Singapore, Apr 29: Three Indian origin trainee lawyers have been named among six, who cheated in their Bar examination and admitted to the misconduct last year, The Straits Times here reported.
They took Part B of their Bar exam in 2020, which was held between November and December that year.
The Indian origin trainee lawyers are Monisha Devaraj, Kushal Atul Shah and Sreeraam Ravenderan, along with Chinese origin Matthew Chow Jun Feng and Lionel Wong Choong Yoong.
The sixth student, Lynn Kuek Yi Ting, had initially denied cheating but her explanation was rejected, according to the daily report.
The five said their admission was forthright and made early without requesting the Singapore Institute of Legal Education (SILE) first present its allegations.
They also cooperated with SILE during the five-month-long disciplinary process.
Expressing deep remorse and repentance, they said they were aware of the embarrassment and unfavourable consequences that would follow with their naming.
On Wednesday, Justice Choo Han Teck rescinded his earlier orders to redact their names and seal the court files to prevent third parties from viewing them.
SILE had earlier said that the exam was conducted remotely during a challenging time when holding a physical one was not viable.
It added that there were adequate safeguards in place but a number of candidates were found to have cheated. On Wednesday, six trainee lawyers were named for cheating in the Bar exams.
Meanwhile, Singapore Law Society president Adrian Tan hit out at those who criticised the professional body for “turning a blind eye” to exam cheating, saying these commentators are “misguided”.
In a message published in Law Gazette on Thursday, Tan said the case involving the trainee lawyers who cheated in the Bar exams showed that “there are commentators who are quick to condemn lawyers”.
“They do so without understanding the background of events or waiting for matters to be resolved. They are in a rush to judge us, practising lawyers, and to urge us to reflect on our own ethics,” the Channel News Asia quoted Tan as saying.
Tan stressed that the people who cheated have not been admitted to the Bar, which means they are not members of the Law Society, and are not lawyers.
Addressing commentators who criticised the Law Society for “somehow turning a blind eye to cheating”, Tan said: “These commentators are misguided. It is because these six persons cheated that the Law Society did not agree to admit them as advocates and solicitors.”
He also clarified the role of the Law Society, saying the exams are neither set by it nor does it have any power to punish the six involved as they are not members. (PTI)
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