Source: Lim Tean on Facebook & MS News
Opposition politician and lawyer Lim Tean has had his jail sentence increased to three months and one week after the High Court dismissed his appeal and upheld a more severe punishment for practising law without a valid certificate.
The Straits Times (ST) reported that a court had previously sentenced Lim to six weeks’ jail and fined him S$1,000 in Feb 2025.
However, the prosecution appealed, arguing that the sentence was too lenient, and the High Court agreed, increasing his jail term on 23 Feb.
The court also rejected Lim’s appeal against his conviction, finding that he had acted as an unauthorised lawyer between 1 April and 9 June 2021.
During this period, Lim attended court hearings and handled legal matters for his clients despite not being authorised to do so. He only received his practising certificate on 10 June 2021.
According to court findings reported previously, Lim represented clients on 32 occasions and prepared legal documents without a valid certificate during this period.
At Lim’s initial sentencing, the judge noted that he showed no remorse and had put his clients at risk by operating without professional liability insurance.
Prosecutors had also argued that a stiffer sentence was necessary to deter similar offences and to protect the public.
They noted that unauthorised legal practice exposes clients to risks, including the lack of professional indemnity insurance coverage.
The offences were linked to Lim’s failure to renew his practising certificate on time, as he had not paid for the required professional indemnity insurance, which is compulsory for lawyers providing legal services.
Despite the extended sentence, Lim remains eligible to contest in elections, as his punishment does not meet the threshold for disqualification under the Constitution.
According to the law, a person can only be disqualified from contesting elections if they are sentenced to a fine of S$10,000 or more or a prison term of at least one year for a single offence.
Source: Lim Tean on Facebook
Lim, the founder of the Peoples Voice party, was convicted in July 2024 after being tried on three charges under the Legal Profession Act.
His lawyer, Mohamed Arshad, confirmed that Lim is considering taking the case further to the Court of Appeal.
Lim has since confirmed this in a Facebook post on 23 Feb, saying:
I have instructed my legal team to do the necessary to appeal Justice Kannan Ramesh’s decision this morning to the Court of Appeal.
“I will have more to say in the coming days,” he added.
Lim is also facing other pending charges, including criminal breach of trust and harassment.
The Law Society of Singapore has also asked that Lim be disbarred due to his mishandling of a S$30,000 cheque intended for his client.
Also read: Lim Tean jailed for 6 weeks & fined S$1,000 for practising law without valid certificate
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Featured image adapted from Lim Tean on Facebook & MS News.