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Advisories and notices that are no longer current may be found in the Advisories archive.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
The Singapore Institute of Legal Education has implemented two new ‘deemed waiver’ categories. The new ‘deemed waiver’ categories are for statutorily-prescribed shared parental leave and statutorily-prescribed paternity leave.
SILE’s verification of compliance with CPD requirements for CPD Year 2024 will commence in May 2025.
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. 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’).
If you are unable to fulfil your CPD requirements for CPD Year 2024 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 2024 Form ahead of the renewal of your practising certificate/foreign practitioner certificate in 2025.
The Singapore Institute of Legal Education has implemented an Extension Waiver for CPD Year 2024. The extension period is from 1 January 2025 to 31 March 2025. 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 2024 or CPD Year 2025. Lawyers seeking to rely on the Extension Waiver must lodge a formal Extension Waiver Notice accessible through their ePortfolio accounts in 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 2025 and summarises the changes to the CPD Scheme.
In consultation with the Reform of Legal Education Standing Committee and the Ethics and Professional Standards Committee (“EPSC”), the Singapore Institute of Legal Education will be implementing recommendations of the Working Group for the Reform of Legal Education (“the RLE Working Group”) and the recommendations of the EPSC relating to the CPD Scheme from CPD Year 2025 onwards. CPD Year 2025 commences on 1 January 2025.
SILE will continue the accreditation of eligible webinars until further notice.
This notice concerns the availability of a video on lawyers' ePortfolio accounts.