Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said the legal profession and courts must address systemic workplace issues, including bullying and harassment.
This call for reform follows a Law Society survey that highlighted concerns regarding lawyer attrition and a toxic workplace culture. If left unaddressed, these issues could impact the stability of the legal workforce and the quality of judicial administration in Singapore.
Speaking at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Law School inauguration ceremony, Shanmugam said law freshmen should know the realities of the industry [1]. He said the profession must confront specific problems, such as poor supervision and other workplace concerns, that contribute to lawyers leaving the field [1], [2].
While the minister acknowledged the attrition concerns, he said there is a need for more detailed and objective data to fully understand the extent of these problems [1], [2]. This evidence-based approach is intended to move the conversation beyond anecdotal reports to identify the root causes of industry instability [2].
Shanmugam, who also serves as the Coordinating Minister for National Security, said both the courts and the broader legal community share responsibility for improving the environment [1]. By addressing these cultural failures, the ministry aims to ensure that new lawyers entering the profession find a sustainable and supportive career path [1].
The focus on workplace toxicity comes as the government seeks to maintain a stable rate of legal practitioners within the city-state [2]. The minister's remarks highlight a growing tension between traditional high-pressure legal environments and modern expectations for employee wellbeing.
“the legal profession and courts must address systemic workplace issues”
The government's push for objective data indicates a shift from acknowledging anecdotal complaints to seeking structural reforms. By linking workplace toxicity directly to lawyer attrition, the administration is signaling that the 'burnout culture' of the legal sector is no longer viewed as an inevitable trait of the profession, but as a systemic risk to the legal infrastructure.
