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Eugene Singarajah Thuraisingam
Born (1975-06-10) June 10, 1975 (age 49)
Singapore
NationalitySingaporean
EducationBachelor of Laws
Alma materNational University of Singapore
OccupationLawyer
Known forInternational arbitration
Commercial litigation
Criminal litigation
Public Interest litigation
Children3
Websitehttps://thuraisingam.com/
Mr Eugene Thuraisingam (taken September 2020)
Mr Eugene Thuraisingam (taken September 2020)

Eugene Singarajah Thuraisingam (born June 10, 1975) is an international arbitration and commercial litigation lawyer. He is the founder of the law firm Eugene Thuraisingam LLP ("ET LLP"). ET LLP specialises in international arbitration and criminal and commercial litigation.[1] He is also known for his advocacy of human rights[2][3][4][5][6] and for being a staunch opponent and outspoken critic of the death penalty in Singapore.[7][8][9][5][10][11][12][13] In relation to his domestic practice as a criminal lawyer in Singapore, he has acted for accused persons in many high profile criminal trials.[14] Doyles Guide has named him as a leading criminal defence lawyer in Singapore.[15]ET LLP was named as one of the top two criminal law firms in Singapore in the inaugural Singapore's Best Law Firms 2021 undertaken by The Straits Times and German-based research firm Statista.[16]

International Arbitration Matters of Note

Some of the more prominent international arbitration matters that Thuraisingam was counsel in include acting for an oil exploration company in an UNCITRAL arbitration against a middle eastern state-owned company involving claims of over USD 126 million in relation to petroleum operations in the South-East Asia[17]as well as acting for an Indonesian client in an SIAC arbitration arising out of a contractual dispute involving a claim of over USD 128 million with the private equity arm of a major international bank incorporated in Hong Kong.[18]

Commercial Litigation Matters of Note

He acted for Japanese debt-recovery officials in successfully obtaining a Singapore High Court order to seize assets amounting to USD 90 million hidden by one Masahiko Nishiyama in 3 banks in Singapore.[19]

Thuraisingam acted for Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim's ex-wife, Teo Geok Fong, against HSBC Holdings for losses arising out of financial products which she alleged were negligently sold by the bank to her.[20]

Since 2014, he has been the personal lawyer for Jannie Chan, co-founder of The Hour Glass, in her various court cases against Australia and New Zealand Banking Group and her ex-husband, Henry Tay.[21][22][23] He also acted for Chan's daughter, Audrey Tay, who faced charges for drug offences.[24]

He represented Chung Khin Chun, a wealthy widow who had been duped into signing over control of her assets worth more than SG$30 million to Yang Yin, a tour guide she met in China. He succeeded in convincing the court to enable Chung to revoke the lasting power of attorney that gave Yang control over her assets.[25][26][27]

Thuraisingam also acted for one of the defendants in a suit by Credit Suisse to recover US$80 million in damages pursuant to alleged fraudulent loans obtained by REI Agro Limited.[28]

He represented an ex-financial services director, Ramesh Krishnan, in successfully claiming damages of more than SG$3 million against AXA Life Insurance Singapore resulting from AXA providing a bad reference that cost Ramesh his new job.[29][30]

Criminal Cases carrying Capital Punishment

Thuraisingam convinced the Court of Appeal for the first time to order a review of its own decision. The Court of Appeal had overturned a trial judge's acquittal of Ilechukwu Uchechukwu Chukwudi, a Nigerian convicted of the capital offence of drug trafficking in Singapore. After reviewing its decision to convict Ilechukwu, the Court of Appeal sent the case back to the trial judge who had originally acquitted Ilechukwu for that judge to evaluate new evidence.[31] When the matter came back before the Court of Appeal in 2020, the Court in a historic 4-1 split decision reversed its previous decision to convict Ilechukwu and set him free instead.[32][33]

He defended Ridzuan Mega Abdul Rahman who was charged together with his wife with killing his 5 year old son.[34][35][36] Thuraisingam successfully argued that Ridzuan did not share a common intention with his wife to commit murder. Ridzuan was acquitted of the capital offence of murder by the High Court Judge, Justice Valerie Thean.[37][38]

Thuraisingam acted for Miya Manik who was accused of murdering the head of a rival illegal cigarette syndicate in the course of a gang clash over turf.[39] Thuraisingam was successful in arguing for Miya Manik to be acquitted of the capital charge of murder.[40][41]

Thuraisingam successfully secured an acquittal for Muhammad Shafiq Bin Shariff (“Shafiq”) of a capital drug trafficking charge, heard before Justice Ang Cheng Hock.[42]

Other Criminal Cases of Significance

Thuraisingam acted in the Court of Appeal for Dr Wee Tiong Boo. Dr Wee was acquitted at trial for allegedly raping a patient. He was however convicted by the High Court for digitally penetrating the patient without consent. The Prosecution appealed against the acquittal on the charge of rape, while Dr Wee appealed against his conviction of digital penetration without consent. The Court of Appeal after hearing arguments reserved its Judgment.[43][44][45] In its Judgment of 10 June 2020, the Court of Appeal allowed Dr Wee's appeal and dismissed the Prosecution's appeal thereby acquitting him of all criminal charges against him.[46][47][48]

He acted for Dr Yeo Seow Nam, an anaesthetist and director of a clinic at Mount Elizabeth Hospital. Dr Yeo was charged with molest. Dr Yeo was acquitted of molest after the alleged victim admitted while being cross-examined by Thuraisingam that she was telling lies in Court.[49]

