OUR PEOPLE . PETER CUTHBERT LOW

Our People

About Peter Cuthbert Low

Founder Peter Cuthbert Low started his law career in the 1970s as State Counsel and Deputy Public Prosecutor at the Attorney-General’s Chambers before moving into private practice and setting up his own law firm shortly thereafter. Peter has over 44 years of experience in handling complex public interest, civil, commercial, criminal and matrimonial litigation. Peter was also the President of the Law Society of Singapore in 1991.

In 2017, Peter was awarded the Law Society of Singapore CC Tan Award, which recognises outstanding members of the Singapore bar who embody the finest and noblest traditions of the legal profession – honesty, fair play, gentlemanliness and personal integrity.

He was singled out and recognised for his firm belief in the right to access to justice, his commitment to public service and for being an inspiring mentor to young lawyers by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon in his 2018 speech delivered at the admission of new lawyers.

Peter is renowned locally and internationally as a human rights lawyer and fearless public interest litigator. Peter’s expertise in public interest litigation dates back to the 1980s, since the time of the so-called “Marxist Conspiracy”.

Peter takes a keen interest in human rights advocacy andis one of the founding members of MARUAH, Singapore’s leading human rights NGO. Through MARUAH, Peter actively engages in forums and speaks on human rights issues in the region. Being at the frontline of law-making, Peter is regularly invited as a panelist at academic conferences to share his views on novel points of law involving constitutional law, administrative law, defamation and contempt of court.

Public Interest Litigation

• • Acted for a foreign domestic worker, Ms Parti Liyani, in disciplinary proceedings against two Deputy Public Prosecutors (2021).
  • Acted for the Singapore Democratic Party in an application to compel the Prime Minister to call a by-election for Marsiling Yew-Tee GRC: Wong Souk Yee v Attorney-General[2019] 1 SLR 1223; [2019] SGCA 25.
  • Defending the Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol-East Town Council in an application by the Ministry of National Development: Attorney-General v Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council[2016] 1 SLR 915; [2015] SGCA 60.
  • Acted in the constitutional challenge of section 377A of the Penal Code (repealed), which criminalised sex between men: Lim Meng Suang and another v Attorney-General [2013] 3 SLR 118; [2013] SGHC 73.
  • Defended Dow Jones-owned Far Eastern Economic Review when sued for defamation by (then) Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong: Review Publishing Co Ltd and another v Lee Hsien Loong and another appeal[2010] 1 SLR 52; [2009] SGCA 46
  • Defended opposition politician Tang Liang Hong when sued for defamation by ex-PAP Members of Parliament:Tang Liang Hong v Lee Kuan Yew and another and other appeals [1997] 3 SLR® 576; [1997] SGCA 52
  • Defended opposition politician Chee Soon Juan when sued for defamation by People Action PartyMember of Parliament Dr Vasoo and Prof Ernest Chew (1994).
  • Actedfor alleged leaders of the “Marxist Conspiracy”, Chng Suan Tze and Vincent Cheng in a landmark constitutional case concerning detention-without-trial under the Internal Security Act: Chng Suan Tze v Minister for Home Affairs and others and other appeals [1988] 2 SLR® 525; [1988] SGCA 16.

Criminal Defence

• • Acting for a former director of Nanyang Technological University subsidiary in cheating and money-laundering charges (2022).
  • Defended the accused person in the so-called “Yishun fatal assault” case (2020).
  • Acted for a former senior-ranking official of Keppel Corporation in investigations relating to corruption (2016).
  • Acted for a former private banker from BSI Bank Limited involved in the 1MDB saga (2016).
  • Successfully gained an acquittal for Professor Tey Tsun Hang, a former law professor of the National University of Singapore, in the so-called “sex-for-grades” corruption case (2014).
  • Defended the former principal (a member of a Catholic religious order) of a top Singapore school against a criminal breach of trust charge (2012 to 2013).
  • Defended one of four bus drivers from Peoples’ Republic of China employed by Singapore Mass Rapid Transport who went on strike (2012).
  • Defended a director of a public-listed company Airocean Group Limited against charges of insider trading, reckless failure to disclose material information to SGX and making an announcement that was misleading in a material particular on SGXNET(2010).
  • Defended a Singapore Armed Forces lieutenant-colonel who was prosecuted by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau for financial irregularities (2004).
  • Defended a Singapore Armed Forces lieutenant when charged for negligently causing an explosion of a bomb resulting in the death of one of his men (1998).

Civil & Commercial Litigation

• • Acting for a shipping company in a shareholder and contractual dispute worth approximately $10 million (2022).
  • Acting for a private client in a cryptocurrency claim in the High Court of Singapore (General Division) (2022).
  • Admitted to the Bruneian bar and acted a high net-worth individualin property-related dispute (2018).
  • Acted in a representative action for a group of financial consultants in a dispute involving their employment contracts and wrongful termination (2014 to 2015).
  • Acted for a claimant in a tortious personal injury claim against SMRT Pte Ltd (2014).
  • Acted for Datin Sandra Kuah (1998 to 2003) in winning a $29 million divorce settlement.

Matrimonial Litigation

• • Acting for a Plaintiff Wife in hotly-contested divorce proceedings, involving multiple injunctions and custody applications, and successfully obtaining a settlement of $4 million (2019 to 2021).
  • Acted for Datin Sandra Kuah in winning a $29 million divorce settlement (1998 to 2003).