The Court of Appeal today reduced the sentence of strike-off from the bar of lawyer Abhay Singh from life to 10 years after he appealed the decision of the Independent Legal Services Commissioner.

Singh was found guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct or professional misconduct by the Independent Legal Services Commission in January this year and the Commissioner had ordered that Singh be struck off the roll of practitioners in Fiji.

Singh filed an appeal on 13 grounds, of which one was that the commissioner failed to grant him an adjournment when he was having difficulties contacting and arranging witnesses to attend the hearing.

The Appeals Court Judges, Izaz Khan, William Marshall, Kankani Chitrasiri said that the Commissioner was correct in refusing to grant Singh the adjournment he sought because the circumstances in which he made the application are indicative of an intention to delay the hearing.

However, the three Judges also said that the penalty of being struck off for life was harsh and the attempt to pervert the cause of justice is a very serious offence and that he must be punished.

They also said that Singh has already paid some of the penance and that personal, professional, family and community shame brought on by conviction, imprisonment and strike-off must have taken their toll on Singh and he deserves some mercy.

Therefore, they dismissed Singh's appeal on all substantive grounds argued before them, reduced his sentence from life to 10 years starting from 1st February this year and ordered that Singh pay the Chief Registrar costs.

 
Story by: Praneeta Deo