Christopher de Souza | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2015 | |
| Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore | |
| Assumed office 31 August 2020 Serving with
| |
| Prime Minister | Lee Hsien Loong Lawrence Wong |
| Speaker | Seah Kian Peng (2023–present) Tan Chuan-Jin (2017–2023) |
| Preceded by | Charles Chong Lim Biow Chuan |
| Member of Parliament forHolland–Bukit Timah GRC | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Majority |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | Christopher James de Souza (1976-01-21)21 January 1976 (age 50) |
| Party | People's Action Party |
| Alma mater | King's College London (LLB) University of Oxford (BCL) |
| Occupation |
|
Christopher James de Souza (born 21 January 1976) is a Singaporean politician and lawyer who has been serving asDeputy Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore since 2020. A member of the governingPeople's Action Party (PAP), he has been theMember of Parliament (MP) representing the Ulu Pandan division ofHolland–Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency (GRC) since 2006.
A lawyer by profession, de Souza has been working atLee & Lee since 2006[1][2] and had also worked atWongPartnership between 2011 and 2014.
Prior to entering politics in the2006 general election, he worked in theSingapore Legal Service.[3]
de Souza was educated atSt. Michael's Primary School,St. Joseph's Institution andRaffles Junior College before graduating fromKing's College London in 2000 with aBachelor of Laws with first class honours degree.
He subsequently went on to complete aBachelor of Civil Law with distinction degree at theUniversity of Oxford in 2001 under a scholarship.[3]
He had also represented Singapore inhockey at various tournaments until 2005.[3][4]
de Souza started his career in theSingapore Legal Service in 2002 as aJustice's Law Clerk toChief JusticeYong Pung How. He served as Deputy Public Prosecutor and State Counsel at theAttorney-General's Chambers between 2004 and 2005 before becoming a Magistrate at theSubordinate Courts and Assistant Registrar at theHigh Court between 2005 and 2006.[5][3]
de Souza joined Lee & Lee in 2006 as a Senior Associate before he became a Partner in 2008. In 2011, he moved toWongPartnership as a Partner.[6] In 2015, he left WongPartnership and returned to Lee & Lee as a Partner.[3]
In 2022, the Disciplinary Tribunal of theLaw Society of Singapore made a finding that de Souza had engaged in professional misconduct by assisting a client in suppression of evidence.[7] However, this decision was overturned on appeal. On 31 July 2023, theCourt of Three Judges acquitted de Souza, finding no intention on his part to suppress evidence on behalf of his client.[8][9] Subsequently, in November 2023, the Law Society of Singapore was ordered to refund de Souza over S$32,000 in costs, affirming his complete exoneration. Through his lawyers, de Souza expressed that he was 'humbled' by the decision and 'feels fully vindicated'.[10][11]
De Souza made his political debut in the2006 general election when he joined a five-memberPeople's Action Party (PAP) team contesting inHolland–Bukit Timah GRC. The PAP team won by an uncontested walkover and de Souza thus became a Member of Parliament representing the Ulu Pandan ward of Holland–Bukit Timah GRC.[12]
During the2011 general election, de Souza joined the four-member PAP team contesting in Holland–Bukit Timah GRC. After they won with 60.08% of the vote against theSingapore Democratic Party, de Souza continued serving as the Member of Parliament representing the Ulu Pandan ward of Holland–Bukit Timah GRC.[13][5] He retained his parliamentary seats in the subsequent general elections in2015 and2020 after the PAP team in Holland–Bukit Timah GRC won with 66.60% and 66.36% of the vote against theSingapore Democratic Party in those two general elections.[12]
De Souza has served on variousGovernment Parliamentary Committees (GPCs) since 2006, and has been the Deputy Chairman for the GPC on Manpower from 2011 to 2015, and Chairman for the GPC on Home Affairs and Law since 2015.[12] In 2009, he was nominated as a Young Global Leader at theWorld Economic Forum.[14] On 31 August 2020, he andJessica Tan were elected asDeputy Speakers of Parliament.[12]
On 22 September 2025, de Souza was renominated as Deputy Speaker in the15th Parliament, alongside first-time nomineeXie Yao Quan.[15][16]
De Souza is a Catholic.[17] He and his wife Sharon have four children.[17]
We are of the view that the failure to make such full and frank disclosure amounted to suppression of evidence by Amber, and by filing the supporting affidavit, the respondent was a party to and assisted in such suppression
The Court of Three Judges, the legal profession's highest disciplinary body, on Monday (Jul 31) acquitted Member of Parliament Christopher James de Souza of improper professional conduct as a lawyer.
People's Action Party MP Christopher de Souza was cleared of a charge of professional misconduct as a lawyer on Monday.
The Law Society of Singapore (LawSoc) has been ordered to pay a refund of more than S$32,000 (US$23,700) in costs to Member of Parliament Christopher James de Souza, after the 47-year-old was acquitted of improper professional conduct as a lawyer.
The Law Society of Singapore has been ordered to refund more than $32,000 in legal costs to MP and lawyer Christopher de Souza, in the wake of his acquittal on a professional misconduct charge.
| Parliament of Singapore | ||
|---|---|---|
| New constituency | Member of Parliament forHolland–Bukit Timah GRC 2006–present Served alongside: (2006–2011):Yu-Foo Yee Shoon,Lim Swee Say,Vivian Balakrishnan,Liang Eng Hwa (2011–2015):Sim Ann, Vivian Balakrishnan, Liang Eng Hwa (2015–2020): Sim Ann, Vivian Balakrishnan, Liang Eng Hwa (2020–2025): Sim Ann, Vivian Balakrishnan,Edward Chia (2025–present): Sim Ann, Vivian Balakrishnan, Edward Chia | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Deputy Speaker 2020–present Served alongside: (2020–2025):Jessica Tan (2025–present):Xie Yao Quan | Incumbent |
