A 56-year-old lawyer in Singapore has been permanently removed from the legal profession after being convicted of drink-driving and providing false information to the police. The Court of Three Judges, the highest disciplinary body for the legal profession, ordered the lawyer, Steven John Lam Kuet Keng, to be struck off the rolls on July 9, 2026. This decision follows a 2024 incident where Lam crashed his vehicle into railings in Bukit Panjang and subsequently lied to officers about who was driving.
The incident occurred shortly after midnight on April 7, 2024, when Lam lost control of his car while driving home after consuming alcohol. Following the accident, Lam provided false statements to the police, claiming that an unknown person had been behind the wheel. He later pleaded guilty to drink-driving, careless driving, and two counts of giving false information to a public servant. In November 2025, he was sentenced to eight weeks in jail, fined S$18,000, and disqualified from driving for six years.
Disciplinary proceedings were initiated by the Law Society of Singapore, as the Legal Profession Act requires action against lawyers convicted of offenses involving dishonesty. During the hearing, the Law Society argued that striking off was necessary to maintain public confidence in the integrity of the legal profession. While Lam’s defense counsel highlighted his history of volunteer work and legal clinics, the court determined that there were no grounds to depart from the presumptive penalty of disbarment.
This case marks a significant professional downfall for Lam, who was previously appointed as a Justice of the Peace in 2023. Following his criminal conviction, the Ministry of Home Affairs initiated the process to revoke that appointment. The court’s decision to strike him off the rolls ensures that he can no longer practice law in Singapore, reflecting the judiciary's stance on the high ethical standards required of legal practitioners.