Law Minister Edwin Tong calls on Law Society to release full audit report to members
A "frank and constructive exchange" between Law Society members and council must be supported by the disclosure of sufficient information, Mr Tong says.
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SINGAPORE: Law Minister Edwin Tong has called on the Law Society of Singapore to release to its members the full report of an audit that uncovered workplace culture and governance issues.
His statement on Friday (Aug 14) follows a petition and heated closed-door meeting on Thursday night, where the society's members demanded the full report be released.
In response to media queries, Mr Tong said the audit committee's report raises significant issues concerning workplace culture, as well as the proper administration and functioning of the Law Society from 2022 to 2025.
"These are matters which should be taken seriously and addressed thoroughly," he said.
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"It is therefore important for members to have a frank and constructive exchange with the council, and this has to be supported by the disclosure of sufficient information for the issues to be properly understood and considered.
"In particular, the relevant reports (with appropriate redactions to protect the interviewees) should be made available to members, so that they can form their own views."
Hard copies of the audit committee's report, containing a summary of findings and recommendations, were circulated to members before Thursday night's meeting and had to be returned before the session ended.
CNA understands several annexes were missing from the documents provided, including fuller investigation reports by a law firm and an external auditing firm.
THE ALLEGATIONS
The Law Society represents lawyers and maintains standards of the legal profession in Singapore. Its current council, led by Senior Counsel Professor Tan Cheng Han as president, took office in 2026.
Council presidents from 2022 to 2025 were the late Mr Adrian Tan, Senior Counsel Jason Chan and Ms Lisa Sam.
Allegations of poor workplace culture and governance at the bar association first surfaced in an anonymous email to the law and manpower ministries on Sep 13, 2025.
The Law Society's audit committee, comprising members and non-members, investigated the allegations independently of the council. It presented its findings to the council on Jun 5 and sent the report to the law ministry on Jul 1.
On Aug 5, Mr Tong said the audit found "significant failings" in leadership, workplace culture and governance from 2022 to 2025, though it found no evidence of deliberate financial impropriety or an intentional cover-up.
In a written parliamentary reply, he described the email tip-off as containing "serious and wide-ranging" allegations about "inappropriate workplace conduct, weaknesses in governance and oversight, deficiencies in grievance handling and whistleblowing processes, and shortcomings in internal controls over certain administrative and financial practices" from 2022 to 2025.
On Friday, Mr Tong said the Law Society plays an important role in Singapore's legal system and carries responsibilities to its members and the wider public.
"It is therefore important that the issues identified in the report are followed through appropriately, with transparency and accountability, and that the necessary steps be taken to strengthen the society's governance and functioning.
"This will help maintain confidence in the Law Society as an institution."
The Ministry of Law will continue to follow developments closely and looks forward to the council's further updates on steps taken to address the issues identified in the report, Mr Tong added.
The Law Society previously told CNA it has carefully considered the audit committee's report and "taken the necessary steps" in response to its findings and recommendations.
It declined to comment further at the time, citing confidentiality.
LAW SOCIETY RESPONDS
Responding to queries from CNA, the Law Society referred to a LinkedIn post by Prof Tan on Friday.
In the post, Prof Tan said the council updated the roughly 170 members who attended Thursday's meeting on the progress it has made addressing the issues in the report.
This includes a stronger whistleblowing framework and more comprehensive travel policy, which the council is on track to implement by the end of September, he said.
Prof Tan also said that members at the meeting broadly recognised the need to protect the privacy of those who assisted in the audit, and to seek their permission for their identities to be revealed or for their names to be redacted.
"This is because of the assurance of confidentiality given to them that any information they provide will only be shared with those who need to know for the purposes of the investigation," he said.
"As I explained to members, the council must honour the promise made to them and will need time to reach out and consult the individuals concerned and respect their wishes, many of whom are former staff members of the Law Society."
He said the council's focus remains on implementing the report's recommendations, strengthening governance, and "working together as a profession with mutual respect".
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