\n<\/p>\n
According to the document, the council will also circulate proposed eligibility criteria for office bearer positions within two months of taking office to all LawSoc members.<\/p>\n
They will have at least six weeks to review and provide feedback about the proposal, which will include a minimum service period requirement on the council for office bearers. The final criteria will be tabled for approval at the annual general meeting in 2026.<\/p>\n
Apart from Mr Dhillon and Prof Tan, the meeting was attended by some of the lawyers who requisitioned the extraordinary general meeting, namely Mr Peter Cuthbert Low, Mr Chandra Mohan K Nair, Mr Sunil Sudheesan and Ms Luo Ling Ling.<\/p>\n
Both Mr Low and Mr Chandra Mohan are former LawSoc presidents.<\/p>\n
The latest decision comes after a LawSoc tea session on Dec 10, when Mr Dhillon revealed that he undertook not to run for presidency of the 2027 council unless he participates in the council elections to be held around October 2026.<\/p>\n
Mr Dhillon was the first president-elect to be a statutory member appointed by the Law Minister, the LawSoc confirmed to CNA previously.<\/p>\n
He is one of several statutory members in the current council. This means that he was not elected into the 2025 council by LawSoc’s 6,400 or so members.<\/p>\n
Under the Legal Profession Act, the council comprises both elected and statutory members. The 2026 council consists of 21 lawyers, including four office bearers: the president, two vice-presidents and the treasurer.<\/p>\n
Of these, 15 are elected by LawSoc members, while the remainder are statutory members and can include the immediate past president, as well as up to three members appointed by the Minister for Law, and up to three appointed by the council.<\/p>\n
A president, two vice-presidents and the treasurer must then be elected from within its ranks.<\/p>\n
LawSoc said this was not the first time ministerial appointees have held office bearer roles. Some have served as vice president or treasurer previously.<\/p>\n
Asked about the meeting, Mr Dhillon said in response to CNA that he will provide his views “in due course”.<\/p>\n
CNA has also reached out to LawSoc, Mr Low and Mr Chandra Mohan for their comments on the latest development.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n