Law Society of Singapore v Jaya Anil Kumar: Forgery of Academic Documents & Disciplinary Proceedings

In 2019, the Court of Three Judges in Singapore heard an application by the Law Society of Singapore against Jaya Anil Kumar, who had pleaded guilty to forgery of academic documents. The Law Society sought an order under the Legal Profession Act for Kumar to be dealt with under section 83. The court found due cause was shown and ordered that Jaya Anil Kumar be struck off the roll of advocates and solicitors, citing the gravity and indefensibility of her criminal acts.

1. Case Overview

1.1 Court

Court of Three Judges

1.2 Outcome

Order for striking off granted.

1.3 Case Type

Regulatory

1.4 Judgment Type

Ex Tempore Judgment

1.5 Jurisdiction

Singapore

1.6 Description

The Law Society sought disciplinary action against Jaya Anil Kumar for forging academic documents. The court ordered her to be struck off the roll.

1.7 Decision Date

2. Parties and Outcomes

Party NameRoleTypeOutcomeOutcome TypeCounsels
Law Society of SingaporeApplicantStatutory BoardApplication grantedWon
Jaya Anil KumarRespondentIndividualOrder for striking off grantedLost

3. Judges

Judge NameTitleDelivered Judgment
Tay Yong KwangJudge of AppealYes
Belinda Ang Saw EanJudgeNo
Quentin LohJudgeNo

4. Counsels

Counsel NameOrganization
Rajan Menon SmithaWongPartnership LLP
Loo Yinglin BestlynProvidence Law Asia LLC
Abraham S VergisProvidence Law Asia LLC

4. Facts

  1. Jaya Anil Kumar graduated with a law degree from NUS in 2011.
  2. She pleaded guilty to two charges of forgery of academic documents.
  3. She submitted a forged Official Transcript to the LSC in January 2013.
  4. She submitted a forged LLB degree certificate to the LSC in October 2016.
  5. The degree certificate was altered to show a false class of honors.
  6. She was fined $5,000 for each charge.

5. Formal Citations

  1. Law Society of Singapore v Jaya Anil Kumar, Originating Summons No 6 of 2018, [2019] SGHC 12

6. Timeline

DateEvent
Jaya Anil Kumar graduated with a law degree from the National University of Singapore.
Jaya Anil Kumar submitted a forged Official Transcript of subject grades to the Legal Service Commission.
Jaya Anil Kumar submitted a forged LLB degree certificate to the Legal Service Commission.
Jaya Anil Kumar pleaded guilty to two charges involving forgery of academic documents.
Court of Three Judges delivered judgment.

7. Legal Issues

  1. Forgery of Academic Documents
    • Outcome: The court found that the respondent had committed forgery.
    • Category: Substantive
  2. Appropriate Sanction for Misconduct
    • Outcome: The court determined that striking off was the only appropriate sanction.
    • Category: Substantive
    • Related Cases:
      • [2018] 5 SLR 1068

8. Remedies Sought

  1. Order for striking off

9. Cause of Actions

  • Breach of Legal Profession Act

10. Practice Areas

  • Regulatory Law
  • Professional Conduct

11. Industries

  • Legal Services

12. Cited Cases

Case NameCourtAffirmedCitationJurisdictionSignificance
Law Society of Singapore v Chia Choon YangCourt of Three JudgesYes[2018] 5 SLR 1068SingaporeCited for the principle that misconduct involving dishonesty will almost invariably warrant an order for striking off where the dishonesty reveals a character defect rendering the errant solicitor unsuitable for the profession.

13. Applicable Rules

Rule Name
No applicable rules

14. Applicable Statutes

Statute NameJurisdiction
Legal Profession Act (Cap 161, 2009 Rev Ed)Singapore
Section 94A(1) Legal Profession Act (Cap 161, 2009 Rev Ed)Singapore

15. Key Terms and Keywords

15.1 Key Terms

  • Forgery
  • Academic Documents
  • Disciplinary Proceedings
  • Striking Off
  • Legal Profession Act
  • Legal Service Commission

15.2 Keywords

  • forgery
  • legal profession
  • disciplinary
  • singapore

17. Areas of Law

Area NameRelevance Score
Legal Profession Act95
Disciplinary Proceedings90
Forgery85
Falsification of Documents80
Professional Misconduct75
Criminal Law60

16. Subjects

  • Legal Ethics
  • Professional Misconduct