Articles you will never see in the local media

[biomech]

In 2003, Canada's Supreme Court said Canadian courts can only recognise a foreign judgement if the legal system that produced the judgement meets Canada's constitutional standards. And so EnerNorth's lawyers, in their written submission, argued that Singapore's legal system is not on a par with Canada's and so the Singapore decision against their client should not be enforceable in Canada.

The submission says the Singapore judgement "was granted by a corrupt legal system before biased judges in a jurisdiction that operates outside the law".

It presents evidence that it says reveals "Singapore is ruled by a small oligarchy who controls all facets of the Singapore state, including the judiciary, which is utterly politicised. The judiciary bends over backwards to support the Government's and ruling elite's interests."


www.theage.com.au/news/business/suffering-singapores-slings-arrows/2006/04/18/1145344082712.html

[btanie]

If the Canadian Court decides for Enernorth; the consequences for Singapore will be dire. The ramifications far and wide....

[biomech]

btanie said:

If the Canadian Court decides for Enernorth; the consequences for Singapore will be dire. The ramifications far and wide....

If it does, I wonder if ppl like CSJ or JBJ can appeal to overturn their verdicts based on this in international courts....

[amicacuriae]

Actually, Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam had a criminal conviction and disbarrment overturned by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, then the highest court of appeal in the Commonwealth. Lord Bridge of Harwich, in delivering the leading judgement, held that Jeyaretnam had suffered a 'grevious miscarriage of justice' at the hands of the PAP Government and the Singapore courts. However, they were unable to restore him to Parliament as that was a matter of Singapore's national sovereignty.

Soon after the case, Lee Kuan Yew abolished the right of appeal to the Privy Council, and made the Supreme Court of Singapore the highest court of appeal. Of course, Yong Pung How CJ was his ex-schoolmate at Cambridge, and one of his best friends. His explanation was that Singapore was no longer a colony, and therefore had no need to come under the jurisdiction of the Privy Council.