Human Rights Lawyer Ravi gets one-year suspension

Singapore News // Weekend, October 28, 2006

Ravi gets one-year suspension

Loh Chee Kong
cheekong@mediacorp.com.sg

IN stark contrast to his usual unrestrained ways, controversial lawyer M Ravi (picture) was, for the most part, on his best conduct on Friday, as he stood before Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong to answer for his rude behaviour to a lower court judge three years ago.
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But that was not enough to save him from a one-year suspension. The Court of Three Judges — the legal profession's highest disciplinary panel which has the power to revoke a lawyer's licence — imposed the suspension on Mr Ravi, 37, for raising his voice and being disrespectful to District Judge Wong Choon Ning.
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According to the Law Society, Mr Ravi had "failed to act with due courtesy" toward Judge Wong when he was representing a client three years ago.
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While the judge was addressing Mr Ravi, he turned his back to her and also sat down at one point.
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He was also accused of responding to the judge in an "unbecoming manner" and interfering with court proceedings by "speaking in loud tones" while other cases were being mentioned in the same court.
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Friday was the first time the lawyer came face-to-face in court with the man appointed to helm Singapore's judiciary.
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With his hands behind his back, Mr Ravi apologised profusely for not having prepared written arguments, explaining that he did not have time to do so due to his stay until recently at a private psychiatric hospital.
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He went on to recount how he ended up there, saying that he was warded against his family's wishes after his former client, Opposition figure Chee Soon Juan, saw the mental and physical state he was in.
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He told CJ Chan: "I have confidence in this new Bench. Honestly, I don't have any problems with any of the judges. I may have problems with politicians. You must protect me, sir… Let me practise law the way I like to carry out justice."
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CJ Chan delivered the judgement after a 30-minute deliberation. But when he asked Mr Ravi to stand still, the latter lost his cool.
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Raising his voice, the lawyer said: "You are behaving like you are the Attorney-General (AG). Are you still the AG or are you the CJ? How do I complain against you?"
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Unperturbed, CJ Chan, who was AG before he became CJ, responded: "We would deal with your other points about the judiciary another day."
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Proceeding to read the judgement, CJ Chan said that it was "distressing" to hear Mr Ravi's "series of irrelevant and irrational arguments".
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Remarking that it was "extraordinary" that Mr Ravi had such a dismal disciplinary record — having been penalised five times in the past by the Law Society — CJ Chan advised him to use the enforced break to reflect on his own behaviour.
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"You are a young lawyer and I know that you are a very, very intense lawyer but you have to accord certain courtesies and a certain degree of respect to the Bench," he said.
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"We hope that during this one year, you will find peace, examine yourself. We hope that you may become the lawyer that we want you to become."
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Mr Ravi could have been suspended for up to five years, or even struck off the rolls.