Sivakolunthu Thirunavukarasu

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

The respondent, a consultant solicitor of 25 years' standing, was found to have forged her clients' signatures to transfer a three-quarter share of their property to herself and to mortgage it to Maybank for her own benefit, and to have deceived clients into providing a $13,106 cheque for stamp fees which she misapplied to another client's transaction. The Disciplinary Committee found charges under ss 83(2)(b) and (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 and to bear costs of both the court and disciplinary proceedings. She had absconded and was neither present nor represented.

Duties found breached:

• No conflict between current clients
• No improper use of client money
• No baseless or threatened misconduct report
• Good faith and courtesy to colleagues

Aggravating factors:

• Conscious and brazen impropriety involving forgery and fraud
• Abuse of clients' trust and misuse of clients' monies
• Advocate and solicitor of 25 years' standing
• Absconded and failed to appear before Disciplinary Committee or court