Contempt of Court Singapore-Style: Contemptuous of Critique

Abstract

Singapore's governing political leadership has always been sensitive towards political criticism. Civil defamation actions against opposition leaders and newspapers have been resorted to, leading to the evolution of Singapore's unique jurisprudence of political defamation that prioritizes generous protection of individual reputation, at the expense of freedom of speech. As a result, the Singapore judiciary on some occasions has been the subject of critique and critical reporting. This in turn leads to the evolution of Singapore's harsh jurisprudence of contempt of court—one that prioritizes the criminal punishment of such critical reporting, again at the expense of freedom of speech.