The Straits Times
SINGAPORE – Low-income residents in the heartland may soon get access to free legal help close to their home, with the first law community centre to be set up in Hougang.
The centre in the Tian De Temple will open later this year under an agreement signed by the Law Society Pro Bono Services (LSPBS), the temple, the Singapore University of Social Sciences and the RSS Foundation on Aug 20.
The foundation, established by law firm R. S. Solomon, will help raise funds for this initiative.
In an exclusive interview with The Straits Times earlier this week, LSPBS chairman Gregory Vijayendran and chief executive Tanguy Lim said LSPBS, which will change its name to Pro Bono SG later this year, plans to roll out more of such centres in the heartland.
The goal is to bring legal assistance closer to those with mobility and technology challenges.
Mr Vijayendran, a senior counsel, said: “This is like neighbourhood polyclinics or GPs who are right there at the locale. They are walking and journeying with the community and are able to troubleshoot problems.”
Mr Lim said: “We’ll be connecting with all the family service centres, the SSOs (social service offices), all the different charities, which are often the first responders meeting persons who are facing some kind of calamity, which often may have some legal aspects as well. The idea then is to work holistically to help those persons.”
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