|
|
The
arrest of the Chairman of the Malaysian Bar Council's Human
Rights Committee, Edmund Bon (watch
video here).
|
Lawyers
M Ravi and Chia Ti Lik hand petition to Law Society
Singapore
Democrats
10 Dec 07
Two lawyers presented a document
entitled "Human Rights Day – Our Calling" to the
Law Society of Singapore (LSS), petitioning the organization to
take a more active role in protecting the rule of law and human
rights in Singapore.
Messrs M Ravi and Chia Ti Lik went
to the LSS office in South Bridge Road to hand over the petition.
Initially, LSS officials refused to receive the document outside
the Society's premises whereupon the group went in to the
office.
Seeing the gaggle of cameramen and reporters
present, LSS officials expressed that the matter could not be
conducted inside and moved the group outside again.
Initially,
the LSS wanted the receptionist to accept the petition but later
called one of its directors, Mr Lim Tan Guy, to receive it.
The
two human rights lawyers then read out the document (see below)
to Mr Lim and hand over the petition to a visibly nervous LSS
officer.
When approached, several lawyers have indicated
their support for the petition but declined to sign it at the
last minute because of fear. It is understood, however, that they
pledged to support future endeavours. One of the signatories is
lawyer, Ms Violet Netto.
Mr Ravi said that the LSS must do
more than just organise its annual Dinner and Dance, and become
active advocates for the rule of law in Singapore. "Even
then, attendance at its D&D have been falling," the
lawyer quipped.
In the meantime, lawyers in Malaysia were
actively campaigning and fighting for the rule of law in their
country. Several of them were arrested yesterday when they
marched to mark International Human Rights Day (see photo/video
on the left).
HUMAN RIGHTS DAY – OUR
CALLING
10th December 2007
President
The
Law Society of Singapore
39 South Bridge Road
Singapore
058673
Dear Sir,
We congratulate you on your
appointment as our new President.
Today we mark the Human
Rights Day along with Lawyers and Bar Associations around the
world that affectionately includes the Malaysian Bar Council.
We
record with dismay that Human Rights Day is a non-event to our
Law Society. We earnestly hope that along with the Law Society's
major events like the Dinner and Dance, and Bench Bar Games,
Human Rights Day will find its way to our calendar in the coming
years.
On this day, we call upon the Law Society of
Singapore to stand firmly on our mission to uphold the Rule of
Law in maintaining a strong and independent Bar as contained in
our mission statement published on our website. It has been
twenty years since the Legal Profession Act was amended by the
state to muzzle the Law Society from commenting on existing and
proposed legislation, unless its views were expressly solicited.
This oppressive legislation not only stifles the Law Society from
making an active contribution to the law making process but also
takes away our vital role as a vanguard of the rights of the
people. It is time that we break this 20 year silence in speaking
up for our rights to speak up.
Given our close affiliation
to the Malaysian Bar Council, we would like to urge the Law
Society to stand in solidarity with their courageous fight for
the rule of law in Malaysia and in this spirit denounce the
recent arrest of the lawyers.
We therefore mark this Human
Rights Day in calling upon the Law Society of Singapore to:
1.
Campaign for the repeal of the section in the Legal Profession
Act which prevents the Law Society from speaking on existing or
proposed legislation;
2. Look into ways to strengthen the
Independence of the Judiciary especially at the Subordinate
Courts;
3. Set up a sub-committee on human rights under
the Law Society and conduct human rights training for
lawyers;
4. Submit an annual report on human rights
violations in Singapore to the Human Rights Institute of the
International Bar Association (IBA) and follow up on issues
pertaining to the Rule of Law raised at the recent IBA 2007
Conference;
5. Establish a Judicial complaints mechanism
in addressing complaints by lawyers and the public on any
misbehaviour by Judges and Legal Officers from the
Attorney-General's Chambers;
6. Urge the government to set
up a National Human Rights Commission.
Yours faithfully,
M
Ravi
Chia Ti Lik
L F Violet Netto
|
|
