Integrity of judiciary must be protected

June 5, 2008
Integrity of judiciary must be protected
Law minister says any attack on courts must be dealt with strictly
By Zakir Hussain
THE law has to be strict about any attack on the courts to protect the integrity of the judiciary, Law Minister K. Shanmugam said. 'People must have confidence that the judiciary is independent,' he told reporters at a youth camp at Mayflower Secondary School yesterday. 'In order to make sure that we protect the integrity of the judiciary, and to make sure that people's confidence in the judiciary is not affected, you have to be very, very strict about anyone who attacks the judiciary in scurrilous ways, or calls into question its independence.' Mr Shanmugam, who is also Second Home Affairs Minister, was replying to questions from the media on recent instances of attacks on the courts here, in particular by opposition politicians Chee Soon Juan and his sister Chee Siok Chin. Both had been found to be in contempt of court. They began serving their sentences yesterday. Mr Shanmugam, a top lawyer who became a Cabinet minister last month, said: 'In a country like Singapore, based on democratic principles, you look at the institutions that underpin the foundation of our society. And conceptually, rule of law is important. 'It means independence of the judiciary and equality of everyone before the law. 'In order to have that not just as a slogan but in reality, you need an independent judiciary that really protects the citizens and in fact anyone who goes before the courts,' he added. Penalties for contempt of court were not unknown in many countries, he noted. 'Contempt of court is something that has been known to the law for centuries. It's been developed in many civilised jurisdictions. Our courts uphold their dignity and it is the duty of all of us to condemn attacks on the judiciary as totally unacceptable,' he said. Mr Shanmugam was also asked about media reports that quoted Malaysian Foreign Minister Rais Yatim as saying that the recent judgment of the International Court of Justice on Pedra Branca could be reviewed if new evidence was found. The court had awarded Pedra Branca to Singapore and two nearby rock outcrops to Malaysia. The Malaysian minister had told Malaysian media that he had directed his officials to trace a letter written by British governor William Butterworth to Johor rulers in 1844, seeking permission to build Horsburgh Lighthouse on the island of Pedra Branca. Mr Shanmugam replied: 'We wait to see. It's really difficult to comment on newspaper reports.' zakirh@sph.com.sg