Lawyers are the pathway to justice for people in need of it, but the "most critical hurdle" in the way is the high cost of litigation, said Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon.

"It is cold comfort to those who seek justice to say we have a great legal system, if it is priced out of their reach," he said.

CJ Sundaresh Menon was speaking to some 200 lawyers in his opening address at the inaugural Litigation Conference 2013 this morning.

He said closer attention has to be paid in ensuring that the cost of legal services here is affordable to most and urged those in the audience to tackle that problem by re-examining the profession's cost structures, adding that some solutions were already in place.

"Technological advancements have made available offerings such as eLitigation and electronic discovery which have the potential to set Singapore at the forefront of legal service hubs, while increasing the productivity and efficiency of lawyers," he said.

This conference serves as a platform to reflect on the best practices, current problems, and future possibilities of litigation, and will be on today and tomorrow.