An arrest warrant has been issued for 61-year-old Singaporean lawyer Lim Tean after he failed to surrender on Monday, August 3, to begin serving a jail term of three months and one week for practising law without a valid certificate.

Lim's lawyer, Mr Revi Shanker, confirmed with CNA on Tuesday, August 4, that Lim was supposed to surrender at the State Courts by noon on August 3 but did not show up. Attempts to contact Lim were unsuccessful, and Mr Shanker described the situation as "very unlike him." He also stated that he did not know whether Lim was in hospital.

Lim, who is also an opposition politician, had previously informed a court in January that he suffers from status migrainosus, a condition causing severe daily migraines, and had been hospitalized twice due to this.

According to court records, Lim was scheduled to attend a pre-trial conference on August 4 for outstanding charges against him.

Lim was convicted in July 2024 by Senior District Judge Ong Hian Sun after a trial. His original sentence of six weeks' jail and a S$1,000 (US$780) fine was increased to three months and one week after a judge agreed with the prosecution that the initial sentence was "manifestly inadequate."

Sources