Thursday, August 08, 2013

Singapore: End ‘scandalizing the judiciary’ prosecutions...

Singapore’s Attorney General’s Chambers should cease using contempt of court charges to muzzle critics of the judiciary, Human Rights Watch said today. The government should revoke the antiquated contempt offense that permits prison sentences and fines for “scandalizing the judiciary.”

On August 6, 2013, the Attorney General’s Chambers said it would not pursue its contempt case against political cartoonist Leslie Chew, 37, after he agreed to publicly apologize for publishing four cartoons on his Facebook page that the authorities claimed “scandalized the judiciary.” Chew also agreed to take down the four cartoons and accompanying reader comments from his site, and not “put up any post or comic strip, or do any other act that amounts to contempt of court.”

“Singaporean authorities must be incredibly thin-skinned to charge a political cartoonist with contempt of court, getting their way with threats of possible prison time and fines,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director. “The government should lighten up, and promote the internationally recognized right to free expression by removing contempt by ‘scandalizing the judiciary.’”

“Scandalizing the judiciary” is a common law offense dating from Singapore’s British colonial past and is inconsistent with free speech rights. The United Kingdom and other Commonwealth states, including New Zealand, Canada, and Brunei Darussalam, have long since ceased to prosecute this contempt charge.  Full story...

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