PM Lee & MM Lee are suing magazine's publisher and editor
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Another defamation case. they are ever so on the alert!!! Sue sue sue!! What else???? Has anybody here read the article?
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Apr 27, 2007
AsiaOne
The Far Eastern Economic Review (Feer) magazine has filed an affidavit seeking permission to engage a Queen's Counsel (QC) to represent it in a defamation suit.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew are suing the magazine's publisher and its editor.
Mr Peter Low of Peter Low Partnership, lawyer for Feer, filed an affidavit to the High Court this week. Mr Low said this is because it could not get a Senior Counsel (SC) to act on its behalf and pointed to the complex nature of the case.
Senior Counsel are the local equivalent of the QC, who are top lawyers from Britain. Singapore has 45 SCs.
The hearing for the application to the High Court for a Queen's Counsel is set for May 10.
However yesterday, a Senior Counsel Harry Elias of Harry Elias Partnership told The Straits Times that he is “ready, willing and able” to represent Feer, if no SC came forward.
“As SC, it is incumbent on us to say we are ready to help...I would argue the case as I would for any other client, without fear or favour”, said Mr Elias.
Mr Low, who applied to engage QC Gavin James Millar represent Feer, declined to comment.
Review Publishing and Feer editor Hugo Restall are being sued by PM Lee and MM Lee for an article which the magazine published last July.
The article questioned whether Singapore deserved its reputation for having a "squeaky-clean government". PM Lee and MM Lee said the article had set out to disparage them.
In his application, Mr Low said that QC Millar had successfully argued several high-profile defamtion cases in Britain. He also sought to have Mr Millar to represent Feer in its current bid to throw out the defamation suit.
Feer, a monthly magazine, has already failed twice to dismiss the case and the hearing for its third and last attempt will be held in July.
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This is an old case. It is regarding FEER article on Chee Soon Juan.
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I wonder.. is it possible for FEER to just ignore the case and not bother to step on Singapore soil?
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You will do the same as well if you had reputation as huge as theirs to protect wad
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Old news alredi...Dun u noe the nature of sg politics?
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Hearing? Where?
If in Singapore court, forget it. -
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Politics is about being able to rise above the market criticism.Originally posted by :You will do the same as well if you had reputation as huge as theirs to protect wad
The articles are well-balanced and struck a common chord, not to mention that Restall had previously offered both of them column space to write their own side of the story.
If I were FEER, I'd refuse to even circulate here as a protest, and ignore the lawsuit. Why should they deserve special treatment from a magazine that is dedicated to international news and critical analysis. -
taipei times:Originally posted by :You will do the same as well if you had reputation as huge as theirs to protect wad
'.... Until Singapore learns to deal with domestic political opponents other than by intimidating, bankrupting, arresting and torturing them, there is little to learn from Lee's fiefdom or his lectures. Taiwan has seen it all before -- and left it behind.' -
No. All foreign publications need a local agent with a registered local address to operate. In addition, they're required to post a bond in advance for precisely this reason (to facilitate the show trials conducted by criminals). So lest FEER is prepared to forfeit that bond without a fight and cease its operations here, there's no way they can escape the show trial...Originally posted by Fingolfin_Noldor:I wonder.. is it possible for FEER to just ignore the case and not bother to step on Singapore soil? -
The prob is most likely they cant get their QC in...
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Why yes. But that law was only insisted upon when they started trying to sue FEER. I am not sure if FEER complied with the law as they were sued immediately after.Originally posted by walesa:No. All foreign publications need a local agent with a registered local address to operate. In addition, they're required to post a bond in advance for precisely this reason (to facilitate the show trials conducted by criminals). So lest FEER is prepared to forfeit that bond without a fight and cease its operations here, there's no way they can escape the show trial... -
why bother ? ... just pay and shut up .... sure loose anyways ... QC will just waste money only ..... -
same old story. The LEEs are at their best in sueing at any critics.
these family are indeed tyrant ruler. -
I just have this feeling someday both will end up suing each other by mistake. I just have this gut instinct.
