Now Reading: Singapore opposition leader Pritam Singh disbarred for lying to panel
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Singapore opposition leader Pritam Singh disbarred for lying to panel
Singapore opposition leader Pritam Singh disbarred for lying to panel
Singapore’s top opposition politician Pritam Singh was struck off the roll of advocates on Thursday (August 13, 2026) by the Court of Three Judges, the city-state’s highest disciplinary body for lawyers. The…
The Story in Brief
Singapore’s top opposition politician Pritam Singh was struck off the roll of advocates on Thursday (August 13, 2026) by the Court of Three Judges, the city-state’s highest disciplinary body for lawyers. The 50-year-old Workers’ Party chief was convicted in February 2025 on two counts of lying under oath to a parliamentary committee, related to a colleague’s false claim in 2021 about a sexual assault case.
Singh, a non-practising lawyer, paid a SGD 14,000 fine after losing his High Court appeal in December 2025. He was stripped of his Leader of the Opposition title in January 2026. Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said dishonesty was an ‘integral element’ of his offences. The Law Society had initiated proceedings under the Legal Profession Act, which allows for disbarment, suspension, or fines up to SGD 100,000.
The Indian Opinion
The disbarment of an opposition leader for lying to parliament is a rare and severe step that will test Singapore's claim of an open political system. Some supporters frame this as a targeted attack on dissent, but the court’s finding of dishonesty as a core element of the offence is hard to dismiss. The question now is whether Singh’s party, the Workers’ Party, can survive this blow and mount a credible challenge in the next general election. Watch the party’s internal cohesion and candidate selection for the real test of political resilience.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
