$107,100 was raised by the CJ’s Cup charity futsal – a collaborative fundraising project between the Singapore Academy of Law and the Yellow Ribbon Fund.

Singapore, 30 June 2018 – Almost 120 lawyers, Legal Service Officers, law students and ex-offenders pitted their skills on the futsal pitch for the coveted Chief Justice’s Cup, all for a good cause. The futsal, a joint charity event co-organised by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) and the Yellow Ribbon Fund (YRF) raised $107,100 for the YRF-SAL STAR (Skills Training Assistance to Restart) Bursary, which provides educational bursaries to financially disadvantaged ex-offenders.

This is the third charity futsal SAL and YRF have organised together. In addition to the regular futsal tournament this year, an under 14-year old children’s team from Tasek Jurong Limited, a non-profit organisation that helps at-risk youth and underprivileged children, were invited to play in an opening fun match against an adults’ team representing the legal industry which included The Honourable Justice Tan Siong Thye and Deputy Attorney-General Mr Hri Kumar, SC.

The fun match was followed by over two hours of play among the 17 teams at Kovan Sports Centre, during which the team from SMU School of Law won the coveted cup on a score of 3-0 against runners-up from TSMP Law Corporation.

“The CJ’s Cup is a fun and effective way for us to get the legal community actively involved in the education and rehabilitation of ex-offenders, from law students to the leaders of our legal industry,” said Mr Thio Shen Yi, SC, Chairman of SAL’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Sub-Committee. “We are grateful for the generous support that has been shown by all the participants and donors. It is a tangible demonstration that the legal community recognises the importance of giving these ex-offenders a second chance to re-build their lives. It is the right thing to do.”

To date, the YRF-SAL STAR Bursary, started in 2014, has benefited 23 ex-offenders who received financial help through the bursary and disbursed close to $230,000. There are six students currently being supported by the bursary. Courses undertaken by YRF-SAL STAR bursary recipients have ranged from diplomas to Bachelor degrees, in subjects including Business Studies, Mathematical Sciences, Sociology and Chemical Engineering.

About the Singapore Academy of Law

The Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) is a promotion and development agency for Singapore’s legal industry. Our vision is to make Singapore the legal hub of Asia.

SAL works with our stakeholders to set new precedents of excellence in Singapore law through developing thought leadership, world class infrastructure and legal solutions. Our mandates are to build up the intellectual capital of the legal profession by enhancing legal knowledge, raise the international profile of Singapore law, promote Singapore as a centre for dispute resolution, and improve the standards and efficiency of legal practice through continuing professional development and the use of technology.

As a body established by statute, SAL also undertakes statutory functions such as stakeholding services and appointment of Senior Counsel, Commissioners for Oaths and Notaries Public.

SAL is led by a Senate headed by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, and comprising the Attorney-General, the Supreme Court Bench and key leaders of the various branches of the legal profession. It has more than 12,000 members, including the Bench, all persons who are called as advocates and solicitors of the Supreme Court (i.e. the Bar) or appointed as Legal Service Officers, corporate counsel, faculty members of the three local law schools (i.e. National University of Singapore, Singapore Management University and Singapore University of Social Sciences) and foreign lawyers in Singapore.

More information can be found at www.sal.org.sg.