Channel New Asia report…Legal history was made on Thursday (May 11) after renowned British lawyer and arbitration expert Toby Landau became the first Queen’s Counsel (QC) to be called to the Singapore Bar since independence.
In his speech welcoming Mr Landau and other new lawyers to the Bar, Justice Quentin Loh called the Briton’s successful application a “historic occasion in the legal history of Singapore”.
Justice Loh, a High Court Judge, said: “To the best of my knowledge, no Queen’s Counsel has taken this step (of being called to the Bar) since the independence of our nation and probably not in the many decades before then.”
He also called Mr Landau an advocate who has “made his mark on the world stage”.
According to the UK Bar Council’s website, a limited number of senior barristers become QCs “as a mark of outstanding ability”. They normally handle very serious or complex cases.
Responding to queries from Channel NewsAsia, the Law Society of Singapore said that Mr Landau is the first QC to be admitted to the Singapore Bar.
“Minister for Law had given Mr Landau the requisite exemption and the Law Society therefore took no objections to his admission,” a spokesperson said.
The Law Society said Mr Landau is no stranger to Singapore’s legal fraternity, and was previously given ad hoc admission to argue a case in 2012. He has been a member of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) since 2015.
“The Law Society considers this one-off, sui generis admission as a boost to Singapore’s growing stature as a legal hub with world class lawyers,” the Society said.
In a statement to Channel NewsAsia, Mr Landau said he was honoured to have been called to the Singapore Bar and “deeply appreciative” of the opportunity to contribute to Singapore and its legal fraternity. “I look forward to strengthening my friendships with the many dynamic practitioners that I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with over the years.”
Mr Landau said he would not start practicing in Singapore until all regulatory steps have been completed. He added that he would not join or establish a full service law firm, but continue as a specialist individual advocate at his current firm, Essex Court Chambers in London. But the statement added he would have a Singapore base as well.
Typically, QCs have to apply for admission to the Bar on an ad-hoc basis each time they argue cases.
Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-calls-first-queen-s-counsel-to-the-bar-8840666
