The Public Defender’s Office (PDO) is established as a department in the Ministry of Law to enhance access to justice to vulnerable persons through the provision of criminal defence aid.

As public defenders, our mission is to provide quality legal representation for legally aided persons charged in court. You will be required to assist the Chief Public Defender in putting up reports to consider the merits of an application for legal aid, and to advice applicants and legally aided persons on the various legal options in their case. You will also attend court for bail applications, make representations to the prosecution on the best possible legal outcomes, make sentencing mitigations, do trials and handle appeals. In the course of your work, you will also engage with other social service sector agencies in coming up with plans for rehabilitation of the legally aided person as part of restorative justice which will help minimize his/her future contact with crime.

Requirements • A law degree from an accredited university. • Between 1 to 5 years of relevant experience in criminal law practice. • Possess good oral and written advocacy skills to effectively craft mitigation pleas and sentencing submissions and argue appeals. • Possess good litigation skills to develop case strategy and mount a credible defence at trial. • Possess good grasp of the law and sharp analytical mind to identify legal and factual issues in each case and provide advice on the best legal outcome. • Possess good case management skills to handle diverse types of cases and monitor court processes to ensure timely case disposition. • Able to engage people at all levels with empathy, passion and professionalism. If you are interested, please attach with your resume, a cover letter to share with us your experience in criminal litigation work, as well as the reason(s) for joining PDO.

In Singapore, having the rule of law and advancing people’s access to justice are not just lofty ideals but the backbone of a functioning and a progressive society. At the Ministry of Law, not only do we contribute to developing the legal frameworks and policies that uphold our way of life, but also to providing community legal services that Singaporeans benefit from. The key policies we oversee include Singapore’s legal and intellectual property infrastructure, the civil and criminal justice systems as well as land resources. Our officers are experts from different fields, and enjoy an excellent and challenging career in a fast-paced environment with plenty of opportunity to grow. If you share our vision of shaping the future of Singapore, you will definitely fit right in here at MinLaw.