By The Online Citizen
The Attorney General’s Office today made an extraordinary application for the court to remind Mr Alan Shadrake of his right to seek leave of court if he wants to exit the jurisdiction.
The implication is that if the defense makes the application to be allowed to leave the jurisdiction, the prosecution will not contest it.
Alan Shadrake was sentenced to six weeks jail and $20,000 fine last Tuesday after having been found guilty of scandalizing the Singapore judiciary with his book Once A Jolly Hangman. He appealed against the sentence on 18th Nov 2010.
“It is unprecedented for the prosecution to apply to the order of court to remind the defense that he can make this application,” said Shadrake’s lawyer M Ravi. “Any defense counsel is obviously aware that this route is available to a defendant that is not living in Singapore but the Attorney General in most circumstances would contest it.”
When contacted, Shadrake said he would consider the offer.
“I’m looking forward to spending Christmas with my family in London but I haven’t made up my mind,” he said.
UPDATE: Tuesday, 23 November, 18.30 hrs:
Alan Shadrake applies to the High Court to leave Singapore. In a letter to the Court Registrar, Shadrake’s lawyer, M Ravi said:
“We refer .. to the Order made in court on 22 November 2010 by His Honour, Justice Quentin Loh. Pursuant to the said Order, our client wishes to leave the jurisdiction as soon as possible.”
The Registrar has fixed Friday, 26 November, 9.30am for the hearing before the judge in chambers.
In his reply to the Registrar, Mr Ravi asks for the proceedings to be heard in open court instead.
“We are surprised that you have fixed the application to be heard in chambers rather than in open court to which we take objection to [sic]. Please reconsider your position and kindly fix the matter to be heard in open court on 26 November 2010 at 9.30am.”
UPDATE: Thursday, 25 November, 13.30hrs:
The court has granted M Ravi’s request for the hearing to be held in open court, despite the Attorney General’s objections. The hearing will be heard on Friday, 26 November, at 9.30am, at Court 4C.
TOC will provide more updates as and when we have them.
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Let Sheldrake go n pray he don’t come back.
Then don’t need go International Court of Justice.
Dont want go International Court?
Go there and all ‘shit’ comes out?
AFRAID OF INTERNATIONAL COURT DECISION?
the british government 7th marine regiments is on alert led by prince harry
of the royal british marine commandos
they havn’t conquered singapoor since 1819..hee hee
chief judge got instruction don’t prayed played lark…if the former belated princess diana can die of a freak accidental death..who else cannot? and british mi7 do needs retrainnin since their falkup jobs in iraq…
So what Alan Shadrake wrote in his book is totally correct. Singapore gov will balls shrink when foreigners from Large Western Countries invoke their leaders’ help.
Alan must have know well the behavior of Singapore government and expected of such “compromise”. But lets see if he is really a man of moral. I guess he will stay put and put up a fight. After all, its the PAP government who started all this firstly “asking” the book stores to remove his books and charged him with Contempt of court.
Tsk tsk tsk tsk!
Truth is truth whether it is said in Singapore or in the ICJ.
Alan Shadrake should face the Singapore justice system and take the opportunity to get his case heard in the ICJ.
The PAP government would have a chance to see if the courts in Singapore is tilted in favour of the PAP or not.
http://www.ngejay.com/?p=2877
AL
The PAP government would have a chance to see if the courts in Singapore is tilted in favour of the PAP or not.
……………..
ha ha ha laffinoutloud rollin on the grass in honglim park…
1st of all..the ICJ would had asked who is the chief justice of singapore..then icj would had asked where did he learnt law and who give him his black batman cloak…
I don’t think Alan should take that offer. Instead, he should stay and have his case heard at ICJ.
I think there is something fishy about this offer. I hope Alan don’t fall into this trap.
Hao han bu chi yan qian kui
Shadrake shld just go…
“Shadrake shld just go…”
agree to that…but only after spending more time promoting and selling his books in Singapore, unhindered of course.
call it Shadrake’s X’mas gift to Spore.
Yellowbird 22 November 2010
I don’t think Alan should take that offer. Instead, he should stay and have his case heard at ICJ.
I think there is something fishy about this offer. I hope Alan don’t fall into this trap.
…………..
our pap government is givin him a free passage out WITHOUT hindrance..
alan should just leave and write another book whether in malaysia/britain..
alan hav already achieved his famed/martyship more easier than aung suun suki…
Reminds me of a chicken shitting in his pants. Alan Shadrake is prepared to go the whole hog with them but they are throwing in the towel after just one round?!
