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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I am now reminded of the Phey Yew Kok case…
Did the AG’s chambers also suggest the same thing to the court? I wonder?
It’s getting interesting-er and interest-er!
So the Court made their point, but yet didn’t at the same time by allowing Alan to leave. Alan is leaving. Some would interpret it as his lack of will. I would say that he is practical.
interesting story. see #1
http://www.singsupplies.com/showthread.php?p=612005#post612005
This is an umbelievable story. Certainly the singapore regime is not afraid of the ridicule. They thought they could bully their way into silencing Alan! Think again. Times have changed. This regime must understand that they are acountable to the people and wont be able to get away with their bullying and scare tactics anymore. Well done Ravi, congratulations Alan. Great victory for freedom of speech
Ah Cow 23 November 2010
I am now reminded of the Phey Yew Kok case…
……………..
who made pheyyewcock the president?
who made DevanNair the president as well?
do you need to poll for a lifeline?
so much for leekingyou’s GREAT forsights….
Maybe Alan need a break. Would you like to spend Christmas at home with your family in London or in a Singapore jail.Merry Chritmas Alan.
God bless you Mr Shadrake, you have done enough for Singaporeans, as a fellow human being. Thank you for opening our eyes to atrocities being done in Singapore in the name of law and order.
As we can see, we may not even need you to expose the discrimination in Singapore’s judiciary processes. AGC’s blatant invitation for you to leave the country and a Lexus owning rich man’s daughter (Cleopatra wong) getting away with being fined a measly 800 bucks for an outright hit and run speak volumes in itself. I am truly disgusted to be a Singaporean today.
I guess with the polling station incident our judiciary lose all respect and made a fool of themselves.
Our Judiciary looks more the chicken than Shadrake,losing face for Singapore.
Lost our respect for the Court, it needs international pressure to cow them, very shameful.
he won’t come back.. britain won’t extradite someone for a case which seems ridiculous…there’ll be too much public pressure at home as well…unfortunately he would be yet another critic who sits comfortably in a distant foreign country.
International Pressure won’t change anything. Internal Pressure will.
Dear Mr. Alan,
you need to come back after christmas to enjoy thanksgiving with us.
you need to come back to FULFILL your MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, otherwise you lose all credibility, and i won’t buy your book, 3x.
you need to be the British, you are BORN to be, remember WW2 ??? the british lion ????
you have to come back, but hey, unless they refused you a visa, persona non gracia or something like that ,@,@,@,@,@,
they can truthfully PAY themselves MORE MILLIONS for WASTE of time and maybe end up on the noooze(by the neck or dick)
Alan if you don’t come back, it is perfectly understandable. Use your freedom outside to
further your cause.
If you do come back, I would consider it an act of martyrdom for the sake of Singaporeans.
But do take your family’s welfare and well being into account when you decide.
All the best.
popcorn
- true! the court looks like a chicken court bow down to former colonial masters. yes sahib!
Can someone please explain:
(1) The difference between a chambers hearing and open court hearing?
(2) When is a matter to be dealt with in chambers and when is open court appropriate?
Nokiefone 24 November 2010
Can someone please explain:
(1) The difference between a chambers hearing and open court hearing?
(2) When is a matter to be dealt with in chambers and when is open court appropriate?
………..
in a chambers matin onLEE 4 eyes..(8 to be more accurate)
judge/defence/prostituor/chargsee
no outside jounalists/spectators or brown/kaangaroo tshirts wearers
I was looking in the mainstream newspaper and did not see it. Is it a joke of is it another example of selective information to the public?
This PAP only knows how to bully the weak or its own people lah.
The police, ISD & judiciary are all paid by taxpayers but are they really used to protect taxpayers? If the paedophile scholar was in SG, he would have gone unnoticed because all the authorities are too busy going after ‘treason’ cases. You will get a knock on the door by the police if you post anything unfavourable of a PAP member with the word ‘burn but would the same happen if you download anything illegal? Does anyone want to try downloading illegal pics & see if the police notice?
Can someone please explain:
When is a matter to be dealt with in chambers and when is open court appropriate?
I know that some hearings are usually done in chambers and I’m wondering if there is such a “type” of case.
Cos if there is and Shadrake’s application falls into that category, then there is nothing surprising. Thanks.
Btw, I think it would be most helpful if TOC would write an article explaining to readers about the organisation of the government in Singapore, ie, how there are three branches, their functions, their composition.
This may conduce to more fruitful discussion because from the comments above, readers treat the judiciary with the same attitude as the executive and legislature (the PAP) and also write quite insulting comments abt it.
didn’t he say that he’d stay n fight ?
haha, guess that he’s smarten up a little during his stay here.
when going gets tough, the tough go!
“when going gets tough, the tough go!”
don’t be so gaga over a foreplay that is still ongoing !
what you should have said is, “when going gets tough, the bully becomes a coward and persuades the tough to go!”
“gaga 25 November 2010
didn’t he say that he’d stay n fight ?
haha, guess that he’s smarten up a little during his stay here.
when going gets tough, the tough go!”
Replying to The Straits Times yesterday, Shadrake said he wants to return to Penang and London to settle “personal matters”. He did not disclose the length of his proposed trip out of Singapore.
‘I intend to come back. I’m not running away,’ he added.
aga-aga, is that loud enough for you?
gaga 25 November 2010
didn’t he say that he’d stay n fight ?
………….
do you know ow to fight..when to fight..where to fight?
obviouslee you hav the braincell of darren ng….
are you braindead? darren ng is already DEAD….
than again you do hold hands liked a gautagged team like your master leekinyou inc…