Indian-origin lawyer jailed for acts of contempt before judges in Singapore

Singapore, Nov 8

A suspended Indian-origin lawyer was sentenced to 21 days in jail by a court in Singapore on Wednesday for committing a series of acts of contempt before two judges in separate courtroom incidents in 2021.

Ravi Madasamy, 54, had accused Justice Audrey Lim of being “biased”, interrupted her, and told her not to be rude while he was acting for a client in a suit against a public transport operator, The Straits Times reported.

He had also accused District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt of being biased after an exchange over why the lawyer was scheduled for two trials in the same morning.

When Justice Hoo Sheau Peng found him liable for nine instances of contempt in March 2023, Madasamy said in his defence that he was suffering a relapse of his bipolar disorder at the time of the contempt.

He was handed the maximum suspension of five years for making “baseless and grave” allegations against the Attorney-General, prosecutors and the Law Society.

While sentencing Madasamy on Wednesday, Justice Hoo said the relapse did not significantly impair his ability to exercise self-control and restraint, and it was “highly reprehensible” that the lawyer committed contemptuous acts while acting for clients in two sets of proceedings.

A lawyer for 20 years, Madasamy said he had also forgotten "to take medications on some days" for his mental condition.

"Despite being aware of his mental condition, Mr Ravi did little to guard against or manage the effects of his bipolar disorder while discharging his duties and responsibilities as a lawyer. In particular, Mr Ravi was non-compliant with his medication regime," Justice Hoo said.

Last month, a police report was filed against Madasamy for publishing multiple posts on social media during the cooling-off period before the Singapore presidential election. In September, he was charged on four counts for disorderly behaviour in public after he slapped a woman in public at Sri Mariamman Temple. He was charged in December 2020 with criminal defamation of Indian-origin Law Minister K. Shanmugam, but the Attorney-General’s Chambers later withdrew the charge and Madasamy was given a conditional warning instead.