SUSPENDED activist lawyer Ravi Madasamy, better known as M. Ravi, was found dead in the early hours of Wednesday, December 24. Singapore police have confirmed they are investigating the case as one of unnatural death.
Lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam, who had represented Ravi in court and considered him a friend, expressed deep sorrow at the news.
“He has had his struggles but was always true to the cause he fought with all his heart. The cases he argued have helped shape constitutional law in Singapore. He has contributed to and will be missed by the legal profession,” Thuraisingam told The Staits Times.
Shashi Nathan also paid tribute, describing Ravi as “a good man who had contributed to the law. Ravi was often divisive and went against the grain.
But deep down I always sensed he had a good heart and wanted the best for his clients. He was fearless in his advocacy and would often push the envelope.”
Ravi, 56, was born into a challenging family environment. In interviews in 2005, he disclosed that his father, who died in 2003, had struggled with alcoholism and was frequently in jail, while his mother, who died in 2000, worked as a construction labourer to support their seven children.
He studied law in England after graduating from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1993 and began practising in 1997.
Over his career, Ravi remained a polarising figure. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2006 and faced multiple disciplinary proceedings, including monetary penalties and suspensions from practice. He had been struck off the rolls by the Court of Three Judges on two occasions.
The first incident followed “false and unwarranted attacks” on social media in August 2020 against then-President Halimah Yacob, then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.
The second arose in November 2021, when Ravi repeatedly interrupted a High Court judge during a case involving a former SBS Transit bus driver, and later attempted to influence court records through his paralegal.
At the time of his death, Ravi was serving a five-year suspension, the maximum permitted under law, for making “baseless and grave” allegations against the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Law Society.
These arose from his comments to socio-political website The Online Citizen and posts on Facebook following a Court of Appeal decision in 2020.
Despite controversies, colleagues noted his substantial contributions to constitutional law and his fearless advocacy for human rights in Singapore. - December 24, 2025
