Legal Representation
Do you need a lawyer to represent you in your legal matters, but cannot afford one? We can help you. You can apply directly or email us at help@probono.sg.
I am facing...
Facing a criminal charge and unable to afford a lawyer? The Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (CLAS) can help you.
The Criminal Legal Aid Scheme provides criminal legal assistance to the poor and needy who are unable to afford a lawyer and are facing charges in a Singapore court for non-death penalty offences under statutes covered by CLAS.
CLAS covers all criminal offences except for:
- Offences punishable by death
- Regulatory infractions (e.g., traffic summons) and departmental charges. Excluded offences that are regulatory in nature are as follows:
- Advance Medical Directive Act 1996
- Child Development Co-Savings Act 2001
- Customs Act 1960
- Employment Act 1968
- Employment Agencies Act 1958
- Employment Claims Act 2016
- Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990
- Enlistment Act 1970
- Fire Safety Act 1993
- Foreign Employee Dormitories Act 2015
- Goods and Services Tax Act 1993
- Health Products Act 2007
- Health Promotion Board Act 2001
- Health Sciences Authority Act 2001
- Immigration Act 1959
- Infectious Diseases Act 1976
- Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018
- Medical and Elderly Care Endowment Schemes Act 2000
- Medicines (Advertisement and Sale) Act 1955
- Medicines Act 1975
- Moneylenders Act 2008
- National Registration Act 1965
- Passports Act 2007
- Personal Data Protection Act 2012
- Poisons Act 1938
- Registration of Births and Deaths Act 2021
- Regulation of Imports and Exports Act 1995
- Retirement and Re-employment Act 1993
- Road Traffic Act 1961
- Sale of Drugs Act 1914
- Singapore Armed Forces Act 1972
- Termination of Pregnancy Act 1974
- Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act 1993
- Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Act 2000
- Work Injury Compensation Act 2019
- Workplace Safety and Health Act 2006
- Town Councils Act 1988
- Bankruptcy Act (Cap 20, 2009 Rev Ed)
- Pawnbrokers Act 2015
- Offences prosecuted by private individuals
- You must already be charged or wish to file/defend an appeal in Court;
- You must be facing the above-covered offences;
- You must not be currently represented by a lawyer;
- You must pass our means and merits test.
Means Test for CLAS
| Monthly Per Capita Household Income (PCHI) | Annual Value of Applicant’s Place of Residence* | Applicant’s Savings and Non-CPF Investments |
|---|---|---|
| $1,650 | ≤$21,000 | ≤$10,000 |
*The applicant must not own property other than his/her place of residence.
Documents to prepare:
- Pay Slips for the last 12 months
- CPF Contribution History for the last 15 Months
- Other supporting documents to show that the beneficiary is unable to afford a lawyer
Merits Test
You will be interviewed by a lawyer on your legal issue and personal circumstances to assess the strength of your case. Additional documents may be requested.
Singaporeans and Permanent Residents should apply to the PDO but may be assigned subsequently to us. Foreigners should apply directly to CLAS. Fill in the application form.
Please complete the application form here to proceed.
Before you apply, please ensure that you:
- Have been formally charged in a Singapore Court.
- Face charges covered by CLAS.
- Do not have a lawyer representing you, unless the lawyer has informed CLAS that they are willing to accept your case under CLAS.
Kindly note that there will be a waiting time of 2-3 weeks for us to process your application.
Documents Required
Applicant
- Bail Bond
- Charge Sheet(s)
- Latest Mention Slip
- IRAS Notice of Assessment for the past year (if you are self-employed)
- Payslips for the past 12 months
- Bank balance slips for all the bank accounts (dated within 7 days of application)
- Insurance policy document stating surrender value
- Investment/ Stocks/ Shares Document(s) stating current market value
Household Members
- CPF Contribution History for the past 15 months for all household members that are working
- IRAS Notice of Assessment for the past year for all household members that are working
- Payslips for the past 12 months for all household members that are working (Foreigners and Singaporeans/ PR without CPF contributions)
Note: Applicant without ALL the necessary documents will be turned away.
