Indian-origin lawyer barred from practice in Australia

An Indian-origin lawyer has been barred from practicing in Australia after it was found that he was convicted for attempting to bribe a witness in Fiji in 2003.
Abhay Kumar Singh, 56, was struck off as lawyer in Queensland for failing to reveal his conviction of attempting to pervert the course of justice in Fiji by trying to bribe a witness, local media reported today.
It was only while renewing his practising certificate that he disclosed the conviction to the Queensland Law Society authorities.
Singh was practising as a Queensland lawyer 2006 onwards until the society refused to renew his certificate in July, 2008, a tribunal has heard.

While representing a client on a criminal charge in Fiji in 2003, Singh offered money to the witness for advantage to his client, the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal heard.
He had practised as a lawyer in New Zealand, Fiji and was admitted as a Queensland lawyer in 2002, The Courier-Mail reported.

Singh pleaded guilty for the bribery attempt and then lost subsequent appeals against the conviction, the tribunal heard. His 12-month jail sentence was reduced to six months to be served outside prison, the report said.
His name was struck from the Fiji legal roll in 2009, but after several appeals, his disbarment was reduced to six years from February, 2010.

QCAT (Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal) president Justice Alan Wilson said in an April 9 decision that Singh's conviction was the result of 'serious professional misconduct'.
Singh still did not seem to have real insight into the seriousness of his offending, which involved dishonesty that went to the heart of the justice system, he said.
The judge ordered Singh's name to be struck from the legal roll and asked him to pay the Legal Services Commissioner's costs.