Public Interest Litigation

In 2016 and 2017, Thuraisingam represented The Online Citizen, an independent online media platform, in successfully protecting its right to free speech against the Singaporean government.[50][51]

He is now representing The Online Citizen and the Singapore Democratic Party in the Singapore Court of Appeal on the issue of whether or not the Singapore government bears the burden of proof in proving that a statement is false when it issues a correction direction under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).[52][53][54]

He also acts in a constitutional law case against the Attorney-General of Singapore in the Singapore Court of Appeal challenging the constitutionality of the law in Singapore which criminalises sex between men.[55][56][57][2][58][59][60][61][62][63][64]

Education

Thuraisingam attended Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the National University of Singapore, where he was placed on the Dean's List in his final year of study.[65]

Career

After he was admitted to the Singapore Bar in 2001, Thuraisingam practised law at Allen & Gledhill for nine years and at Stamford Law Corporation for another three years before he founded the law firm, Eugene Thuraisingam LLP, in 2012.[65]

Anti-death penalty poem

In 2017, Thuraisingam was brought to court by Lucien Wong, the Attorney-General, for allegedly scandalising the judiciary when he wrote a poem critical of the death penalty hours before the execution of drug trafficker Muhammad Ridzuan Md Ali, whom he had represented.[66] Thuraisingam is said to have intended to bring home the point that the rich and powerful people in Singapore did not care about the unfairness of the mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking as most of the people facing the death penalty come from very poor backgrounds. Thuraisingam was fined S$6,000 by the court.[67][68][69][70][71][72][73] Wong also lodged a complaint to the Law Society in relation to the same poem. A disciplinary tribunal appointed by Sundaresh Menon, the Chief Justice, held that Thuraisingam had not intended to attack the judiciary in his poem, which was found to be in contempt of court. They held that the references to judges in the poem 'is more likely to have been an authorial misstep than a deliberate assault upon judicial integrity'. Nevertheless, Thuraisingam was fined a further S$5,000 by the Law Society for penning the poem.[74][75]

Run For Justice

In 2001 and in conjunction of ET LLP's 9th anniversary and in partnership with the Law Society Pro Bono Services (LSPBS), SGD 100,000 was raised for LSPBS' campaign, 'inclusive justice', which supports LSPBS' court representation schemes for foreigners in areas of criminal legal aid, matrimonial matters and more. Thuraisingam intends for this to be an annual event to raise funds for LSPBS.[76][77]

Awards

In 2016, Thuraisingam received the Legal Assistance Scheme for Capital Offences award from Sundaresh Menon, the Chief Justice of Singapore, for his work in defending accused persons in death penalty cases.[8][78]

In 2021, the Singapore Law Society Pro bono Ambassador award was presented to him by its President, Mr Gregory Vijayendran for his unstinting dedication to taking on pro bono cases for impecunious Singaporeans.[79]

References

  1. ^ "Eugene Thuraisingam LLP - Specialists in Criminal & Commercial Disputes". Eugene Thuraisingam LLP. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
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  3. ^ "Criminal and Human Rights Lawyer Fined $6,000 for a Poem on Death Penalty that "Scandalised the Judicary"". The Online Citizen. 2017-08-07. Archived from the original on 2019-01-11. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
  4. ^ "'I Am Not a Criminal': This DJ Is Fighting to Overturn Singapore's Ban on Gay Sex". www.intomore.com. Archived from the original on 2019-01-12. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
  5. ^ a b "The Cruelty of Fate: The Case of Nagaenthran Dharmalingam". The Online Citizen. 2017-09-18. Archived from the original on 2019-01-11. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
  6. ^ "Government to review whether amendments to Misuse of Drugs Act are necessary". TODAYonline. Retrieved 2019-07-09.
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  8. ^ a b Loh, Ronald (2016-11-02). "He gives hope to those on death row". The New Paper. Archived from the original on 2019-01-12. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
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  65. ^ a b "Eugene Thuraisingam". Eugene Thuraisingam LLP. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
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  67. ^ "Why did AGC proceed with contempt of court case involving lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam?". Mothership.sg. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  68. ^ "Criminal and Human Rights Lawyer Fined $6,000 for a Poem on Death Penalty that "Scandalised the Judiciary"". The Online Citizen. 2017-08-07. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
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  73. ^ hermesauto (2017-08-07). "Lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam fined $6,000 for contempt of court over Facebook post on death penalty". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  74. ^ hermesauto (2018-10-29). "Lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam fined again over poem that was in contempt of court". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  75. ^ "Tribunal: Lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam's Poem was not "a deliberate assault upon judicial integrity"". The Online Citizen. 2018-11-02. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  76. ^ "Marathon champion Soh Rui Yong to participate in Eugene Thuraisingam LLP's Run For Justice 10km event to support legal representation schemes for migrants". The Online Citizen Asia. 2021-04-03. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  77. ^ Niszam. "#RunforJustice | Criminal & Commercial Disputes – Law firm in Singapore | ETLLP". https://thuraisingam.com. Retrieved 2021-09-10. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  78. ^ "Singapore lawyer wins award for pro bono work in capital offence cases". Singapore lawyer wins award for pro bono work in capital offence cases. Archived from the original on 2016-11-03. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  79. ^ hermesauto (2021-02-21). "Lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam hailed for pro bono work". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
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