Events emanating from the defamation suit hearing before High Court Judge Belinda Ang in May 08 continue to reverberate within Government circles.
Three human rights defenders have been called up for questioning by the police for contempt of court. Mr John Tan, Mr Isrizal and Mr Shafi’ee have been queried about a photograph showing them wearing T-shirts with a picture of a kangaroo in a robe holding a gavel.
The police are specifically looking into:
- Contempt of court under section 7 of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act.
- Participating in an assembly without a permit under section 5(4)(b) of the Misc Offences (public order and nuisance) Act read with para 2 of the Misc Offences (public order and nuisance) prohibition of assemblies and procession–parliament and supreme court.
- Intentional harassment, alarm or distress to any person in a public place under Sect 13 A or sect 13 of the Misc Offences (public order and nuisance) Act.
The judiciary have recently come under the spotlight with the International Bar Association criticising the system here in a report entitled Prosperity versus Individual Rights. This has resulted in a spate of reports about the judicial system in Singapore.