Lawyers ask Law Society president to apologise

SINGAPORE: Over 500 lawyers met on Monday evening for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) over the clash between Law Society member Mr Wong Siew Hong and lawyer M Ravi.

In July, Mr Wong Siew Hong had appeared in High Court to hand over a letter from M Ravi’s psychiatrist stating that he was unfit to practise.

At the EGM, some members asked Mr Wong Meng Meng, who is the Law Society’s president, to apologise for his handling of the matter.

The EGM was called after 51 Law Society members who were unhappy to have been kept in the dark on the matter and had filed a motion to seek clarification from the society’s Council on its conduct and protocols.

The members had earlier asked for answers in a letter to Mr Wong Meng Meng.

Their concerns included defining guidelines to deal with similar situations, whether the council condoned the disclosure of confidential information given to the society about its members, as well as who will foot the legal costs now that Mr Ravi is taking legal action.

While the letter stated that the clarifications were not meant to be a witch—hunt, it said that the Mr Wong Meng Meng is "duty bound" to provide answers to its members.

The lawyers also voiced frustration, saying they were left in an awkward and embarrassing situation, due to the "lack of response from Council".

A second motion, which sought possible censure for Mr Wong Siew Hong, was also tabled though that was eventually not proceeded on.

Also at the EGM, some lawyers called for Mr Wong Meng Meng to step down as chair of Monday’s meeting.

They said he should do this in the interest of justice and fair play.

Mr Wong Meng Meng said: "If I step down, I’m agreeing that I cannot conduct the meeting fairly. So I said on that grounds, even if I had the legal right to stand down I would not stand down."

— CNA/ck/fa