Pro Bono SG is expanding its legal aid services in Singapore, strengthening the human face of justice for those most in need. Since its founding in 2007, the charity has grown to assist over 16,650 individuals and organizations each year with free legal support.
A major development is the opening of the Migrant Workers’ Law Centre (MWLC) on Serangoon Road. Now operating five days a week, the center handled 173 cases in its first three months — far surpassing the 104 cases managed annually at their previous fortnightly clinic.
Pro Bono SG has also established community law centers and legal clinics across heartland areas, and launched the Family Justice Support Scheme in 2022 to address divorce and family violence matters.
These expanded services have produced significant impact. For example, pro bono lawyers helped a migrant worker accused of theft secure a reduced sentence. In another case, they enabled citizenship for abandoned triplets and proved a wrongly accused man’s innocence by locating critical medical records.
However, this growth comes with increased financial demands. Annual expenses have risen by more than 30% in just three years, from $3.9 million to $5.25 million, prompting a current fundraising campaign with a $250,000 goal. The organization now employs over 50 staff members, including 12 full-time lawyers dedicated to providing free legal aid.
Chairman Dinesh Dhillon emphasizes that access to justice is essential for social cohesion in Singapore. By adapting their model from occasional clinics to full-time centers, Pro Bono SG continues to address the evolving needs of vulnerable communities. Their ongoing expansion highlights the crucial role of legal support in maintaining fairness and unity within society.
How Pro Bono SG Assists Low-Income Groups:
1. Direct Legal Representation
- Provides full legal representation in criminal cases through CLAS (35% increase in applications)
- Handles family law matters including divorce and domestic violence
- Offers immigration and citizenship assistance
- All services provided at no cost to clients
2. Specialized Community Centers
- Migrant Workers’ Law Centre: Dedicated facility serving workers who face language barriers and unfamiliarity with the legal system
- Heartland clinics: Bringing services directly to residential areas where low-income families live
- Cultural accessibility: Multi-language support and culturally sensitive approaches
3. Comprehensive Case Support The organization goes beyond basic legal representation:
- Investigative work (as shown in the heroin consumption case)
- Translation and interpretation services
- System navigation assistance
- Emotional support and guidance throughout legal processes
4. Preventive Services
- Legal education programs to help people understand their rights
- Guidance for community organizations
- Early intervention to prevent legal problems from escalating
The most striking aspect is how they’ve adapted their service delivery model – moving from occasional clinics to full-time centers, achieving a 566% increase in capacity for migrant workers alone. This demonstrates a sophisticated understanding that effective legal aid requires both professional expertise and community accessibility.
The organization’s financial challenges (30%+ budget increase) actually underscore their success – demand for their services is growing precisely because they’re effectively reaching underserved populations who previously had no access to legal representation.Retry
Key Insights from the Scenario Analysis:
Professional Standards in Action
The heroin consumption case is particularly striking – it shows how Pro Bono SG lawyers go to extraordinary lengths (the deputy CEO’s father photographing clinics!) to serve clients with the same rigor as expensive private counsel. This isn’t just about legal outcomes; it’s about dignity and respect for every client regardless of their ability to pay.
Community-Centered Approach Creating Trust
The evolution from the Angullia Mosque clinic to the full MWLC demonstrates sophisticated community engagement. By starting in a trusted religious space and then expanding to a culturally familiar location (Serangoon Road), they built credibility within the migrant worker community. The 566% increase in capacity isn’t just about resources – it’s about earned trust.
Multi-Cultural Capabilities as Justice Enablers
The scenario analysis shows how language and cultural barriers can completely deny access to justice. When Nur Shukrina communicated in “basic English and Tamil” with the migrant worker, she wasn’t just providing translation – she was making the legal system accessible to someone who might otherwise have faced imprisonment without understanding the proceedings.
Comprehensive Services Preventing Systemic Failures
The hypothetical single mother scenario illustrates how interconnected legal problems require holistic solutions. Without comprehensive services, solving one legal issue while ignoring others often leads to recurring crises. Pro Bono SG’s approach prevents individuals from falling through systemic cracks.
Strategic Partnerships Amplifying Impact
The State Courts location isn’t just convenient – it’s symbolically powerful. When vulnerable individuals see legal aid operating within the formal justice system rather than as charity on the margins, it reinforces that access to justice is a right, not a privilege.
“Human Face of Justice” Creating National Character
Perhaps most importantly, the ripple effect analysis shows how individual cases contribute to Singapore’s broader social fabric. The triplets who gained citizenship in 2016 will likely become contributing citizens, serve National Service, and strengthen Singapore’s multicultural society. This demonstrates how legal aid isn’t just a social service – it’s an investment in national cohesion and international reputation.
