The International Bar Association (IBA) has written that Southeast Asian countries are increasingly shifting from voluntary guidelines to binding legislation to compel corporations to respect human rights and the environment. The article, published on 9 October 2025, highlights a regional move toward mandatory corporate human rights and environmental due diligence, driven by persistent abuses linked…
Confronting systemic barriers: the push for true equity in the United Kingdom legal profession
The Guardian newspaper published an article on 12 October 2025 highlighting the continued underrepresentation of Black talent in the legal profession in the United Kingdom and the resistance faced when initiatives aimed at improving diversity are introduced. Pauline Campbell, Chair of the Race Equality Network, argues that the legal industry must stop acting as if…
Public consultation on the report of the committee to review the regulatory framework for law practices and collaborations in Singapore
The Singapore Ministry of Law has launched an eight-week public consultation on the Report of the Committee to Review the Regulatory Framework for Law Practices and Collaborations in Singapore. The Committee was tasked with assessing whether the current regulatory framework continues to meet Singapore’s evolving legal and economic needs and recommending improvements to ensure continued…
Malaysian government agrees in principle to reform Legal Profession Qualifying Board
The New Straits Times reports that the Malaysian government has agreed in principle to implement significant reforms to the Legal Profession Qualifying Board (LPQB), the body responsible for overseeing admission into the legal profession. According to Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), M. Kulasegaran, the Cabinet approved several key policy…
Pooled client accounts: Proposed changes risk placing substantial new burdens on solicitors
The Law Society of England and Wales has raised strong concerns regarding the UK Government’s proposed amendments to the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing (Amendment and Miscellaneous Provision) Regulations 2025. The draft regulations would require solicitors to conduct full customer due diligence on all clients whose funds are held in pooled client accounts—bank accounts where a…
Solicitors Regulation Authority moves to strengthen oversight of high-volume consumer claims sector
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) of England and Wales has intensified its scrutiny of the high-volume consumer claims (HVCC) market, where law firms handle mass claims such as housing disrepair, data breaches, and motor finance complaints. While the HVCC model can enhance access to justice, the SRA’s thematic review has revealed widespread compliance and transparency…
Driving the next stage of the Singapore legal industry’s digitalisation journey through the Legal Innovation and Future-Readiness Transformation (LIFT) initiative
On 30 June 2025, Singapore’s Ministry of Law (MinLaw) launched the Legal Innovation and Future-Readiness Transformation (LIFT) Initiative, a pilot programme designed to accelerate the digital transformation of the legal sector. Building on earlier legaltech initiatives such as the Legal Technology Platform (LTP), LIFT focuses on addressing one of the key barriers identified through consultations—change…
Washington becomes latest state to test legal practice reforms
Washington State has become the latest U.S. jurisdiction to experiment with regulatory reform in the legal sector by relaxing restrictions on who can practise law. Beginning as early as October 2025, the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) will accept applications from law firms, nonprofits, and technology-driven organisations seeking to participate in a 10-year pilot programme…
Proposed amendments to Colorado’s rules of professional conduct to address artificial intelligence
The Colorado Supreme Court has invited public comment on proposed amendments to the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct (RPCs) to explicitly address the ethical and professional implications of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), in legal practice. The amendments aim to clarify lawyers’ duties of competence and diligence in an era of rapid technological change….
Ministry of Law in Singapore – Guide for using generative AI in the legal sector
Singapore’s Ministry of Law has released a draft Guide for Using Generative AI in the Legal Sector (open for public consultation from 1 to 30 September 2025) to promote the responsible, ethical deployment of generative AI (“GenAI”) within legal services. The Guide is non-binding but sets out core principles and good practices to help practitioners…