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First lawyer admitted posthumously to the Bar in Singapore

Vikram Kumar Tiwary graduated from the University of Sheffield with a law degree in 2018, passed the Singapore Bar exams and completed his practice training at a law firm in July last year. (PHOTO: Facebook / Vikram Kumar Tiwary)
Vikram Kumar Tiwary graduated from the University of Sheffield with a law degree in 2018, passed the Singapore Bar exams and completed his practice training at a law firm in July last year. (PHOTO: Facebook / Vikram Kumar Tiwary)

SINGAPORE — A 28-year-old lawyer who died just nine days before he was admitted to the Bar was on Monday (20 September) posthumously added to the rolls, the first time this has happened in Singapore.

Vikram Kumar Tiwary graduated from the University of Sheffield with a law degree in 2018. He passed the Singapore Bar exams thereafter and completed his practice training at a law firm in July last year.

In March, he applied to be admitted to the Bar and a hearing was fixed on 9 June. However, he died from cardiorespiratory failure before that.

Vikram's uncle, lawyer Ramesh Tiwary, moved the call to the Bar on the hearing date and asked that Vikram be admitted posthumously.

Justice Choo Han Teck adjourned proceedings for further submissions and on Monday ruled that Vikram could be admitted to the Bar.

Said the High Court judge, "In the present application, judging by the efforts of Mr Vikram Tiwary himself, justice will be served if his application is allowed. Not only had he fulfilled all the requirements necessary for admission, but he had, in anticipation of his admission to the Bar, registered himself with the Law Society’s Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (CLAS) to be a CLAS fellow, as well as the Law Society’s Pro Bono Scheme."

The Attorney General, The Law Society of Singapore, and the Singapore Institute of Legal Education unanimously submitted that they had no objections to the application.

Meanwhile, prominent lawyers such as Senior Counsel N Sreenivasan testified to Vikram good character and supported the application for admission.

Said Justice Choo, "Had Mr Vikram Tiwary made his application in person on 9 June 2021, his application would no doubt have been granted." Quoting a legal maxim, the judge added, "What ought to have been done, equity treats as done."

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