Re Ong Pei Qi Stasia: Admission to the Bar and Academic Misconduct
The General Division of the High Court heard an application by Ong Pei Qi Stasia for admission as an advocate and solicitor. The Attorney-General and the Singapore Institute of Legal Education initially sought a deferment due to the applicant's past academic misconduct at the National University of Singapore's Faculty of Law, specifically plagiarism and making an untrue statement during an inquiry. The Law Society of Singapore did not object. The court, presided over by Sundaresh Menon CJ, found the applicant to be a fit and proper person and admitted her to the Bar, citing her voluntary disclosure of the misconduct, genuine remorse, and subsequent rehabilitation.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
General Division of the High Court of the Republic of Singapore1.2 Outcome
Application granted; applicant admitted as an advocate and solicitor.
1.3 Case Type
Legal Profession
1.4 Judgment Type
Grounds of Decision
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
Application for admission to the Bar. The court found the applicant a fit and proper person despite past academic misconduct.
1.7 Decision Date
2. Parties and Outcomes
| Party Name | Role | Type | Outcome | Outcome Type | Counsels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ong Pei Qi, Stasia | Applicant | Individual | Application Granted | Won |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Sundaresh Menon | Chief Justice | Yes |
4. Counsels
| Counsel Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Lim Wei Loong Ian | TSMP Law Corporation |
| Elizabeth Tan | TSMP Law Corporation |
4. Facts
- The applicant committed plagiarism during an open-book examination at NUS Law.
- The applicant made an untrue statement during the university's inquiry into the plagiarism.
- The applicant voluntarily disclosed both the plagiarism and the untrue statement in her admission affidavit.
- The Attorney-General and SILE initially sought a deferment of the application.
- The Law Society of Singapore did not object to the application.
- The applicant demonstrated remorse and took steps towards rehabilitation.
- All relevant stakeholders did not object to the applicant’s admission application.
5. Formal Citations
- Re Ong Pei Qi Stasia, Admissions of Advocates and Solicitors 317 of 2023, [2024] SGHC 61
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Applicant sat for an open-book examination. | |
| Applicant received an email from NUS Law requiring her to attend an inquiry. | |
| NUS Law convened an inquiry into the applicant’s potential commission of an academic offence. | |
| Applicant filed her application for admission to the Bar. | |
| Applicant filed her first affidavit in support of her application. | |
| Applicant contacted the University staff member regarding the Academic Offence. | |
| Email exchanges between the applicant and the University staff member. | |
| Applicant confessed to the University staff member that she had made the Untrue Statement. | |
| University staff member thanked the applicant for disclosing the falsity of the Untrue Statement. | |
| AG and SILE sought a period of deferment of five months. | |
| The period of deferment came to an end. | |
| Hearing before the Chief Justice. | |
| Grounds of decision issued. |
7. Legal Issues
- Fitness and Propriety for Admission to the Bar
- Outcome: The court found the applicant to be a fit and proper person and admitted her as an advocate and solicitor.
- Category: Substantive
- Sub-Issues:
- Academic Misconduct
- Dishonesty
- Remorse
- Rehabilitation
- Duty of Candour
- Related Cases:
- [2023] 4 SLR 1258
- [2023] 5 SLR 1272
- [2023] 4 SLR 541
8. Remedies Sought
- Admission to the Bar
9. Cause of Actions
- No cause of actions
10. Practice Areas
- Legal Ethics
- Professional Responsibility
11. Industries
- Legal Services
12. Cited Cases
| Case Name | Court | Affirmed | Citation | Jurisdiction | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Re Tay Jie Qi and another matter | High Court | Yes | [2023] 4 SLR 1258 | Singapore | Cited for the requirements to be considered in assessing an application for admission as an advocate and solicitor. |
| Re Suria Shaik Aziz | High Court | Yes | [2023] 5 SLR 1272 | Singapore | Cited to contrast the applicant's full disclosure of misconduct with a case where the applicant was not fully forthright. |
| Re Wong Wai Loong Sean and other matters | High Court | Yes | [2023] 4 SLR 541 | Singapore | Cited for the principle that the purpose of deferment in admission applications is rehabilitative, not punitive. |
13. Applicable Rules
| Rule Name |
|---|
| Rule 25 of the Legal Profession (Admission) Rules 2011 |
14. Applicable Statutes
| Statute Name | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| Section 12 of the Legal Profession Act 1966 | Singapore |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Academic Misconduct
- Plagiarism
- Admission to the Bar
- Fit and Proper Person
- Duty of Candour
- Remorse
- Rehabilitation
- Deferment
- Untrue Statement
15.2 Keywords
- Admission
- Advocate
- Solicitor
- Academic Misconduct
- Plagiarism
- Singapore
- Legal Profession
17. Areas of Law
| Area Name | Relevance Score |
|---|---|
| Academic Misconduct | 90 |
| Admission to the Bar | 85 |
| Legal Profession Act | 75 |
| Duty of Candour | 70 |
| Disciplinary Proceedings | 60 |
| Evidence | 50 |
| Civil Procedure | 30 |
16. Subjects
- Legal Profession
- Ethics
- Education Law