On 25 April 2021, TSMP Law Corporation joint managing partner Stefanie Yuen Thio’s was quoted in a Straits Times article. It is a follow up on the news that 11 trainees had been caught cheating in the bar exam in 2020.

She said “It is telling that the greatest disapprobation is being articulated by lawyers, and I’m glad that both the AGC and the judge have taken a strong stance against such behaviour.

“As a profession generally, lawyers know that we must hold ourselves to high ethical standards. We cannot let the standing of the profession be eroded by bad actors. And it is right that the public demand the same from us, ” she added.

She said “The bottom line is this: You should be able to trust your lawyers. Ethics and professionalism are the backbone of our profession.

She added “If we don’t have that, how can we expect clients to trust us with their problems, their assets, their confidential information? Cheating goes to the very heart of what we do – without integrity, our profession is lost.”

Providing second chances is an important pillar of the judicial process, she said.

She said “What is important here would be how sincerely the lawyer involved has learnt the lesson, including how they use the six or 12-month adjournment period to better themselves and contribute to society.”

She expressed “I hope that this is a painful but necessary wake-up call for the 11 trainees – that standards cannot be compromised, and (this sends) a message to the public that the profession and the fraternity will not put up with conduct that does not accord with our standards.”