Singapore's legal profession has been plunged into turmoil after the country's chief justice and minister for law threatened to forcibly reform the local Law Society.

The Singapore Law Society, which is modelled on the English legal bar regime, has been warned that if plans to introduce tougher measures against corruption and malpractice in the profession are too weak then the Government will effectively take over the regulation of the profession.

The move follows a series of high profile malpractice suits in the Southeast Asian state that have scandalised the profession and led to public concern over the state of the local Law Society.