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That law has been in existence for years and it's not the first time the FEER is having a run-in with the criminals - it doesn't just apply to FEER; it applies to any foreign publication (from Time to The Economist to the IHT).Originally posted by Fingolfin_Noldor:Why yes. But that law was only insisted upon when they started trying to sue FEER. I am not sure if FEER complied with the law as they were sued immediately after.
You wouldn't even be allowed to have your publication circulated anywhere within the criminals' jurisdiction if you did not have an agent registered with MITA and have the bond posted. -
They take abominable amounts of Public Money for their salaries (LKY + LHL > S$5/- and Hu Ching?) and then use it to sully Singapore's reputation by suing people...
edited to add.... if I remember, from now on all my posts shall be in "darkblue" -
Reputation?Reputation for torturing their own countrymen is it?Originally posted by :You will do the same as well if you had reputation as huge as theirs to protect wad -
Old news so what?Dont need to talk about it is it?You this type of ppl i despise the most,you let tyrant do whatever they want,you know you are what?You are "Silence Sheep Waiting To Be Slaughtered"!!!Originally posted by Trump_Card:Old news alredi...Dun u noe the nature of sg politics? 
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FEER's defence should be:
(1) Judiciary is appointed and their promotions and salary scales are decided by MM Lee/PM Lee - bias
(2) Chief Justice and senior judges are appointed by MM Lee/PM Lee with no possibility of objection by parliament or any one to such appointments - bias/
(3) Past cases of judges being transferred where politicians did not get the verdict or outcome to their desire weighed heavily on the mind of any presiding judges.
There is no chance FEER will get a fair hearing unless this case is heard independently in internal court.
If the above-stated critical issues over possibility of bias are not settled how on earth will FEER ever get a fair and objective hearing of what constitute justification, objective reporting, news and analysis and information of public interest and what constitute defamation.
By the fact that innuendos uttered are also deemed defamatory, how could FEER stand a chance in defence.
All the benchmarking of ministers' salaries are not based on objective apple-to-apple standard of comparison what more when it comes to making a decision like how judges are influenced by their paymaster and how to decide on intangible ill-defined subjective state of mind like justifications. fair comments, objective reporting and analysis to serve public interest, accountability and transparency of political process. -
it won't come as a surprise if the request for an appointment of a QC is rejected
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It looks like they are simply "dragging" out the case for the publicity... cheap advertisement for FEER if you ask me AND it raises their profile as a paper that does not fear dictators in reporting the truth... and what is the consequences if they lose? Nothing... but I am glad that it is just those two that sued FEER. At least the rest of the government is smarter than them.
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dun know much abt law... if kana lawsuit can ignore one meh??Originally posted by LazerLordz:Politics is about being able to rise above the market criticism.
The articles are well-balanced and struck a common chord, not to mention that Restall had previously offered both of them column space to write their own side of the story.
If I were FEER, I'd refuse to even circulate here as a protest, and ignore the lawsuit. Why should they deserve special treatment from a magazine that is dedicated to international news and critical analysis.
from now on all my posts will be in blue. -
lau Lee nv give order mah. if he barks, the rest of the gov will scramble to add their name in to sue the magazine.Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:It looks like they are simply "dragging" out the case for the publicity... cheap advertisement for FEER if you ask me AND it raises their profile as a paper that does not fear dictators in reporting the truth... and what is the consequences if they lose? Nothing... but I am glad that it is just those two that sued FEER. At least the rest of the government is smarter than them.
but for wat, with Lee Senior & Junior's power combined, the rest of the people are redundent. -
They ignore.. summary judgment... awarded US$1 billion... they say "up yours" and then what?Originally posted by airgrinder:dun know much abt law... if kana lawsuit can ignore one meh??
from now on all my posts will be in blue.