Lee Kuan Yew v Chee Soon Juan: Applications for Ad Hoc Admission of Queen's Counsel
The High Court of Singapore, presided over by Judicial Commissioner Lee Seiu Kin, dismissed two originating motions by Martin Lee Chu Ming, Q.C. and William Henric Nicholas, Q.C. for ad hoc admission to practice as advocates and solicitors. The Queen's Counsel sought admission to represent Dr. Chee Soon Juan in defamation suits brought by Mr. Lee Kuan Yew and Mr. Goh Chok Tong. The court found that the issues were previously decided by Tay Yong Kwang J.C. and the suits were not of sufficient difficulty and complexity to warrant the admission of Queen's Counsel.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
High Court1.2 Outcome
Applications dismissed.
1.3 Case Type
Civil
1.4 Judgment Type
Grounds of Decision
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
Applications by Queen's Counsel for ad hoc admission to represent Chee Soon Juan in defamation suits were dismissed due to insufficient complexity and circumstances.
1.7 Decision Date
2. Parties and Outcomes
| Party Name | Role | Type | Outcome | Outcome Type | Counsels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chee Soon Juan | Defendant | Individual | Lost | Lost | Chee Soon Juan of Independent Practitioner |
| Lee Kuan Yew | Plaintiff | Individual | Neutral | Neutral | |
| Goh Chok Tong | Plaintiff | Individual | Neutral | Neutral |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Lee Seiu Kin | Judicial Commissioner | Yes |
4. Counsels
| Counsel Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Chee Soon Juan | Independent Practitioner |
| Davinder Singh | Drew & Napier LLC |
| Hri Kumar | Drew & Napier LLC |
4. Facts
- Two Queen's Counsel applied for ad hoc admission to represent Chee Soon Juan in two defamation suits.
- The applications were made under section 21 of the Legal Profession Act.
- Previous applications by the same Queen's Counsel were dismissed by Tay Yong Kwang J.C.
- The applicants did not appeal the dismissal of their previous applications.
- The court found that the issues in the present applications were the same as those in the previous applications.
- The court determined that the suits were not of sufficient difficulty and complexity to warrant admission of Queen's Counsel.
5. Formal Citations
- Lee Kuan Yew v Chee Soon Juan, OM 600028/2002, OM 600029/2002, [2002] SGHC 122
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Suits No 1459/2001 and 1460/2001 filed | |
| Applications O.M. 600021/2002 and O.M. 600023/2002 dismissed by Tay Yong Kwang J.C. | |
| Applications O.M. 600028/2002 and O.M. 600029/2002 dismissed |
7. Legal Issues
- Ad Hoc Admission of Queen's Counsel
- Outcome: The court dismissed the applications for ad hoc admission, finding that the suits were not of sufficient difficulty and complexity and that the circumstances did not warrant admission.
- Category: Procedural
- Sub-Issues:
- Difficulty and complexity of the case
- Circumstances warranting admission
- Suitability of the applicant
- Related Cases:
- [1992] 2 SLR 972
- [1998] 1 SLR 440
- Issue Estoppel
- Outcome: The court held that the applicants were estopped from contending that the suits were of sufficient difficulty and complexity because that issue had already been decided in a prior application.
- Category: Procedural
8. Remedies Sought
- Ad hoc admission to practise as advocates and solicitors
9. Cause of Actions
- No cause of actions
10. Practice Areas
- Litigation
11. Industries
- Legal Services
12. Cited Cases
| Case Name | Court | Affirmed | Citation | Jurisdiction | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price Arthur Leolin v A-G | Court of Appeal | Yes | [1992] 2 SLR 972 | Singapore | Cited for the three-stage test for admission under section 21(1) of the Legal Profession Act. |
| Re Caplan Jonathan Michael (No 2) | Court of Appeal | Yes | [1998] 1 SLR 440 | Singapore | Elaborated on the three-stage test for admission under section 21(1) of the Legal Profession Act. |
13. Applicable Rules
| Rule Name |
|---|
| No applicable rules |
14. Applicable Statutes
| Statute Name | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| Legal Profession Act | Singapore |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Queen's Counsel
- Ad hoc admission
- Legal Profession Act
- Issue estoppel
- Difficulty and complexity
15.2 Keywords
- Queen's Counsel
- ad hoc admission
- Legal Profession Act
- issue estoppel
- Singapore
- High Court
17. Areas of Law
| Area Name | Relevance Score |
|---|---|
| Ad Hoc Admission | 95 |
| Estoppel | 80 |
| Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility | 70 |
| Civil Practice | 40 |
| Appellate Practice | 30 |
| Asset Recovery | 10 |
16. Subjects
- Civil Procedure
- Legal Profession