Law Society confirms Tan Cheng Han as president for 2026
Mr Dinesh Singh Dhillion will be one of the two vice presidents for 2026.
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SINGAPORE: The Law Society of Singapore (LawSoc) on Wednesday (Dec 24) announced its office-bearers for 2026, formalising the appointment of Professor Tan Cheng Han as president.
Mr Dinesh Singh Dhillon, who had earlier this month agreed to step aside as president, will serve as one of the council's two vice presidents.
As announced on Nov 17, Mr Daniel Koh Choon Guan remains the other vice-president for 2026, while Ms Peggy Sarah Yee May Kuen will be the treasurer.
The other members of the 2026 council remain unchanged. They are: current president Lisa Sam, whose term ends this year; Mr Lim Seng Siew; Mr Joseph Liow Wang Wu; Mr Samuel Chacko; senior counsel Blossom Hing Shan Shan; Mr Michael Chia Soo; Mr Nicholas Jeyaraj Narayanan; Mr Ramesh Selvaraj; Mr Khelvin Xu Cunhan; Mr Choo Zheng Xi; Ms Christine Low Ying Li; Mr Benjamin Foo Guo Zheng; Mr Darryl Chew Zijie; Mr Thaddaeus Aaron Tan; Ms Phoon Wuei; Ms Mori Ong; and Mr Arthur Lim Jun Da.
The 2026 council consists of 21 lawyers, including the four office-bearers.
Under the Legal Profession Act, the council comprises both elected and statutory members.
Fifteen members are elected by LawSoc members. The remaining members are statutory members and may 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.
Ms Yee, Mr Lim Seng Siew and Mr Xu are council appointees, while Ms Hing, Mr Nicholas Jeyaraj and Mr Dhillon are appointed by the law minister.
In a press release, Prof Tan, a senior consultant at Wong Partnership, thanked members for their confidence in him.
“Given the many challenges faced by the profession, which other industries also have to grapple with, there is much for us to do.
“Fortunately, we can build on the work of previous councils. I am grateful for their work and want to especially thank President Lisa Sam and the members of the 2025 council for their sterling efforts,” he said.
Prof Tan, who is a senior counsel, said he was optimistic that the “collective wisdom, energy and fellowship of the legal profession” would allow the fraternity to “navigate uncharted waters well”.
“We are at our best when we come together, whether we are completely in agreement or otherwise. Our different perspectives strengthen us by ensuring that the decisions ultimately made are robust and well thought through,” he added.
The confirmed appointments bring to a close a weeks-long dispute over the society’s presidency for 2026.
Mr Dhillon had initially been elected by a majority of the 21-member LawSoc council as incoming president. This was after LawSoc had held its annual election to vote for its 2026 council in October.
He was the first president-elect to be a statutory member appointed by the Law Minister to the council.
His appointment sparked unease among some lawyers, several of whom circulated a requisition notice calling for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM). They proposed a resolution that the council should elect a president who had been voted in by LawSoc members.
An EGM was eventually held on Monday, where a majority of the more than 500 lawyers who attended voted in favour of a resolution that included Mr Dhillon stepping aside as incoming president.
In the document, Mr Dhillon agreed to step aside “in the interest of preserving unity” for the Bar and its “legitimate concerns”. It stated there was no issue regarding his independence or competence.
The resolution stated that Prof Tan would assume the role instead. It was also amended to state that the society's president shall be an elected member of the council.
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