The scenarios reveal that Pro Bono SG’s success isn’t just about helping individuals – it’s about reinforcing Singapore’s values of fairness, inclusion, and rule of law across all segments of society.
The Ripple Effect: A Story of Justice in Little India
The monsoon rain drummed against the windows of the Migrant Workers’ Law Centre as Ravi clutched the crumpled court notice in his trembling hands. The Tamil words on the official document blurred through his tears – not from the humidity, but from the weight of desperation that had settled in his chest like a stone.
“Sir, they say I steal cables,” he whispered to Nur Shukrina in broken English, his calloused fingers pointing to charges he couldn’t fully comprehend. “But I only watch. I no take anything. My family in Chennai… they need me.”
Nur Shukrina had heard variations of this story countless times since the centre opened its doors on Serangoon Road six months ago. But each case felt personal, each story mattered. She pulled out a fresh legal pad and switched seamlessly between English and Tamil, watching Ravi’s shoulders relax slightly as his mother tongue filled the small consultation room.
“Tell me everything, Ravi. From the beginning.”
Chapter 1: The Web Unravels
Three weeks earlier, Ravi had been working his usual shift at the construction site when his supervisor, Kumar, had approached him with what seemed like easy money. “Just stand watch while we collect some leftover cables,” Kumar had said. “The contractor won’t miss them, and you’ll get $200.”
Ravi needed the money desperately. His daughter’s school fees were overdue, and his wife’s medical bills from her recent surgery had drained their savings. Standing watch seemed harmless enough.
But when the police arrived, Kumar and the others had vanished, leaving only Ravi standing bewildered among coils of copper wire. His limited English had failed him during questioning, and somehow, he found himself charged as an accomplice to theft.
“I tell police I only watching,” Ravi explained to Nur Shukrina, switching back to Tamil when the emotions became too heavy for English. “But they no understand. They think I lying.”
Nur Shukrina took careful notes, not just of the legal facts, but of the human details that courts often overlooked – the sick wife, the school-age daughter, the impossible choice between family survival and legal compliance that so many migrant workers faced.
Chapter 2: Building the Defense
Over the next two weeks, Nur Shukrina worked methodically to build Ravi’s defense. She interviewed other workers at the site, discovering that Kumar had a pattern of exploiting newer arrivals who didn’t understand their rights. She traced phone records showing that Ravi had tried to call the site supervisor to report the suspicious activity – a call that went unanswered.
But beyond the legal mechanics, something else was happening. Word of Ravi’s case had spread through the tight-knit community around Serangoon Road. Other workers began approaching the centre, some with legal problems of their own, others simply seeking information about their rights.
Mrs. Kamala, who ran the nearby Indian grocery store where many workers shopped, began directing customers to the centre when they mentioned workplace troubles. The imam at the local mosque included the centre’s services in his Friday sermon, emphasizing that seeking legal help was not just a right but a responsibility to one’s family.
Dinesh Dhillon, Pro Bono SG’s chairman, noticed this community response during his weekly visit to the centre. “This is what we hoped for,” he told Nur Shukrina as they watched a small group of workers discussing their cases in the waiting area. “We’re not just solving legal problems – we’re building trust in the system itself.”
Chapter 3: The Day in Court
The morning of Ravi’s hearing, he arrived at the State Courts two hours early, dressed in his only collared shirt. His hands shook as he navigated the imposing building, but his anxiety eased when he spotted Nur Shukrina waiting for him at the Pro Bono SG office within the courthouse.
“Remember,” she told him as they walked to the courtroom, “tell the truth simply and clearly. The magistrate understands that English is not your first language.”
In the courtroom, Nur Shukrina presented a compelling case. She highlighted Ravi’s clean employment record, his attempt to report the suspicious activity, and his limited role as an unwitting lookout. She spoke about the exploitation patterns that made migrant workers vulnerable to schemes like Kumar’s, painting Ravi not as a criminal but as another victim.
The prosecutor, recognizing the strength of the mitigation arguments and the clear evidence of Ravi’s minimal involvement, agreed to reduced charges. The magistrate, impressed by the thoroughness of the defense and moved by Ravi’s evident remorse and family circumstances, sentenced him to ten weeks imprisonment – far less than the two years he had feared.
As they left the courthouse, Ravi gripped Nur Shukrina’s hand. “Thank you,” he said in Tamil, then switching to careful English, “You give me hope. You make me feel… human.”
