Public Consultation on Guide for Using Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Legal Sector

MinLaw is seeking feedback on a proposed Guide for Using Generative AI (“GenAI”) in the Legal Sector (the “Guide”).

The Guide sets out key principles and provides practical guidance to support the responsible, ethical, and effective use of GenAI tools in Singapore’s legal sector, while maintaining high standards of professional conduct. The proposed Guide can be accessed here.

The public consultation period is from 1 September 2025 to 30 September 2025.

Background

This consultation is part of MinLaw’s ongoing efforts to support the transformation and digitalisation of the legal sector. This effort complements MinLaw's other legaltech initiatives, such as the Productivity Solutions Grant for the Legal Sector (PSG-Legal) and the Legal Innovation and Future-Readiness Transformation (LIFT) pilot initiative, which we launched in June 2025 to support law firms in their digitalisation efforts.

GenAI presents significant opportunities for legal professionals to enhance productivity and service delivery, offering new approaches to traditional workflows and service delivery models. However, many legal professionals have expressed uncertainty about adopting GenAI due to concerns over hallucinations, client confidentiality, and the lack of technical expertise to implement and manage associated risks.

To support the legal sector in harnessing opportunities while navigating the challenges associated with using GenAI technology, MinLaw has developed the Guide to empower legal professionals to be informed buyers and users of GenAI tools, while being mindful of professional obligations in the delivery of legal services.

Overview of the Guide

The Guide provides examples of AI (including GenAI) applications that can enhance legal work at different stages of the legal matter lifecycle across practice areas. It outlines the associated implementation considerations and practical safeguards for adoption.

The Guide sets out three key principles that legal professionals must observe when using GenAI in legal work:

• Professional ethics: Legal professionals remain ultimately responsible for all work product, and must apply the requisite knowledge, skill and experience to provide competent advice and representation;

• Confidentiality: Reasonable steps should be taken to ensure client confidentiality is protected when procuring and using GenAI tools; and

• Transparency: Consider disclosure to clients regarding GenAI use, to uphold the duty of honesty and inform them of all information that may reasonably affect their interests.

These principles reference the duties under the Legal Profession Act 1966 and the Professional Conduct Rules 2015. The Guide provides practical guidance on maintaining compliance with legal professional duties when using GenAI, supported by case studies from law practices demonstrating how these principles can be applied. Legal professionals should consider these principles holistically, and apply them to their specific context and operational requirements.

The Guide provides step-by-step practical guidance on how to (a) develop an AI adoption framework, (b) diagnose and analyse needs, (c) identify and evaluate GenAI tools, (d) implement and train said tools, and (e) conduct review and improvement processes.

The Guide was developed in consultation with key legal industry stakeholders including the Singapore Academy of Law, Law Society of Singapore, and Singapore Corporate Counsel Association. They also incorporate practical insights from law practices that have successfully implemented GenAI in their practice.

Public Consultation Process

Purpose of consultation. The Guide aims to provide guidance for safe, ethical and effective adoption of GenAI in the legal sector. We invite interested persons to provide their views on the clarity, practicality, and comprehensiveness of the Guide. In particular, we invite views on the following:

• whether the Guide provides clear and practical guidance for adopting GenAI tools in legal work;

• the feasibility of implementing the recommended measures across different types of legal practice;

• areas of ambiguity or concerns regarding GenAI use in the legal sector that are not addressed in the Guide;

• additional considerations or safeguards that should be included;

• examples of how GenAI has been successfully implemented, which the wider legal services sector can take reference from and follow;

• other use cases of GenAI in legal work that should be included in the Guide; and

• whether the Guide should include stronger measures to promote meaningful adoption across the sector.

Method of feedback. Please submit your feedback via email or hardcopy, with the subject or header “2025 Public Consultation on Guide for Using GenAI in the Legal Sector” to the following:

Please include your name, contact number, and, if you are representing an organisation, the name of that organisation. Please also identify the provision and/or issue to which your feedback relates.

Format of consultation. We ask that you provide your submissions in a clear and concise manner, with a reasonable explanation for any proposal or response on any issue.

Deadline. Please submit your feedback by 30 September 2025. Thank you.

We reserve the right to make public all or parts of any submission and disclose the identity of its source. Commenting parties may request for confidentiality for any part of the submission that is believed to be proprietary, confidential, or commercially sensitive. Any such information should be clearly marked and placed in a separate annex. If we grant confidential treatment, we will consider, but will not publicly disclose, the information. If we reject the request for confidential treatment, the information will be returned to the party that submitted it and will not be considered as part of this review. As far as possible, parties should limit any request for confidential treatment of information submitted. We will not accept any submission that requests confidential treatment of all, or a substantial part, of the submission.