Page 7 - COL Asia Newsletter (25 October 2017)

on 22 September 2017. Discussions focussed on how the
collaboration could assist the Bar Council introduce a form of
special competency accreditation for Malaysian practitioners.
A further meeting is to be held on 16 November 2017. ▄▌
Law Society requests COL expression of
Sabah Law Association to introduce mandatory CPD interest in review of its RME programme

he Sabah Law Association (SLA) plans to introduce a ollowing the successful completion of a new Legal Practice
T mandatory CPD scheme for Sabah lawyers and has asked F Management course for the Law Society of Hong Kong,
the College to assist in developing and drafting the rules. The the Law Society has asked the College to submit an
College provided the SLA with a report reviewing the Expression of Interest (EOI) to undertake a planned review of
mandatory CPD schemes that currently operate in Malaysia, its mandatory Risk Management Education (RME)
New South Wales and New Zealand to assist the process. The programme.
College has also drafted a set of draft rules for the SLA to
consider for adoption. The SLA anticipates introducing its
mandatory CPD scheme early in 2018.
The College will be supporting the Sabah legal profession
through a complementary online CPD programme, similar to
the that offered to members of the Malaysian Bar as part of
the College’s MOU with Bar Council Malaysia.
Sabah, although part of the Federation of Malaysia, has its The Society’s mandatory RME programme applies to Hong
own distinct legal system and law society. The SLA is the solicitors, trainee solicitors and to registered foreign lawyers
statutory body responsible for the legal profession practising in Hong Kong. It is comprised of initial core courses
in Sabah. The SLA has 323 member law firms of for principals, non-principals, trainees and registered foreign
varying size listed in its lawyers followed by a series of electives, with an ongoing
Directory of Member Firms annual requirement to undertake 3 hours of RME electives
- which includes the
names of all the
Registered Lawyers
working within each firm.
West Malaysian lawyers
(from peninsula Malaya) The COL-produced legal practice management course is to be
are not able to practise in Sabah, or in Sarawak, its introduced by the Law Society as an elective within this RME
neighbouring Malaysian state. programme.
Sabah occupies the northern part of the island of Borneo and Winning the contract to develop the practice management
was known as North Borneo until it became the British Crown course (and accompanying PowerPoint, with presenter’s
Colony of Sabah in 1946. Sabah gained independence in notes) was COL Asia’s first success in securing paid work in
August 1963 and became a foundation member of the Asia. COL Asia has also been asked by the Law Society to:
Malaysian Federation in September 1963 - along with Malaya,  Develop checkboxes for starting, running and exiting a
Sarawak and Singapore. ▄▌ Hong Kong legal practice for inclusion in the practice
management course - which were completed in October
2017.
 Assist with the recruitment and training of course trainers
and deliver the first course - sometime in 2018.
Singapore Law Society and College to collaborate on  Provide an annual course update service.
legal education and training for Singapore lawyers An EOI was submitted to the Law Society on 4 October 2017
and the outcome is now awaited. ▄▌
he Law Society of Singapore (which is celebrating its 50th
T Anniversary this year) is in the process of entering into a
Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate with the College 2017 Risk Management and Professional
of Law. The fourth Indemnity conference in Hong Kong
of series of
meetings with the OL Asia sponsored CLI Director Terri Mottershead as a
Society’s C speaker at the LawAsia 2017 Risk Management and
leadership team is Professional Indemnity Conference in Hong Kong on 15-16
June 2017. The LawAsia conference was co-hosted by the
to be held in Kuala
Lumpur on 16 Law Society of Hong Kong. Terri Mottershead was one of four
November 2017, to international speakers in Session 9: Future of the Legal
conclude arrangements for collaboration across a range of Profession and Innovation - the others being
Mr Neville Eisenberg (Berwin Leighton and Paisner LLP, UK),
activities including development of a Singapore jurisdictional
stream in the College LLM (Applied Law) programme. ▄▌ Mr Amirali Nasir (Vice-President of The Law Society of Hong

OCTOBER 2017 Page 7