Singaporean sues government for excess caning
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Reuters - 1 hour 4 minutes ago
The Southeast Asian city-state's Law Minister S. Jayakumar told lawmakers in July last year that this "kind of clerical mistake is an extremely rare occurrence". (Reporting by Melanie Lee; Editing by Jan Dahinten and David Fox) - SINGAPORE, March 27 - A Singapore man is suing the government for around S$3 million in damages for mistakenly caning him three more strokes than he was sentenced to, court documents showed on Thursday.
Dickson Tan, 21, who was jailed for nine months and sentenced to five strokes of the cane last year for helping an illegal moneylender, was beaten eight times instead as a result of an administrative error.
Caning on the buttocks is an additional punishment for male criminals in Singapore for offences ranging from vandalism to illegal possession of drugs and rape.
It is administered by select prison officers who use a water-soaked ratan cane to beat the offender, who is strapped to a triangular trellis.
According to court documents filed by the plaintiff on Wednesday, Tan attempted to point out the error before his caning on March 29 last year, but was told that the "records in the file could not be wrong".
Tan is suing the government for negligence and is hoping to claim between S$1.7 million and S$3 million in total damages, his lawyer Joseph Chen told Reuters.
He said Tan had received S$8,000 in the form of an "interim payment", a non-liability payment meant to help indigent plaintiffs.
"This was a failure in the administration of justice," Chen said.
Singapore's attorney-general chambers and the ministry for home affairs could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts on Thursday evening.
Tan, who is unemployed, told Reuters that he decided to sue the government after three unsuccessful rounds of mediation. Tan suffered from depression and post traumatic stress disorder after the beating, a psychiatric report showed.
"I want just compensation, they must be responsible," he said.
This is the second time the Singapore government has been sued for meting out the wrong number of strokes. In 1991, it was sued by a man who was caned 48 times instead of his sentenced 24 strokes, media reports said.
He was given undisclosed compensation without the case going to court.
The Southeast Asian city-state's Law Minister S. Jayakumar told lawmakers in July last year that this "kind of clerical mistake is an extremely rare occurrence". (Reporting by Melanie Lee; Editing by Jan Dahinten and David Fox)
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3 more...compared to 24 more...
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wow if he wins 3mil he can start his own illegal moneylending business..
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if he wins the 3 mil, there are investment opportunities opened that can earn at least 5% per annum currently. That means 150k per year, $12.5k a month on average.
He does not need to work too hard any more.
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actually 3 million is rather low if you compare those cases in US. and seriously, i don't think many people would take 3 strokes for 1.7 mil or 3 mil. not to mention the mental anguish he was put throuhg in addition.....
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I hope he does win.
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Originally posted by hisoka:
actually 3 million is rather low if you compare those cases in US.
and seriously, i don’t think many people would take 3 strokes for 1.7 mil or 3 mil. not to mention the mental anguish he was put throuhg in addition…..
I'll take 3 strokes for 3 mil
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Originally posted by Detached:
I'll take 3 strokes for 3 milwith a crimminal record?
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Originally posted by Paradise Lost:
with a crimminal record?
does it matter? haha -
Originally posted by Paradise Lost:
with a crimminal record?
How about for investment returns of minimum $12.5k a month?
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Originally posted by Paradise Lost:
with a crimminal record?
If the government offers me 3 mil for 3 strokes, I'd go for 12 strokes at leastCriminal record? You think I'd care with 12 mil in my bank?
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not having to work for the rest of your life.
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seriously.. if its just for the medication and such .. then its fine.. he fking wants 3mil...
i seriously think that this guy is just being very selfish..
he has done some crimes.. if he does minor offences do u think he would need all the caning?!?!
me myself think he is asking to too much..
the govt give him a foot.. he wants a yard
in chinese ... shi zi da kai kou
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Serve PAP right, ha ha ha. in singapore, PAP = law. Now backfires, hee hee hee.
