SINGAPORE - Two law graduates who were called to the Bar on Thursday after owning up to past wrongdoings deserve the second chance and are good examples of how to act after messing up, lawyers have said.
Lawyers The Straits Times spoke to on Friday said they agreed with Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon’s decision to allow the duo’s applications to be called to the Bar, as they had demonstrated remorse and capacity for change.
In her Bar admission application, Ms Tay Jie Qi had voluntarily disclosed a past plagiarism incident that was not reflected in her academic transcript.
She had plagiarised several paragraphs for a paper during her second year at Singapore Management University (SMU) in 2019.
When confronted by the university at the time, she had apologised. She was given an official letter of reprimand and had five marks deducted from the paper.
The other lawyer, Ms Shauna Low, disclosed that she had two separate brushes with law enforcement. In one case, she was caught shoplifting an eyeshadow palette from a Sephora outlet and was given a stern warning from the police in 2017. She was a law student at SMU at the time.
Ms Low was also arrested and tested for drugs after Xanax pills were found in her sister’s bag some time between 2017 and 2018. The test was negative.
In response to queries by ST, Law Society president Adrian Tan said the society’s role is to ensure that only fit and proper individuals are admitted as advocates and solicitors.
“This means that we carefully scrutinise each and every applicant to ensure that they are persons of learning, responsibility and, above all, integrity,” he said.
“We don’t require applicants to be flawless. But if they have made mistakes in their youth, then we want to see that they have acknowledged those mistakes, corrected them and taken steps to regain public trust.”
In the cases of Ms Tay and Ms Low, the Law Society recognised that they had openly admitted their past wrongdoings and worked hard to reform themselves.
“That’s why, from the very outset, the Law Society did not object to their applications,” said Mr Tan.
Ms Tay’s application to be called to the Bar was originally set to be heard in August 2022, and Ms Low’s in November 2022.
They agreed to adjourn their applications for three months after the Attorney-General’s Chambers objected to their admissions.
CJ Menon allowed their applications to be called to the Bar on Thursday after all stakeholders involved said they had no objections to their admission.
Mr Tan, who is also a partner at TSMP Law Corporation, said in a LinkedIn post: “Ms Tay and Ms Low provide good examples of what to do when we mess up.”
He said the first step is to own up, as it is important to acknowledge when one does something wrong, and that one must then pay the price and regain people’s trust.
“Will these steps always work? Will our errors be forgiven and forgotten? Nobody knows the answer to that question,” Mr Tan said.
“But I can say this: The best time to prove ourselves is when we are in the spotlight. If society is looking at us because of our past failures, then we should take the opportunity to show strength, work hard and serve others.”
Lawyer Choo Si Sen of Tan Lee & Partners agreed with CJ Menon’s decision, and said Ms Tay and Ms Low should be given a chance, as they are still young and clearly prepared to change for the better.
“Everyone makes mistakes. What they make of their career ahead is more important,” he said.
Mr John Lim, managing director of LIMN Law Corporation, said: “These lawyers were forthright from the start and appropriate merit was given. CJ Menon’s decision allows them to start with a fresh slate and put those events behind them.”
What happened would not affect their professional ability, Mr Lim said, “but I hope, in the context of criminal cases, these lawyers may be more able to appreciate the importance of second chances”.