Wasamata? Dun care to take the knocks outside your courtroom?
Shadrake JiaYu
but they are throwing in the towel after just one round?!
…………..
i remembered my own immigration case against the british government where i did no wrong nor enter the country illegally.. the british immigration department find all xcuses/loopholes to thow me out till 1 smart free legalaided lawyer(he a legalised converted indian origin immigrant) show me the rope
goes thourgh the motion @ the same time..applied for my earin to be heard in the house of common..then house of lords and worst come to worst..go to world court in europe..lucky for me i also hav a shiny star benefactor behind my back… a very very influential right hand man of maggie thatcher the prime minister @ that time.. he just said..
i will give you a referal if that failed..moved to my ward/constituncy..guranteed you 101%free a free man…
whoila within 2 months immigration department wrote back blah/blah/blah out of compassion/humantarian grounds..i was granted indefite stays of residency..
i took that offer and still returned home as a perdiocal son…
They are SCARED!
HAHHA this is hilarious. Hope Shadrake tells them to go F themselves, but I wouldn’t blame him if he took up the offer.
Just take the offer Alan. You won the case if not the court session.
Have a nice Christmas with your family and think about another book
Having “won” its case, the prosecution is
now running around like a headless chicken.
Hahahahhah…….!!!!!!
Whatever you decide to do Alan you can hold your head up high. You took them on, in their own personal playground and you won!
MFA least expected the British Foriegn Minister Jeremy Browne to say such words.
Singapore is the talk of the town rather the world now.
Now we all know the Democrates in the USA do not like the games played in Singapore, now the British are pissed as well.You can never fight 2 giants, no matter what.
So poor thing, the AG Chambers have to write in to remind Shadrake his rights.
I still wonder what more is coming Singapore’s way, especially from Britian.
hahaha, enjoying every moment.
Hold tight Mr Shadrake & Ravi.
A coward dies many times, a brave only dies once.
You have done what you have set out to do. An achievement all your progeny can be proud of.
I’m glad that Shadrake is now on the driver seat. Whatever decision he makes, I wish him the best of luck. Merry Christmas!
P.s. It is a pity that a Singaporean author would not have such an option!
This is an absolute waste of public resources. In the first place, this case should not be allowed to proceed, waste time waste effort. lampah pahlan!
Well done Alan, I wish I could personally shake your hand for all your troubles. You more than deserve to be home for X’mas with the family. I would also love to see the matter taken further to the International Courts. But whatever your decision, you have already gained my utmost respect.
You have done well alan. Happy Xmas.
iamtheINFORMANT@mi7
No, dude, you got it all wrong. They would not need to send the 7 marine regiment. For Singapore all they would send are boy scouts.
It is good to be foreigners. They have more rights than Singaporeans.
obviously PAP and their machine is trying to open the gate and let Alan flee and then just say he ran away and they cant do anything. well… is PAP always good at letting people run away…
this clearly shows how PAP and their machine are chickening out… they only dare to show their knuckles in their jungle singapore. on a flat turf fight, they will flee like cowards…
Of course the dilemma facing the 76 year old Alan is if he doesn’t take it will the PAP, I mean the courts (silly me) increase he sentence on appeal, even though they know that will hurt them even more int he long run. if there is one thing they want to avoid more than international condemnation its defiance in their own back yard.
I would like to migrate to Britain and come back as a tourist or PR.
Only then will I have the right to speak my mind.
What does that offer really mean ? He is free to go ? No more defamation charges ?
Is Singapore giving way to some kind of international pressure, exactly the kind that is alleged in the book ?
Or is it because Singapore is worried that Alan may kick the bucket while in Singapore prison and it will be an international blunder for Singapore justice ?
Seems a lot answers are needed.
The offer means he can leave the country pending his appeal so that if he doesnt return Singapore will say he jumped ship to escape charges and will take the matter up when he returns to Singapore again.
If Alan doesnt come back to face the charges then he cannot go to the International Court of Justice which means that Singapore will not have to answer questions regarding the content of Alan’s book to a world wide audience.
They gave him a massive sentence to deter anyone else (locals) and then gave him a back door to get out of the situation.
They have guilty written all over them.
There are two possibilities why this option is given to him by the Singapore Government:either the PAP is afraid that he might die while under detention as he has colon cancer,thus PAP may have blood in their hands or PAP is showing mercy and compassion toward this frail old man.What say you.
locals are DAFT, as mm said.
foreigners are talent as mm said…
better to be foreigner than local..
but hell, isn’t many of our miw children,foreigners, now….
