$3m boost for Pro Bono SG and Criminal Legal Aid Scheme to support free legal help service

SINGAPORE – Registered charity Pro Bono SG will receive $3 million over the next two years to support its programmes, which include providing free legal assistance for those charged with certain non-capital offences.

Announcing this on March 28, Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong said the Ministry of Law is committing the sum in support of Pro Bono SG’s key initiatives, including the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme.

The scheme, which was set up as a ground-up initiative 40 years ago when it was privately funded by the Law Society of Singapore and goodwill donations, gives the needy in Singapore access to criminal legal assistance.

“We want to do our part to continue to institutionalise access to justice in a very firm way in Singapore, so that this remains a bedrock for our legal system,” Mr Tong said of the financial support.

Speaking at the Pro Bono SG Awards 2025 dinner at Fairmont Singapore, he said pro bono work is essential to the proper functioning of Singapore’s legal system.

“It reinforces the fundamental values of justice and fairness, and it ensures that legal protections are accessible to everyone, and not just by a select few or privileged ones,” he added.

“By ensuring this access to justice and making sure it is a cornerstone pillar of our legal system, we will continue to be able to maintain and foster trust in this system,” said Mr Tong at the event attended by more than 350 volunteers, partners and donors.

Pro Bono SG started as a department within the Law Society of Singapore and later became Law Society Pro Bono Services.

The charity raised close to $7 million in donations between April 2024 and February 2025, with more than half coming from government support and grants.

In his speech, Mr Tong noted that over the past year, Pro Bono SG helped more than 15,000 individuals and social impact organisations.

These organisations include the community law centres at Tian De Temple in Hougang, and Realm of Tranquility in Woodlands, which collectively provided legal support to around 1,500 people in 2024.

The other social impact organisations include the Transnational Family Care Centre at South Central Community Family Service Centre.

Pro Bono SG will also support the Migrant Workers’ Law Centre in Little India. The centre is slated to open by the second quarter of 2025, said Mr Dinesh Dhillon, chairman of the charity.

Besides fund-raising activities, Pro Bono SG also rallied and recruited 660 active volunteer lawyers, more than 230 law school undergraduates and 200 non-legal volunteers, including social service professionals, over the past year.

These volunteers ensure that the help provided goes beyond legal assistance, said Mr Tong, who is also Minister for Culture, Community and Youth.

“Many individuals and families who encounter legal problems, they might not start as a legal problem. Often we find ourselves going beyond providing legal aid and assistance,” he said, adding that support can include counselling and mental health interventions.

“Sometimes, help seekers who come to us require financial assistance. Very often, they require a stronger social support network,” said Mr Tong.

Apart from those in the legal services, volunteers from non-legal professions, including those who can help in areas such as interpretation, translation, training, client support and programme design, are also needed at Pro Bono SG.

A total of 140 awards were presented to supporters and volunteers at the event.

Lawyer Muslim Albakri received the top volunteer award for his work with the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, where he is a committee member, and also for his work on the scheme’s training programme.

Aside from taking on pro bono cases, Mr Muslim conducts merits testing for legal aid applicants.

“It really takes a village to achieve what we have done, and I am grateful for the network of lawyers and volunteers who are so committed to the cause,” he said.

Mr Muslim added that Pro Bono SG’s work helps to bridge the inequality gap by providing access to legal services to the less privileged in society.

Lawyer Imran Rahim was awarded the special recognition volunteer award for his work as chairman of Peguam, a Muslim-led organisation that provides pro bono legal services.

Through Peguam’s partnership with Pro Bono SG, Mr Imran and his team offer their expertise and mentorship to lawyers handling cases under Muslim law.

“There are many, many people who need help but are not able to afford legal representation. A lot of these folk are facing serious and potentially life-changing challenges,” said Mr Imran.

“If we are able to offer some help during such dark times, then we should. It is something that we all would want if we were in their place.”