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Originally posted by qlqq9:
Serve PAP right, ha ha ha. in singapore, PAP = law. Now backfires, hee hee hee.
getting sued for $m has got nothing to do with PAP=law. What part of your brain is not functioning?
it happens all over, in USA, UK, etc. You mete out wrong justice, you pay the price. This sue/counter sue culture all started in the USA years ago.
I am not pro-PAP, but dun equate everything that is not going well as a by-product of the PAP. You just appear very silly here for harping on such things which shows your inadequacy in your thought process.
You are just a kid with your shallow thinking.
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Originally posted by redDUST:
getting sued for $m has got nothing to do with PAP=law. What part of your brain is not functioning?
it happens all over, in USA, UK, etc. You mete out wrong justice, you pay the price. This sue/counter sue culture all started in the USA years ago.
I am not pro-PAP, but dun equate everything that is not going well as a by-product of the PAP. You just appear very silly here for harping on such things which shows your inadequacy in your thought process.
You are just a kid with your shallow thinking.
bo liao, you post this msg purely to attack me personally, petty little man, xiao nan ren. Say what you want, ren zai zhuo tian zai kan. Wow, so good in belittling to make yourself feel great, ha ha ha ha - only people with inferiority complex will resort to this.
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Originally posted by qlqq9:
Serve PAP right, ha ha ha. in singapore, PAP = law. Now backfires, hee hee hee.
you flunk in school and you blame the teacher and the school.
a carpenter blaming his tools for bad piece of work.
it is high time you take responsibility for your own action.
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Originally posted by redDUST:
you flunk in school and you blame the teacher and the school.
a carpenter blaming his tools for bad piece of work.
it is high time you take responsibility for your own action.
wow, now your latest is resort to talk about school and all that crap, stoop so low to personal attack.
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Originally posted by qlqq9:
bo liao, you post this msg purely to attack me personally, petty little man, xiao nan ren. Say what you want, ren zai zhuo tian zai kan. Wow, so good in belittling to make yourself feel great, ha ha ha ha - only people with inferiority complex will resort to this.
look on the broader perspective, kid, i am indirectly helping you to sharpen and crytalize your thoughts before you cough out rubbish.
If you continue with your cheap potshots without substantiating your careless words; like somebody who sues is because PAP=law, then you make a big fool of yourself, even hiding behind the PC screen.
however, i doubt i am getting thru' to you.
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Originally posted by qlqq9:
wow, now your latest is resort to talk about school and all that crap, stoop so low to personal attack.
i am just giving you a couple of analogy of what you were saying, just in case you don't understand your own words.
this has nothing to do with school per se. LOL
this further proofs that you are a kid. or at least have a kid's mind.
Do i take pleasure to attacking you personally? actually, no. you actually started it if you care to look hard enough.
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Originally posted by redDUST:
look on the broader perspective, kid, i am indirectly helping you to sharpen and crytalize your thoughts before you cough out rubbish.
If you continue with your cheap potshots without substantiating your careless words; like somebody who sues is because PAP=law, then you make a big fool of yourself, even hiding behind the PC screen.
however, i doubt i am getting thru' to you.
In the first place, you don't have my respect so I don't see why I should accept what you say.
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Originally posted by qlqq9:
In the first place, you don't have my respect so I don't see why I should accept what you say.
again, show proof where i have disrespected you for me to treat you the way i do. your inability to understand slightly complex sentences expose you to your own subjective interpretations and you got caught now. if you want to continue to spar, by all means, but i am telling you i am getting tired of all this.
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Originally posted by redDUST:
again, show proof where i have disrespected you for me to treat you the way i do. your inability to understand slightly complex sentences expose you to your own subjective interpretations and you got caught now. if you want to continue to spar, by all means, but i am telling you i am getting tired of all this.
wow, now misinterpreted my post. So after all those crap you talked about me you have problem understanding English and now misinterpreted my post, congratulations. -
Originally posted by qlqq9:
wow, now misinterpreted my post. So after all those crap you talked about me you have problem understanding English and now misinterpreted my post, congratulations.u impressed me of having an intellect level of below CSJ.
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phew~!
sibei fulfilling lunch....song!~
time to sio ji ki liao~!