Advocates for justice and human rights ICJ (International Commission of Jurists) published a statement calling for Singapore to not only stop executions but also cease meting out punitive cost orders against lawyers who defend convicts on death row.
Lawyer M. Ravi, who has been given thousands of dollars in cost orders, shared the press release from ICJ, writing “History is already on my side!” and adding that he feels “vindicated” by the statement.
Lawyer M. Ravi wrote in Facebook and LinkedIn posts that the ICJ statement “resonates with my parting shot to Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon towards the end of the executed Nagenthren’s cost hearing where I was imposed with 20k of punitive cost order and where I told the Chief Justice that history will be on my side.
This is literally a judgement on the Singapore Judiciary by some of their globally respected peers around the world.”
The statement from ICJ was published four days after the execution of Abdul Rahim Shapiee and Ong Seow Ping, for “drug possession for the purpose of trafficking” (Aug 5).
The Court of Appeal had denied the stay of execution request of Abdul based on a filing along with 23 other prisoners on death row claiming alleged obstructions in their access to lawyers.
The statement pointed out that the punitive cost orders meted out to lawyers who have defended death row prisoners are an obstruction to the prisoner’s access to justice and effective remedies, as well as their right to legal counsel, with some even having to defend themselves in court.
This has resulted in the obstruction of prisoners’ “right to a fair trial and, ultimately, their right to life,” ICJ added.
“Notably, the 24 death-row inmates who filed the lawsuit on 1 August 2022 were unable to secure legal representation despite approaching several lawyers, as the lawyers were allegedly afraid of adverse cost orders.”
ICJ Commissioner Ambiga Sreenevasan is quoted in the statement as calling this “a violation of the basic right of every person to legal representation of their choice. Every human being is entitled to be treated with dignity, more so those who are fighting for their lives.”
In May, Lawyer M. Ravi and Ms Violet Netto, who had defended Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam in court, were ordered to pay $42,000 by the Court of Appeal.
Nagaenthran was executed in April despite calls for his pardon from many in Singapore and around the globe, as the Malaysian national was said to have had an IQ of 69 and other disabilities.
The lawyers were asked to pay $10,000 for an application relating to the disproportionate representation of Malays on death row in Singapore, $20,000 for applications filed in relation to Nagaenthran’s case, and an additional sum of around $12,000 for applications filed in relation to Roslan, Pausi, and Rosman — three other death row prisoners.
Crowdfunding efforts were set up to help the lawyers raise the money, and Mr Ravi was able to hand a check for $20,000 to the Attorney-General’s Chambers in early June. /TISG
https://theindependent.sg/m-ravi-heavy-price-to-pay-for-trying-to-save-lives-in-singapore/
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