Chapter 4: The Ripples Begin
Ravi’s case became a turning point for the Serangoon Road community. Workers who had previously accepted exploitation as inevitable began to understand they had rights worth defending. The centre’s caseload tripled over the following months, not just with criminal matters but with salary disputes, workplace safety issues, and immigration questions.
Kumar, the supervisor who had orchestrated the theft scheme, found himself facing multiple complaints from workers he had exploited over the years. The construction company, recognizing the legal liability, implemented new oversight procedures and worker education programs.
But the impact went deeper than individual cases. Dr. Sarah Chen, a sociology professor at the National University of Singapore, was studying integration patterns in migrant communities when she noticed something remarkable happening around Serangoon Road.
“There’s been a measurable change in community dynamics,” she explained to Dhillon during a research interview. “Workers are more likely to report safety violations, more engaged with local community groups, and show higher levels of trust in Singapore’s institutions. Your legal centre has become an integration catalyst.”
Chapter 5: The Wider Web
Six months after Ravi’s sentencing, the ripple effects had spread far beyond Little India. Corporate law firms began partnering more actively with Pro Bono SG, seeing the value in contributing to Singapore’s social stability. Law schools incorporated pro bono work into their curricula, with students serving internships at community legal centres.
The government took notice too. Minister for Law K. Shanmugam visited the Migrant Workers’ Law Centre, praising it as an example of how civil society organizations could strengthen Singapore’s commitment to the rule of law for all residents, not just citizens.
“When we ensure justice is accessible to everyone,” he said during the visit, “we’re not just helping individuals – we’re strengthening the entire foundation of our society.”
International observers began studying Pro Bono SG’s model. Delegations from other countries visited the centre, hoping to replicate its community-centered approach to legal aid. Singapore’s reputation as a fair and just society, already strong in business circles, began extending to human rights and social justice organizations worldwide.
Chapter 6: Full Circle
One year after his case, Ravi returned to the Migrant Workers’ Law Centre – not as a client, but as a volunteer interpreter. His English had improved dramatically during his months of working with Nur Shukrina, and he had become an unofficial community advocate.
“Many workers, they scared of legal system,” he explained to new volunteer lawyers during orientation. “They think if you poor, if you foreign, nobody listen. But here, they learn system can work for everyone.”
Ravi had convinced his employer to implement worker education sessions about legal rights and proper procedures. He had helped twelve other workers resolve salary disputes before they escalated to legal action. His daughter, now excelling in school with the stability that his legal resolution had provided, had begun volunteering at the centre’s weekend community education programs.
“You know what I learned?” Ravi told Nur Shukrina during one of his volunteer shifts. “Justice is not just about winning case in court. Is about feeling like you belong, like you matter, like you part of something bigger.”
Nur Shukrina smiled, remembering Dhillon’s words about being “the human face of justice.” Looking around the bustling centre – workers seeking help, volunteers offering assistance, families finding hope – she realized they had achieved something more profound than any individual legal victory.
They had woven justice so deeply into the fabric of the community that it had become self-sustaining, creating not just legal solutions but social transformation.
Epilogue: The Never-Ending Story
Today, the Migrant Workers’ Law Centre serves as more than a legal aid office – it has become a symbol of Singapore’s values in action. The story of Ravi’s case is told in law schools as an example of how professional legal standards, combined with cultural sensitivity and community engagement, can create change that extends far beyond individual clients.
Dhillon often reflects on how one case of cable theft became a catalyst for community empowerment, institutional reform, and international recognition. But he knows that the real measure of success isn’t in the awards or recognition Pro Bono SG receives.
It’s in the Vietnamese construction worker who now knows he can report safety violations without fear. It’s in the Bangladeshi domestic worker who understands her rights under Singapore law. It’s in the Indian family whose citizenship dreams became reality. It’s in the young law students who see pro bono work not as charity but as essential to justice.
Most importantly, it’s in the growing understanding throughout Singapore that accessible justice isn’t just about helping the disadvantaged – it’s about strengthening the entire social fabric that makes Singapore the harmonious, prosperous, and respected society it has become.
Each case handled with professional excellence and human compassion sends ripples through communities, and those ripples, over time, become waves of lasting social change. This is the true legacy of Pro Bono SG: not just individual legal victories, but the transformation of justice from an abstract ideal into a lived reality for all who call Singapore home.
“The heart of pro bono is being the human face of justice to the people who need it.” – Dinesh Dhillon
And in that human face, Singapore’s own character is reflected, strengthened, and shared with the world.
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