Co-payment:
Applicants who pass both the Means and Merits Tests may still be required co-pay the cost of legal aid rendered.
This sum will be quantified on an applicant’s means that will be assessed over the last 12 months. We will inform you of whether you qualify for CLAS completely, or if co-payment is need.
Our Finance department will inform you of the co-payment details by email.
Currently, individuals on Government social assistance and subsidy schemes are prohibited from entering the casinos, jackpot machine rooms and accessing their Singapore Pools online betting accounts under section 165A of the Casino Control Act 2006.
With effect from 1 April 2024, this Exclusion by Law will be extended to individuals receiving Government-funded criminal defence aid from either the Public Defender’s Office or under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme administered by Pro Bono SG.
This means that for the period in which you are receiving criminal defence aid, you will be banned from:
- entering, remaining, or taking part in any gaming on all casino premises;
- entering, remaining, or taking part in any gaming in all jackpot machine rooms in private clubs (except for work* purposes); and
- accessing Singapore Pools accounts-related services if you are an existing account holder, or opening an account if you are not an existing account holder.
When your case has concluded in Court or when you are no longer receiving criminal defence aid, this Exclusion by Law will be revoked automatically within 2 weeks.
To understand more about social safeguards against problem gambling and exclusions or visit limits, please visit www.ncpg.org.sg.
* This refers to the scope of “defined work” under Casino Control Act.
For more information, click here for our CLAS – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) or contact us at 65341564.
The Family Justice Support Scheme (FJSS) can help you with your family matters such as divorce, family violence, maintenance and children-related issues.
- You are
- A Singaporeans or Permanent Residents who have approached Legal Aid Bureau (LAB) and marginally failed their means test or;
- A foreigner married to a Singaporean and has Singaporean child/children;
- You must pass our means and merits test.
Please complete the application form here to proceed.
I know someone who needs legal help
Do you know someone who doesn’t qualify for CLAS and other legal aid schemes and has also exhausted all other legal avenues? If you are a lawyer or from a government agency, social service agency or other legal aid providers, you may refer beneficiaries to us by emailing us at help@probono.sg.
- The beneficiary must not be currently represented by a lawyer;
- The beneficiary must not be eligible for other legal aid schemes;
- The beneficiary must pass our means and merits test.
Please share the following:
- Summary of legal issue and what the beneficiary hopes to achieve.
- What other avenues of legal help the beneficiary has tried and why they were unsuccessful.
- What are the exceptional circumstances warranting legal aid (e.g. health issues, financial circumstances, etc).
We will respond via email in 1 week and endeavour to confirm whether aid can be granted within 4-6 weeks of complete receipt of documents.
Means & Merits Test
You are required to pass our Means and Merits test before qualifying for legal representation. Each programme has its own means and merits criteria.
Means Test
Pro bono resources are precious, so the Means Test helps us allocate resources to those most in need. Both your disposable income and disposable capital/assets will be assessed. Documents to prepare:
- Pay Slips for the last 12 months
- CPF Contribution History for the last 15 months
- Other supporting documents to show that the beneficiary is unable to afford a lawyer
| Monthly Per Capita Household Income (PCHI) | Annual Value of Applicant’s Place of Residence | Applicant’s Savings and Non-CPF Investments | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal Legal Aid Scheme | $1,650 | ≤$21,000 | ≤$10,000 |
| Family Justice Support Scheme (Pro Bono) | $1,050 | ≤$21,000 | ≤$10,000 |
| Family Justice Support Scheme (Modest Means) | $1,400 | ≤$21,000 | ≤$12,000 |
Merits Test
You will be interviewed by a lawyer on your legal issue and personal circumstances to assess the strength of your case. Additional documents may be requested.
Guide to Attending Court
Have you ever wondered how to get to the 3 different courts or what goes on in a courtroom? These videos provide answers to these questions and also give you useful information on the correct court attire, the dos and don’ts in the courtroom and what happens after a hearing.
Click here to watch Your Guide to Attending Court.