Lim Tean sentenced to six weeks’ jail and S$1,000 fine for practising law without certificate

SINGAPORE: On 17 February 2025, opposition politician and lawyer Lim Tean was sentenced to six weeks’ jail and a S$1,000 fine for practising law without a valid certificate.

The sentence follows his conviction in July 2024 for acting as an advocate and solicitor despite lacking the necessary authorisation.

The 60-year-old was found guilty of three charges under the Legal Profession Act.

The charges stemmed from his legal practice between 1 April 2021 and 9 June 2021, a period during which Lim continued his professional activities despite his practising certificate only being issued on 10 June 2021.

During this time, Lim had defended court proceedings 32 times and had also prepared numerous legal documents for proceedings.

The court proceedings included actions where he represented clients without the necessary certification, which is required under the law.

According to the report by Channel News Asia, Lim's defence, led by lawyer Patrick Fernandez, argued that the certificate issued for the practice year ending on 31 March 2022 covered the period of the offences.

Fernandez further contended that Lim had sought clarification from the Law Society before taking part in court proceedings.

Lim claimed that he had informed the judges about his expired certificate, though this was not captured in court transcripts.

However, Senior District Judge Ong Hian Sun disagreed with the defence's interpretation, ruling that Lim had failed to demonstrate any reasonable mistake in his actions.

The judge noted that Lim, as a seasoned lawyer, should have known that his practising certificate expired on 31 March 2021, and that he had until the end of April to renew it. After this deadline, practising without the certificate would be considered unlawful.

The prosecution, represented by Deputy Public Prosecutors Ng Yiwen, Edwin Soh, and Bryan Wong, recommended a jail term of five to eight months, highlighting the need to protect the public from unauthorised legal practitioners.

The prosecution also noted the absence of remorse shown by Lim, arguing that his actions exposed clients to significant risks, including the absence of professional liability insurance.

In response, Fernandez asked for a S$4,500 fine, claiming that Lim's actions did not meet the severity threshold for imprisonment.

The judge, however, agreed with the prosecution, acknowledging that Lim had deceived clients, lawyers, and public officers, including judges, by continuing to practise law without authorisation.

Judge Ong further commented that Lim’s actions were particularly egregious, given his long career as a lawyer.

The judge emphasised that Lim's failure to renew his certificate, despite being well aware of the regulations, was a clear violation of the Legal Profession Act.

Lim's conviction relates only to practising without a valid certificate, but he faces further charges.

He is accused of criminal breach of trust for allegedly misappropriating S$30,000 that was entrusted to him by a former client in 2019.

Additionally, Lim faces charges related to unlawful stalking and harassment, including sending flirtatious text messages to a former employee of his law firm in 2020.

He has indicated his intention to contest these additional charges, with a pre-trial conference scheduled for 3 March 2025.

Lim, founder of the Peoples Voice party and secretary-general of the People's Alliance for Reform, led a team in the 2020 General Election against the ruling PAP in Jalan Besar GRC.

His conviction, however, does not meet the threshold for disqualification from running for Parliament.

Under Singapore's Constitution, individuals are disqualified from contesting in parliamentary elections if they are fined at least S$10,000 or imprisoned for at least one year for a single offence. Lim remains eligible to run for office in future elections.