Peter Ong Lip Cheng LL.B. (Hons) (London); Barrister-at-Law (Inner Temple); Advocate and Solicitor (High Court of Malaya); Advocate and Solicitor (Supreme Court of Singapore); Commissioner for Oaths

Peter Ong Lip Cheng graduated from the University of London in 1994. He was admitted as Barrister-at-Law of England and Wales by The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple on 23 November 1995. Upon completion of his 6 months Chambering under the guidance of prominent criminal lawyer, Mr Edmond Pereira, he left Singapore to complete his 9 months Chambering in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. He was Called to the Malaysia Bar as Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya on 24 May 1997 and practised as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in Johor Bahru for about a year.

Upon his Called to the Bar as Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore on 21 March 1998, Peter Ong joined AMOLAT & PARTNERS as partner. He later practised with CHRISTOPHER BRIDGES until he was admitted as partner with THOMAS LOH PARTNERSHIP on 1 July 2000. On 1 July 2002, he founded ONG LIP CHENG & RAJENDRAN with Mr M S Rajendran. He founded PETER ONG & RAYMOND TAN on 8 July 2004.

In the area of civil litigation, Peter Ong has handled cases in the area of Bankruptcy and Insolvency Law, Divorce and Family Law, Road Traffic Accident claims, Debt Recovery, Hire Purchase; Defamation and Interlocutory applications under various Orders of the Rules of Court, appeared before the Strata Title Board, appeared before the Appeals Board under the Land Acquisition Act, Construction Claim and Alternate Disputes Resolution.

In the area of Corporate Practice, Peter Ong provides essential legal advice to corporations and individuals regarding legal rights, practice, employment law and obligations and ensures business practices and transactions are legal and do not conflict with the Companies Act. He provided Company Secretarial services, drafting and vetting of agreements. He has acted for both private and public listed companies and has worked very closely with the companies’ in-house legal counsel.

Upon his admission to the Singapore Bar in 1998, Peter Ong was assigned his first criminal trial by CLAS. The acquittal of the accused of 2 aggravated outrage of modesty charges under section 354A of the Penal Code was his most satisfactory and memorable one. His subsequent 3 criminal trials also resulted with acquittals. He has secured more than 70 acquittals for his clients.

In the course of his career, Peter Ong has handled many criminal cases involving murder; drug trafficking; sexual offences such as outrage of modesty and rape; robbery; housebreaking; assaults; criminal intimidation; road traffic; criminal breach of trust; offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Immigration Act, Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, Armed Offences Act, Singapore Armed Forces Act, Moneylenders Act and Customs Act. He has argued criminal motions and cases in the High Court, Magistrate’s Appeal and Criminal Appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeal of Singapore. He is an assigned Counsel under the Legal Assistance Scheme for Capital Offences (LASCO) and an active Law Society of Singapore Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (CLAS) volunteer lawyer. He sat in the subcommittee of the Criminal Practice Committee of the Law Society during the recent amendment of the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code.

Among the significant cases which Peter Ong has handled – PP v Mezan Miah Biraj Miah (Acquittal of 2 counts of Outrage of Modesty); PP v Tee Swee Chuan (Acquittal of Littering); PP v Tan Peck Chin (Acquittal of Shoplifting); PP v Fu He Qun (Acquittal of Criminal Intimidation); PP v Mohammed Kasman Bin Abdul Latiff (Acquittal of Housebreaking); PP v Lee Lai Hong (Acquittal of Outrage of Modesty); PP v Tai Soon Huat (Acquittal of Drug Possession and Possession of Offensive Weapon); PP v Ng Kum Kit (Acquittal of Offences Under the Secondhand Dealers Licence Act, Appeal Against Sentence for Receiving Stolen Property Reduced from 6 months imprisonment to 6 weeks before Yong Pung How CJ); PP v Tan Tiew Gay (Drug Trafficking – Capital Charge reduced to Possession 8 months’ imprisonment); PP v Anthony Ler Wee Teang & Anor (Insurance Agent’s Murder by a 15-year boy instigated by Anthony Ler); PP v Siew Tee Siong (Acquittal of Offence Under Betting Act); PP v Sesy Liana Ali (Acquittal of Renovation Loan Cheat); PP v Kuah Bin Chuan (Homicide – Capital charge reduced to culpable homicide not amounting to murder); PP v Tran Nghia Hong (Acquittal of Possession of Obscene Films); PP v Yap Chee Hoon (Causing Death by Negligence Act reduced to Driving without Due Care and Attention, Fined $1,000 and 12 months disqualification); Tan Yong Joo (Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act – released on 3 year police supervision); CMB v 2WO Cheng Cheok Siong (SAF Court Martial – Acquittal of 3 counts of charges under SAF Act); PP v Mohammed bin Mydin (Drug Trafficking – Acquittal); PP v Teo Michael (Outrage of Modesty – Acquittal); PP v Muhammad Haziq bin Mohammed (Murder – reduced to culpable homicide not amounting to murder); PP v Mohd Sadruddin bin Azman (Rape – reduced to Outrage of Modesty); PP v Lim Kah Leng [2010] SGDC 327 (Forgery (Parking Coupon) Acquittal of 3 charges); Yang Suan Piau Steven v Public Prosecutor [2013] 1 SLR 809 (False statements to customs officers to cover up breach of ¾ tank rule – sentence of two weeks’ imprisonment set aside and substituted with a fine of $4,000).

In the area of civil litigation, Mr Ong has handled cases in the area of Bankruptcy and Insolvency Law, Family Law, Road Traffic Accident claims, Debt Recovery, Hire Purchase; Defamation and Interlocutory applications under various Orders of the Rules of Court.  He has also sat in the Legal Aid Board reviewing the merits of applicants’ cases.  His other areas of practice include Conveyancing and Property Law, Probate and Administration of Estates, Corporate Law and other solicitor work.

Peter Ong served in the Advocacy Committee and Information Technology Committee of the Law Society of Singapore in 2002. He is currently serving in the Criminal Practice Committee, International Relations Committee and Prime Law Committee. Peter Ong gives free legal advice to residents in Kim Seng Community Club Legal Clinic. He was appointed Commissioner for Oaths in 2008.

Peter Ong was awarded the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators President’s Prize for the best paper in the Drafting and Award-Writing module of the Graduate Certificate in International Arbitration (GCIA) course conducted by the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore on 1 September 2011.

On 13 September 2011, Peter Ong was admitted as a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb). On 3 November 2011, Peter Ong was admitted as a Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (FSIArb).  He was admitted as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) on 5 December 2011.

Peter Ong speaks English, Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese and Fujian.

PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS / CONTRIBUTIONS (LAW SOCIETY OF SINGAPORE)

VOLUNTEER WORK

PRACTICE EXPERIENCE

ACADEMIC / PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

CHAMBERING EXPERIENCE

• MR EDMOND PEREIRA (Edmond Pereira & Partners, Singapore)
• MR AWTAR SINGH S/O SURAT SINGH (A Singh & Partners, Johor Bahru)

ADMISSION TO JURISDICTION