PUBLISHED ONAugust 14, 2026 6:30 AMUPDATEDAugust 14, 2026 2:21 PMBYSean LerThe Ministry of Law (MinLaw) has called for issues identified in the Law Society of Singapore's (LawSoc) audit committee report to be addressed with transparency and accountability, saying members should have sufficient information to understand and assess the findings.
In a statement on Friday (Aug 14), Minister for Law Edwin Tong said it was important for the issues identified in the report to be "followed through appropriately, with transparency and accountability", adding that the necessary steps should be taken to strengthen the Society's governance and functioning.
"The Law Society plays an important role in Singapore’s legal system and carries responsibilities both to its members and to the wider public," the minister noted in a statement issued by the Ministry of Law on Friday (Aug 14), adding that the appropriate follow-up will help maintain confidence in the LawSoc as an institution.
On Thursday evening, more than 200 lawyers attended a closed-door meeting at the LawSoc's Maxwell Chambers premises to discuss the report's findings.
The meeting followed an anonymous email sent to the Ministry of Law and Ministry of Manpower in September 2025, containing allegations and complaints against certain persons and practices within LawSoc.
At the meeting, attendees were reportedly provided with hard copies of a summary of the audit committee's findings and recommendations.
But these copies, which were purportedly incomplete, had to be returned before the meeting ended.
Fervent Chambers' head of litigation and international arbitration, Clarence Lun Yaodong, wrote in a LinkedIn post after the meeting that meaningful accountability requires disclosure of the full investigation material.
He suggested that lawyers should be allowed to review the underlying investigation reports and materials, subject to legitimate confidentiality safeguards.
"Accountability must be principled, consistent and even-handed," he added.
Both CNA and ST reported that tensions flared and voices were raised at the meeting.
In his statement, the law minister said he welcomed the LawSoc Council's engagement with its members.
He noted that the audit committee report raised significant issues concerning workplace culture, as well as the administration and functioning of the Law Society between 2022 and 2025.
He added that these are matters that should be taken seriously and addressed thoroughly.
"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," Tong said.
The relevant reports, with the appropriate redactions to protect interviewees, should also be made available to members so that they can form their own views, he added.
The latest statement follows Tong's written parliamentary reply on Aug 5. In response to a parliamentary question from Jalan Besar GRC MP Dr Wan Rizal, Tong said the audit committee had identified significant failings in leadership, workplace culture and governance at LawSoc between 2022 and 2025.
Referring to them, Tong said: "These failings have no place in an institution such as LawSoc."
"They undermine confidence within the organisation, affect the wellbeing of its employees, and risk eroding the trust that both the legal profession and the public place in it."
Tong added that LawSoc must be held to the highest standards of governance and institutional accountability.
The Ministry of Law has since said that it will continue to follow developments closely and will be looking forward to the Council's further update on the steps being taken to address the issues identified in the report.
AsiaOne has approached LawSoc to ask whether it will work towards fuller disclosure of the report and, if not, how it intends to ensure members can assess the findings objectively.
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