AGC demands apology from websites over verdict backlash
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18 Apr 2013 6:15 PM
Singapore's Attorney-General Chambers (AGC) has issued a take-down letter and demanded an apology from several websites over posts which it said cast doubt on the judiciary's integrity.
SINGAPORE: The Attorney-General Chambers (AGC) has issued take-down letters and demanded apologies from several websites over posts which it said cast doubt on the judiciary's integrity in a case involving a China national.
The websites and Facebook pages involved had suggested that a Singapore court had been lenient to Yuan Zhenghua, 31, who hijacked a taxi last year and crashed it into the driveway of Changi Airport's budget terminal, killing a Malaysian airport worker.
Yuan, a technician, was sentenced by a district court to 25 months in jail Monday.
Singaporeans took to Internet websites and Facebook pages to criticise the verdict, prompting the AGC to issue letters asking for an apology and that the postings be taken down.
A spokesman for the AGC said the online comments and postings had accused the court of bias in favour of the China national.
"These comments include allegations that the courts did not wish to offend the People's Republic of China, that Singaporeans would get heavier sentences in comparison, that the judge lacked integrity, and that leniency was shown," the spokesman said.
"These and similar comments pose a real risk that public confidence in the administration of justice would be undermined."
The spokesman added that the online comments ignored the fact that the court took into account Yuan's "psychotic disorder" in its decision.
The AGC also stressed that editors, administrators and moderators of websites have the responsibility to ensure that comments and posts on their sites are not contemptuous.
While the AGC did not identify the websites involved, the administrators of Facebook page "EDMW loves Singapore" put up an apology for committing an "act of contempt of court" in its posts about Yuan and said it had taken them down.
The government says attacks on the judiciary will undermine public confidence in the institution.
In July last year, the AGC also sent a letter to prominent Singaporean blogger Alex Au after he alleged in a post that the city-state's courts are biased in favour of the well-connected.
In 2010, a Singapore court jailed British author Alan Shadrake for six weeks for publishing a book critical of the city-state's administration of the death penalty.
- AFP/CNA/jc
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“Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant with the weak and wrong. Sometime in your life, you will have been all of these.”
― Gautama Buddha
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I wonder how come so many people didnt realise that it was mitigated by supposed mental illness.
A case of poor reporting or poor reading?
I reckon its both.
Saw this coming eh?
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wen u have the might , u r right . - dr m
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“Rage is a powerful energy that with diligent practice can be transformed into fierce compassion. However much we disagree with our enemies, our task is to identify with them. They too feel justified in their point of view.”
― Gautama Buddha -
can shut the eyes but not the mind.
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wonder who gets to judge the judges?
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judging the judges.
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sgforums is a forum gone wild.
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when he release, he take cab to fuk back home sullenly he hijack a taxi and agin and crash into changi airpork again.
then they say he siao fogivable. then 25 months our black bean rice and MBS changi hotle again. kaiz.
the se china kukujiaoflu people are all one kind one.
you lenient to them they do it again!
why blog cannot comment meh? why you scare? cannot say meh?
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Originally posted by charlize:
sgforums is a forum gone wild.
no lah we are siao, so we are forginvable k? -
char gone wild.
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the gahmen dont know that employing letting this type of siao cheena people here they are really asking for trouble. look at the smrt drivers. they dont care iof they get to jial or penalize here or not. what can our law do. tghey saty in free hotel a ew months then get a free tiucket home. those who earn enough no intention to cum back will commit crime. nothing to lose. only sgreans here suffer from their crimes. after that they fuck home.
we should implement canning and ahrsh death penalkty on the e developing 3rd world country. they cum here earn then go back. what's the differnce how they go back? go back nicely or stay in mbs hotel then go back they also shiok!
gahmne dont see how much problem their policies did to ous, enede up anthting happen its sgrenas who suffer, even wehn cheap forugn labor break the law. here.
no to 6.9 mil! see noe even our law condole such acts!
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Originally posted by Clivebenss:
char gone wild.
You watch too much mtv.
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Originally posted by charlize:
You watch too much mtv.
char is weird and wild.
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ever saw siao people their jobonly do report only. fake reports
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Originally posted by Clivebenss:
char is weird and wild.
I think she is too.
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Sgforums not happening anymore.
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its true. when judges gone wrong, should ther ebe another independant party to modeerate and judge them?
think again!