Arrest warrant issued against Lim Tean after he fails to surrender at State Courts
Source: Straits Times
Article Date: 05 Aug 2026
Author: Nadine Chua
Lim Tean was convicted in July 2024 of three charges under the Legal Profession Act and was sentenced to six weeks’ jail and a fine of $1,000 by a district judge in February 2025.
A warrant of arrest has been issued against Lim Tean, who was to surrender on Aug 3 to begin his jail term for practising law without a valid certificate.
His lawyer Revi Shanker said the arrest warrant was issued on Aug 3. Revi told The Straits Times that Lim was fully aware he had to surrender to the State Courts at noon, but did not do so.
The lawyer said Lim was originally supposed to surrender on July 20, but asked for a deferment of sentence so he could settle his personal affairs.
“I’m puzzled as to why he didn’t show up. He was still messaging me in the morning (Aug 3), but he became uncontactable after that,” said Revi, adding that Lim’s bailor also could not reach him.
A spokesperson for the Singapore Courts said the Court of Appeal had approved Lim’s request for a deferment of sentence on July 17.
“The accused did not surrender at State Courts 4A on Aug 3 at 12pm. A warrant to arrest was subsequently issued,” said the spokesperson, adding that a review will be held on Aug 17 to get updates on the status of the warrant and for Lim’s bailor to show cause as to why the bail sum should not be forfeited.
Lim was convicted in July 2024 of three charges under the Legal Profession Act and was sentenced to six weeks’ jail and a fine of $1,000 by a district judge in February 2025.
Lim, who is secretary-general of the People’s Alliance for Reform, had attended court hearings and submitted documents on 32 occasions between April and June 2021 while not having a valid practising certificate in force.
He later filed an appeal in the High Court against his conviction and sentence. Prosecutors also filed an appeal for a stiffer sentence of between five and eight months’ jail.
In February 2026, the High Court judge allowed the prosecution’s appeal and enhanced Lim’s sentence to imprisonment of three months and a week.
Lim was back in court in April 2026, where he was fined $30,000 in a disciplinary case over his handling of a $30,000 cheque that was meant for his client.
The Law Society of Singapore had called for Lim to be struck off the rolls, while Lim argued before the Court of Three Judges that “a very small fine” should be imposed.
The court cited several factors in imposing a heavier fine, including his cavalier attitude towards lawyers’ obligations in handling clients’ money and his status as a senior practitioner with more than 25 years of experience at the time.
Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.
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