Justice in Action
Reflections on 60 Years of Nationhood and Pro Bono’s Place Within It
As Singapore marks SG60 — Building Our Singapore Together — we are reminded of the values that have defined our journey: multiculturalism, boldness, resilience, and openness. These pillars, echoing the Forward Singapore movement, urge us to connect meaningfully, contribute purposefully, and care deeply for one another. For Pro Bono SG (PBSG), this milestone is a poignant moment to reflect on how access to justice has evolved alongside our nation’s social compact. Justice, after all, is not an abstract ideal confined to courtrooms; it is a lived commitment to ensuring no one is left behind in our multicultural society.
My own path into this work began two decades ago, as a practising lawyer volunteering to assist migrant workers through organisations like the Archdiocesan Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ACMI) and the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME). Those early experiences revealed the critical role lawyers can play in filling gaps in our justice system — helping vulnerable individuals navigate complex and intimidating legal hurdles for recourse. In 2007, I left private practice to become the founding Director of the Law Society’s Pro Bono Services Office. I was tasked with establishing a centralised framework to enable members to advance the Society’s access to justice mission. What started as a small department has grown into Pro Bono SG, a national charity with over 1,000 active volunteers, assisting around 180,000 people since inception. Our evolution mirrors Singapore’s own maturation: from ad-hoc efforts to institutionalised resilience, from profession-led initiatives to a whole-of-society ecosystem. As we celebrate SG60, I would like to highlight three pivotal milestones in PBSG’s history. Each reflects our nation’s boldness in addressing inequities, our resilience in crises, and our openness to collaboration — themes that align with SG60’s call to connect, contribute, and care.
1. 2015: Bold Expansion and Community Empowerment Amid Golden Jubilee Celebrations
Singapore’s SG50 year was a time of national pride and forward-looking ambition, much like the boldness SG60 now evokes. For PBSG, 2015 was transformative, marking a shift from foundational services to scaled, impactful programmes that embedded justice in everyday life. We launched the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (CLAS) Fellowship, enabling junior lawyers — sponsored or seconded by law firms — to handle pro bono criminal cases full-time. CLAS itself dates back to 1985, a ground-up initiative by passionate lawyers providing representation for non-capital charges. By 2007, we had centralised its administration, but the Fellowship professionalised it further, creating a talent pipeline of socially conscious advocates. That year, the government’s historic decision to co-fund CLAS signalled a philosophical shift: criminal legal aid as a public good in a compassionate society. The result? Assistance tripled from around 400 cases annually to over 1,200, embodying SG60’s theme of contribution by ensuring equitable access to defence. Complementing this, we initiated Law Awareness Weeks@CDC, a nationwide campaign in partnership with the five Community Development Councils (CDCs) and the People’s Association (PA). This built on our 2014 MOU with PA, which expanded Community Legal Clinics (CLCs) into the heartlands, offering free 20-minute consultations. Law Awareness Weeks took it further, delivering talks, workshops, and resources to demystify the law for residents — from employment rights to family disputes. In a multicultural nation like ours, where legal literacy varies across languages and backgrounds, this initiative fostered openness, empowering citizens to navigate issues proactively. These milestones connected us deeply with communities, reflecting SG60’s emphasis on building together. They weren’t just programmes; they were acts of boldness, scaling pro bono from reactive aid to preventive empowerment.
2. 2020: Resilience in Crisis and Caring for the Vulnerable
The COVID-19 pandemic tested Singapore’s resilience like never before, much as SG60 celebrates our ability to endure and adapt. For PBSG, 2020 was a crucial year that reinforced our commitment to care, particularly for those on society’s margins. As lockdowns disrupted lives, legal needs surged: job losses sparked employment disputes, family strains led to breakdowns, and tenancy issues escalated. Physical clinics were impossible, so we pivoted digitally — launching virtual consultations, webinars, and online resources overnight. This resilience ensured uninterrupted service, assisting thousands remotely. A defining moment was forming the Migrant Workers Group to coordinate targeted support for this community, hit hardest by dormitory outbreaks and economic fallout. Migrant workers, integral to Singapore’s growth yet often isolated linguistically and culturally, faced amplified vulnerabilities. We ramped up legal clinics with translation services and piloted the Family Justice Support Scheme (FJSS) for foreign spouses with Singaporean children who are ineligible for traditional legal aid, as well as addressing gaps for the “sandwich class. This work evolved rapidly. By 2022, we established the Migrant Workers’ Legal Clinic (MWLC) at Angullia Mosque, integrating legal clinics with social support in a trusted space. Partnerships with community spaces like Angullia Mosque further extended our reach, embodying multiculturalism. Recognised with a Plaque of Appreciation from the Hope Initiative Alliance, these efforts exemplified SG60’s care theme — responding to human needs with empathy and action. In retrospect, 2020 taught us that justice thrives on resilience. By connecting legal expertise with community partners, we not only weathered the storm but strengthened our social fabric, ensuring vulnerable groups were not forgotten.
3. 2023: Openness Through Innovation and Ecosystem Building
As Singapore approaches SG60, our focus on openness — embracing diverse collaborations — has never been more vital. From 2023, PBSG embraced this through initiatives that brought justice closer to people, literally and digitally. We launched our first Community Law Centres (CLCs 2.0), starting at Tian De Temple in the North East District, followed by Realm of Tranquility. Unlike traditional clinics, these are full-service hubs offering registration for representation, integrated socio-legal care, and cross-referrals with Family Service Centres and Social Service Offices. For transnational families, we extended this model via the Transnational Family Care Centre with South Central Community FSC, addressing complex issues like cross-border custody. In 2025, we also launched Migrant Workers’ Law Centre @ MWC to better provide free legal services to migrant workers in Singapore. This proximity-based approach tackles “last-mile” barriers for the elderly, low-income, or tech-challenged, aligning with SG60’s connect theme by embedding justice in community anchors. Digitally, we unveiled LawGoWhere.sg, a one-stop portal developed with the Ministry of Law. Multilingual and user-friendly, it provides bite-sized legal info on everyday topics — from caregiving to consumer rights — empowering users to self-help or seek further aid. Launched amid our inaugural Pro Bono SG Awards, graced by the President, it highlights openness to innovation and collaboration. These milestones represent a paradigm shift: from service provider to ecosystem builder. They contribute to a refreshed social compact, where justice is accessible, inclusive, and integrated into national life.
From SG50 to SG60: A Continuum of Justice
Looking back from SG50’s optimism to SG60’s reflective unity, PBSG’s journey parallels Singapore’s. We have grown from a 2007 departmental office administering CLAS, Project Law Help, and CLCs; through 2017 corporatisation for a dedicated platform to support our burgeoning growth; to 2022’s rebranding as Pro Bono SG, signalling a national identity. Each phase — infused with government support, like Tote Board and government grants — has deepened our impact. Yet challenges remain: evolving needs in mental health, ageing, and digital divides demand ongoing boldness. As legal professionals, we must lead — volunteering, mentoring, advocating — to fulfil SG60’s vision. Access to justice is a continuum: from awareness to resolution, from individual aid to systemic change. Thank you for your partnership in this mission. Together, let’s build a Singapore where justice is not just promised, but delivered — for all.
