Warrant of arrest issued against Lim Tean; lawyer was to begin jail term on Aug 3

“The accused did not surrender at State Courts 4A on Aug 3 at 12pm. A warrant to arrest was subsequently issued,” said the spokesperson, who added 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 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 the 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.