They have laid out the red carpet for him to go. They are hoping he will die elsewhere soon and no more case. If he lives, they can deny him entry (and claim he did not return). Both ways it will avoid international humiliation at the ICJ. As I mentioned before, after the humiliation at the Privy Council in the JBJ case, they will never avail themselves to the ICJ. They can remove appeals to Privy Council but cannot do the same for the ICJ. BTW can Singaporeans bring their appeals to ICJ. Anyone knows?
The government has made it’s point, in principle. Letting this saga drag on will just make us look bad internationally.
not so fast Alan, don’t leave so soon.
you have interviewed the “jolly hangman” of SinCity, how about one more interview before you hit the road towards home Alan?
Chia Thye Poh makes a compelling story for the rest of the world, Chia has yet to be convicted for any crime in SinCity’s kangaroo court.
So I say, “go for it Alan and have a Merry Christmas!”
It is certainly amazing that the AG is helping Alan Shadrake apply for to leave Singapore jurisdiction.
Will the AG assist Alan Shadrake to apply for a immigration visa to return to the Singapore Jurisdiction, or will Alan Shadrake be fixed if he is unable to return to Singapore ?
Hold your horses, Alan. Wait for them to buy you a return air ticket, grant you a visa for your return to Sunkenpore to answer the defamation charges (if they have the balls to proceed!) and to serve your sentence for this one, and reimburse you for all your expenses including Ravi’s fees for this and all upcoming cases, before you kiss them goodbye.
We Sunkenporeans don’t mind paying for everything thru’ our taxes just this one time.
On this occasion, UNIQUELY SINGAPORE is apt.
It’s been 15 years. What fate waits for me when I return to Singapore?
All I did was write about the truth in my book, Escape from Paradise.
Chickening out at this point of time is
intriguing, what’s on the mind of our Govt. Having cold feet finally? Or some other agenda?
May Chu Harding 23 November 2010
It’s been 15 years. What fate waits for me when I return to Singapore?
All I did was write about the truth in my book, Escape from Paradise.
………….
yours should be okay
yeochewgone has been DEMOTED…his spouse is no longer a grand tai tai in the upper glass row…
I dont understand what is happening here. Can someone who is called to the bar kindly please explain to me in baby language what is really happening here.
many thanks
It’s self-preservation time in the PAPaya kingdom. And it’s all to do with the current and future bad image and bad press they have won for themselves in the prosecution, jailing and fining of Alan Shadrake in what is widely seen as a lopsided court. What’s worse is if the victim (now a frail 76 year-old) suffers some untoward consequences while enjoying the PAPayas’ hospitality in the Changi holiday resort. How to explain THAT when he has been treated as public enemy #1 from day one? Of course the added threat of having to justify their actions in the ICJ, where an even playing field exists, is also unpalatable.
As for the PAPayas showing mercy and compassion, it’s a little late in the day for such human feelings, don’t you think?
The minute someone heard you are not a “Pap man”, he would let go a chain of expletives! Followed by good justifications for the extreme adversion to PAP!
One of which is…I reached 55 and they tell me I cannot take out a big chunk of MY $$!! What the fuck!!
Preston Loon,
Mercy & compassion for what? Murdering the Lees?
Luckily it is not a Singaporean who has written this or s/he will be dead meat, cancer or not.
If you can arrest & punish people for what they write, will you have mercy & compassion?
maybe the ole fart knows too well that the risk of going into ICJ, he and his party would have alot more to loose when more shits were being dug out, maybe someone offered this alan guy some 10mil and ask him to go and don’t ever come back here again? possible? why not, after all its taxpayers money what!
Amazing!
Alan has been proven right!
Thanks to the junior minister’s intervention, he appears to have been given leave to “escape”
Am glad that Ravi asked for this to be heard in Open Court. Then we can see if the Prosecutor thinks he is a flight risk or not!
The prosecution knows they don’t stand a chance in ICJ, so they say Alan can leave if he wants to. Alan should consider counter sueing. This time, its SG’s defamation of him, wrongly detaining him and wasting his time writing more books.
Any ”thinking” person (intelligence lah) would by now know that the ”change” was strategized in such a manner via application to … just to avoid being shamed/exposed and worse still the fear that it might open up a can of worms.
Alan only wrote about unjust cases where hanging are involved.
Can you imagine how many other unjust cases are there (that don’t involve hanging the accused)??
e.g. Ministers with Teleporting magic power (as in “Jumper” the movie) that can appear IN polling station WITHOUT appearing WITHIN 200m.
Can Ravi leave too? I am starting to worry for him.