Attorney-General v Jill Phua

Case Significance

Attorney-General v Phua Jill [2024] SGHC 214 was decided by a Court of 3 Supreme Court Judges in Originating Application No 4 of 2024, with Sundaresh Menon CJ delivering the grounds of decision of the court, sitting with Tay Yong Kwang JCA and Andrew Phang Boon Leong SJ. The matter was heard on 6 August 2024 and the grounds were issued on 20 August 2024. It was the application of the Attorney-General for Ms Jill Phua to be struck off the roll of advocates and solicitors of the Supreme Court of Singapore pursuant to ss 16(4) and 98 of the Legal Profession Act 1966 (2020 Rev Ed), with the AG further inviting the court to impose a minimum reinstatement interval of three years before a fresh application for admission could be brought.

As recorded in the judgment, the respondent did not contest either the striking off application or the proposed reinstatement interval, and the Law Society of Singapore took the view that a minimum reinstatement interval of between two and three years would be sufficient in the circumstances. On 6 August 2024, having considered the submissions of the parties, the court ordered that the respondent be struck off the roll and imposed a minimum reinstatement interval of two years and six months. The respondent had graduated from the Singapore Management University Yong Pung How School of Law in December 2021. The catchwords identify the issues as the duty of candour and disciplinary proceedings under the Legal Profession Act. The Attorney-General's Chambers acted for the applicant, Withers KhattarWong LLP for the respondent, and Allen & Gledhill LLP for the Law Society of Singapore.