Congratulations Yean San for winning the 2021 Outstanding Court Volunteer (Student Category) Award!

The State Courts Student Representative Programme (“SCSRP”) is a Singapore Institute of Legal Education approved pro bono project run by CPBCLE in collaboration with the State Courts. The project first started in 2016. SCSRP provides the vital service of helping disadvantaged litigants-in-persons (“LIPs”) in the Community Justice and Tribunals Division (“CJTD”) of the State Courts. Typically, LIPs require assistance from court volunteers in applying for remedies under the Protection from Harassment Act and/or Community Disputes Resolution Act, arising for instance, from neighbour disputes.

These court volunteers are an important pillar in the Singapore Judiciary, complementing the work of the Courts. Besides the Legal Assistance Scheme for Capital Offences (LASCO) long service award, other awards given out this year include the Outstanding Court Volunteer Award which comprises three categories – Open Category, Advocate and Solicitor Category, and Student Category. The Outstanding Court Volunteer Award recognises individuals who have contributed significantly as committed volunteers with the State Courts and Family Justice Courts.

We would like to congratulate our Year 3 NUS Law student, Ms Tan Yean San, for winning the 2021 Outstanding Court Volunteer (Student category) Award!

Besides completing core tasks of assisting LIPs under SCSRP, Yean San was also appointed a Senior Representative and took on the additional responsibilities of managing the cohort of student volunteers, recruiting new student volunteers as well as training and supervising her juniors. Having been with SCSRP for slightly over two years now, we decided to have a chat with her on her experiences and challenges on being a court volunteer.

How has your volunteering experience been for you, and what were the tasks allocated to you?

Having volunteered for the SCSRP for more than two years running, I have spent many hours assisting LIPs with queries and drafting of claims relating to the Protection from Harassment Act (“POHA”) and the Community Disputes Resolution Act (“CDRA”). I also assist with general queries relating to the filing of Magistrate’s Complaints. We have also aided State Court assessors with compiling summaries of determinations issued under Part 2 of the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act.

Did you face any challenges during your court volunteering stint?

Many LIPs that I have aided are non-English speaking, elderly and financially disadvantaged persons who find legal processes complex, intimidating and foreign. They often have no family or friends to rely on and cannot afford legal representation.

A case that left a deep impression on me concerned an elderly man who sought a Protection Order against his neighbour, who had threatened him with a hammer several times. I found the process of explaining legal terms and the content of his affidavit challenging – not only did I have to communicate entirely in Mandarin, I also had to break the information down into extremely simple terms. I had to keep repeating myself as the LIP had poor hearing.

Another equally memorable case was a lady who sought various injunctions against her neighbour. Drafting her CDRA claim form was an arduous process as we had to sieve through hundreds of photographs, videos and documentary evidence. The number of grievances she had against her neighbour also kept increasing over time, so we had to frequently update her claim form.

We understand that you were appointed Senior Representative, how did that shape your leadership experience?

I joined the SCSRP leadership team in my second year. Along with fellow Senior Representatives Lai Sin Yee ’23, Wong Weitao ’22 and Alvina Logan ’22, I oversee the cases handled by our student representatives, conduct training for our volunteers and manage administrative tasks.

As Senior Representatives, we are usually the first port of call whenever our volunteers encounter any difficulties with LIPs. I don’t always know the answer to every question our volunteers have for us. Hence, I am extremely grateful for the guidance of our faculty advisor Assistant Professor Benny Tan ’12 and our State Courts supervisor, the mentorship of my SCSRP seniors Weitao and Alvina, and the camaraderie of my SCSRP partner Sin Yee.

How do you think you have impacted the community by being a court volunteer?

I feel that my work in SCSRP is meaningful and has actual impact on the larger community because it improves access to justice for disadvantaged persons. My interactions with LIPs and State Courts personnel have humbled me as I realised that I have much to learn about life and the law in practice. Overall, SCSRP has been an enriching learning experience and I have enjoyed it immensely.

Extending his sincere gratitude in a message to all volunteers, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said: “I want to convey my deep appreciation for your efforts as a judiciary volunteer and to say that your stellar contributions in various ways, including as pro bono lawyers, mediators, and members of committees and projects have been inspiring. Each of you has played a critical role in supporting the delivery of justice despite the many difficulties posed by the pandemic – including the disruptions you have had to face in your own lives. Please accept my heartfelt thanks for your selfless dedication to the cause of ensuring that justice remains accessible to all”.

To date, there have been 3 other recipients from NUS Law who won the Outstanding Volunteer Award (Student category) in previous years – Wong Weitao ’22 (2019), Victoria Tay Shi Ying ’20 (2018) and Shaun Lim Sheng Kang ’18 (2017).

For any pro bono or clinical legal education enquiries, please contact CPBCLE at probono@nus.edu.sg.