Warrant of arrest issued against Lim Tean; lawyer was to begin jail term on Aug 3
Lim had earlier been ordered by the Court of Appeal to surrender on July 20 to begin his jail term for practising law without a valid certificate.
A warrant for arrest has been issued against Lim Tean, who was scheduled to start his prison term on August 3. The lawyer, Revi Shanker, informed The Straits Times that Lim was fully aware of the requirement to appear at the State Courts at noon but failed to do so. Lim had originally been set to surrender on July 20, but requested a postponement to address personal matters.
Despite messaging his lawyer earlier that day, Lim became unreachable after August 3. His bailor also failed to reach him. The Singapore Courts stated that the Court of Appeal had granted Lim's request for a sentence deferment on July 17. A review of the warrant will be conducted on August 17 to update the status and for Lim's bailor to justify avoiding forfeiture of the bail sum.
Lim was previously convicted in July 2024 of three legal profession act charges and given six weeks' jail and a $1,000 fine in February 2025. He attended court hearings 32 times between April and June 2021 without a valid practising certificate. After appealing, his sentence was increased to three months and a week in February 2026.
In April 2026, Lim was fined $30,000 for mishandling a $30,000 cheque meant for a client, with the Law Society urging his disbarment. The court considered various factors, including his disregard for lawyer-client money management and his senior status.
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