Mr. Chester Lee Jun Ming, once convicted for taking upskirt videos and jailed back in 2018; Mr. Chong Weng Teng and Ms. Lin Shuang Ju, who had plagiarism incidents during their university days, have all been admitted to the Singapore Bar and granted the privilege to practice law, according to a recent judgement by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon on 9 October.
The Chief Justice’s ruling revolves around the question of character and whether these individuals were fit for admission as advocates and solicitors of the Supreme Court.
The Cases
Mr. Chester Lee Jun Ming: A Reformed Upskirter
Mr. Chester Lee Jun Ming’s past actions cast a shadow over his aspirations to join the legal profession.
In 2018, he was convicted and sentenced to a month in jail for taking upskirt videos of a woman on public transport in 2017.
This act of invasion of privacy raised serious concerns about his character and suitability for a career in law.
Mr. Chong Weng Teng: The Self-Plagiarist
During his final semester at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Mr. Chong Weng Teng found himself entangled in an academic misconduct controversy.
He “self-plagiarized” by reusing portions of a research paper he had previously submitted for another module.
While his actions were academically questionable, the Chief Justice sought to determine if this incident indicated any underlying dishonesty or character flaw.
Ms. Lin Shuang Ju: The Plagiarism Debacle
Ms. Lin Shuang Ju’s case revolved around her involvement with Lexicon, a Singapore Management University (SMU) student legal publication club.
She had authored an article in which she plagiarized another author’s work. Plagiarism is a serious offense, especially within the legal field, as it questions one’s integrity and ethical standards.
The Chief Justice’s Verdict
In his judgment released on October 9th, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon emphasized the central inquiry in admission applications – an individual’s character.
After careful consideration of each applicant’s case, he arrived at the decision to admit all three to the Bar. Here’s why:
Mr. Chester Lee’s Reformation
Chief Justice Menon acknowledged that Mr. Lee’s past actions were troubling, but he also noted that Mr. Lee had shown signs of genuine reformation.
Mr. Lee had taken steps to rehabilitate himself, demonstrating remorse for his past actions. This transformation played a crucial role in the Chief Justice’s decision.
Mr. Chong and Ms. Lin: Lack of Suggestive Dishonesty
In the cases of Mr. Chong and Ms. Lin, the Chief Justice found that the circumstances surrounding their respective plagiarism incidents did not suggest dishonesty or any other significant character defects.
He took into account the views of the Attorney-General, the Law Society of Singapore, and the Singapore Institute of Legal Education, all of whom deemed the applicants “fit and proper” for admission in terms of character.
Source: eLitigation (judgement)