SINGAPORE, Aug 13 — Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh was struck off Singapore’s roll of advocates and solicitors today after a three-judge panel ruled that he should be sanctioned over his conviction for giving false evidence.
The Court of Three Judges made the order following disciplinary proceedings brought by the Law Society of Singapore, with Channel News Asia reporting that Singh was also ordered to pay S$5,808 (RM18,600) in costs and disbursements.
Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, who presided over the panel with Justice Kannan Ramesh and Justice See Kee Oon, said dishonesty was a key element of the two offences for which Singh was convicted.
The offences involved Singh giving false answers to a parliamentary Committee of Privileges investigating former WP MP Raeesah Khan’s false statements in Parliament.
Law Society lawyer Senior Counsel Cavinder Bull said Singh should face the same disciplinary consequences as any other lawyer convicted of an offence involving dishonesty.
Bull said Singh’s position as a lawyer, MP and then Leader of the Opposition made the offences particularly serious.
Singh’s lawyer, Senior Counsel Andre Maniam Rajah, said his client accepted the outcomes of his criminal trial and appeal, as well as the consequences arising from them.
Rajah said Singh continued to respect the independence and professionalism of Singapore’s courts and would strive to act in good faith and with sincerity in whatever capacity he held.
The judges said both the Law Society and Singh accepted that the circumstances did not meet the requirements for him to avoid being struck off.
Singh, who is MP for Aljunied GRC, was a non-practising lawyer before today’s disciplinary ruling.
The Committee of Privileges had investigated Singh’s conduct over his handling of Khan’s false account of an alleged sexual assault, leading to his conviction on two charges.
The Court of Three Judges is Singapore’s highest disciplinary body for lawyers.
Singh left the Supreme Court after the hearing without commenting on the ruling, telling reporters: “I’ve got no comments to the media.”
The court ordered Singh to pay S$5,808 in costs and disbursements.