Sivakolunthu Thirunavukarasu

Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision

The respondent, an advocate and solicitor of 25 years' standing, was instructed to give effect to a settlement agreement for her clients. Instead she forged clients' signatures to transfer a three-quarter share of the Senang Crescent property to herself and mortgaged it to Maybank for her own benefit, and misapplied a $13,106 cheque meant for stamp duty towards another client's transaction. The Disciplinary Committee found charges under ss 83(2)(b) and 83(2)(h) made out. The High Court found clear fraudulent and grossly improper conduct involving fraud and dishonesty, and ordered the respondent struck off the roll, bearing the costs of both the show cause and disciplinary proceedings.

Duties found breached:

• No baseless or threatened misconduct report
• Good faith and courtesy to colleagues

Aggravating factors:

• Forged clients' signatures to transfer a share in their property to herself
• Mortgaged the property to Maybank for her own benefit using forged signatures
• Deceived clients into providing a $13,106 cheque supposedly for stamp duty and misapplied it towards another client's transaction
• 25 years' standing at the Bar - conscious and brazen impropriety
• Absconded, whereabouts unknown, not present or represented