding a Singapore Practising Certificate. If you are a Group 2 Lawyer, the following table applies to you.
Between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024:
| a. |
If you hold a Practising Certificate for more than 8 months |
You need to obtain 8 CPD Points. At least 4 must be Public CPD Points (i.e., the other points may be Public or Private CPD Points). |
| b. |
If you hold a Practising Certificate for more than 5 months up to 8 months |
You need to obtain 4 CPD Points. At least 2 must be Public CPD Points (i.e., the other points may be Public or Private CPD Points). |
| c. |
If you hold a Practising Certificate for 5 months or less |
You do not need to obtain any minimum CPD Points. |
Points requirements for Group 1 Lawyers (lawyers with less than 5 years’ standing as at 1 January)
For CPD Year 2024, a Group 1 Lawyer is an advocate and solicitor (including a locum solicitor) admitted to the Singapore Bar on or after 2 January 2019 and holding a Singapore Practising Certificate. If you are a Group 1 Lawyer, the following table applies to you.
Between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024:
| a. |
If you hold a Practising Certificate for more than 8 months |
You need to obtain 16 CPD Points. At least 8 must be Public CPD Points (i.e., the other points may be Public or Private CPD Points). |
| b. |
If you hold a Practising Certificate for more than 5 months up to 8 months |
You need to obtain 8 CPD Points. At least 4 must be Public CPD Points (i.e., the other points may be Public or Private CPD Points). |
| c. |
If you hold a Practising Certificate for 5 months or less |
You do not need to obtain any minimum CPD Points. |
Points requirements for foreign lawyers registered under section 36B of the Legal Profession Act
For CPD Year 2024, if you are a foreign lawyer registered under section 36B of the Legal Profession Act and holding a foreign practitioner certificate (a s36B Foreign Lawyer), the following table applies to you.
Between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024:
| a. |
If you hold a foreign practitioner certificate for more than 8 months |
You need to obtain 8 CPD Points. At least 4 must be Public CPD Points (i.e., the other points may be Public or Private CPD Points). |
| b. |
If you hold a foreign practitioner certificate for more than 5 months up to 8 months |
You need to obtain 4 CPD Points. At least 2 must be Public CPD Points (i.e., the other points may be Public or Private CPD Points). |
| c. |
If you hold a foreign practitioner certificate for 5 months or less |
You do not need to obtain any minimum CPD Points. |
Keeping a record and evidence of CPD Activities
You will need to maintain a record of the CPD Activities that you have undertaken in each CPD Year. This record is to be kept for 3 years after the CPD Year it relates to. The Institute recommends that you use the ePortfolio system to record the details of the CPD Activities you have undertaken. The records of your attendance at an Accredited CPD Activity (i.e. Public CPD Points) are automatically updated to your ePortfolio account, based on information provided to the Institute by the organiser. You only need to log in to update the records of your other CPD Activities and the Private CPD Points obtained.
For details on how to log in to your ePortfolio account for the first time, click here.
You will also need to separately retain evidence of Accredited and Non-Accredited CPD Activities that you have undertaken in each CPD Year. Again, this evidence is to be kept for 3 years after the CPD Year it relates to. The evidence you must maintain should consist of the following:
- Proof of your registration for the event.
- Receipt of payment for the event.
- Confirmation of your attendance or completion by the organiser of the CPD Activity, e.g. through a copy of a certificate of completion or attendance setting out your full name.
- Copy of the presentation notes or other materials issued for the CPD Activity.
- For small group discussions:
- proof that the activity was organised, e.g. an e-mail invitation to the discussion;
- list of the participants as recorded by the chairman of the discussion; and
- copy of the notes recorded during the discussion and circulated by the chairman of the discussion.
Verifying compliance with CPD requirements
The Institute may require you to produce the record and/or evidence that you maintain in respect of the CPD Activities you have undertaken. You will need to comply with such a requirement within such time as the Institute may specify. Failure to comply may result in the consequences set out in rule 12 of the CPD Rules 2012.
You are reminded to ensure that you have complied with your CPD Requirements for a given CPD Year well in advance of your application to renew your Singapore Practising Certificate / registration under s36B of the Legal Profession Act. Failure to do so may render you ineligible to renew your practising certificate / registration under s36B of the Legal Profession Act and result in the consequences set out in rule 12 of the CPD Rules 2012.
More information on the audit process is set out in the Audit section of this site.
Please refer to the Waiver section of this site for options available to you if you are unable to satisfy your CPD requirements for a given CPD Year.