Law Society member explains actions in M Ravi case
By Ashley Chia, TODAY | Posted: 04 September 2012 0728 hrs
SINGAPORE: He had submitted a psychiatrist's letter to the High Court saying lawyer M Ravi was unfit to practise, as he had purportedly been told that Mr Ravi, who suffers from bipolar disorder, had a relapse and "some form of protective action" should be taken.
In his defence document submitted last week, Mr Wong Siew Hong, who together with the Law Society has been accused by Mr Ravi of defaming him, also applied to have Mr Ravi's claims dismissed.
Mr Wong had appeared in the High Court in July on three separate occasions to present the letter.
On July 16, before a court session started, Mr Wong had asked Mr Ravi in the presence of Senior State Counsel David Chong SC and Senior Assistant Registrar Yeong Zee Kin to postpone the case, but Mr Ravi had disagreed.
According to Mr Wong, Mr Yeong then told him to come into court "if and when the letter (by Mr Ravi's then-psychiatrist Calvin Fones) was ready". Mr Wong claimed that it was only upon receiving a text from Mr Yeong asking "when he was coming into court" that he submitted the letter to court on the same day.
As for his subsequent appearances in court, Mr Wong said that he had received calls from the Supreme Court Registry informing him of Mr Ravi's court schedule. When Mr Wong spoke to Law Society President Wong Meng Meng about the court's phone calls, Mr Wong Meng Meng allegedly "expressed the view" that it would be all right to attend the hearing as "a courtesy to the court".
Separately, the Law Society in its defence document has denied instructing Mr Wong to submit the letter. The society has also applied to the court to strike out Mr Ravi's claims on the basis "that it discloses no reasonable cause of action".
It also said that it had "legitimate duty" and interest to hand over the letter to the court and to the Attorney-General's Chambers.
The pre-trial conference is set for September 6.
- TODAY
