Lim Tean gets jail, fine for practising as a lawyer without valid certificate

He attended hearings on 32 occasions between April 1 and June 9, 2021, without practising certificate

- Shaffiq Alkhatib

Lawyer Lim Tean was sentenced to six weeks' jail and a fine of $1,000 on Feb 17 after attending court hearings on behalf of his clients on 32 occasions without a practising certificate between April 1 and June 9, 2021.

Before handing down the sentence, Senior District Judge Ong Hian Sun said Lim has not shown any remorse and had practised as an unauthorised person during that time. The judge also added that a deterrent sentence was "desirable" to discourage others from committing similar offences.

In July 2024, the 60-year-old opposition politician was convicted of three charges under the Legal Profession Act after a trial.

In earlier proceedings, Judge Ong said it was not disputed that Lim was issued a practising certificate dated June 10, 2021, which came into force that day.

With this conviction, the founder of the Peoples Voice party still has pending charges for offences that include criminal breach of trust. These charges will be dealt with at a later date.