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IBA Resolution on the Rule of
Law
The
International Bar Association (IBA), the global voice of the
legal profession, deplores the increasing erosion around the
world of the Rule of Law. The IBA welcomes recent decisions of
courts in some countries that reiterate the principles underlying
the Rule of Law.
These decisions reflect the fundamental
role of an independent judiciary and legal profession in
upholding these principles.
The IBA also welcomes and
supports the efforts of its member Bar Associations to draw
attention and seek adherence to these principles.
An
independent, impartial judiciary; the presumption of innocence;
the right to a fair and public trial without undue delay; a
rational and proportionate approach to punishment; a strong and
independent legal profession; strict protection of confidential
communications between lawyer and client; equality of all before
the law; these are all fundamental principles of the Rule of Law.
Accordingly, arbitrary arrests; secret trials; indefinite
detention without trial; cruel or degrading treatment or
punishment; intimidation or corruption in the electoral process,
are all unacceptable.
The Rule of Law is the foundation
of a civilised society. It establishes a transparent process
accessible and equal to all. It ensures adherence to principles
that both liberate and protect. The IBA calls upon all countries
to respect these fundamental principles. It also calls upon its
members to speak out in support of the Rule of Law within their
respective communities.
-
Passed by the IBA Council on 29 September 2005, Prague
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IBA
to hold public forum on Rule of Law
2
Sep 07
The International Bar
Association (IBA) has announced that it will conduct a Rule of
Law Symposium on 19 Oct 2007 during its annual conference
scheduled for 14-19 Oct. The one-day Symposium will be open to
the Singaporean public and will be held at Suntec City.
Details
of registration will be announced soon and the SDP will keep
readers informed. It is understood that there will be plenary
discussions followed by break-out sessions. Again the specifics
of the day's events have not yet been finalized. So watch this
space.
The speakers have, however, been confirmed:
1.
S Jayakumar, Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister of Law, Singapore
2. Tommy Koh,
Ambassador-At-Large,
Singapore
3. Sylvia Lim, Temasek
Business School, Singapore
4. Ambiga Sreenevasan,
Sreenevasan Law Firm,
Malaysia
5. Albie Sachs, Judge, Constitutional
Court, South Africa
6. Hisashi Owada, Judge,
International Court of Justice,
Netherlands
7. Anthony M Kennedy, Judge, US Supreme
Court
The program
description says that the symposium "will
be interactive with use of breakout sessions allowing every
participant to contribute to the discussions…including the
showcase on the importance of the Rule of Law to international
business."
But the organisers want to ensure that the
"Asian perspective" of the rule of law is part of the
day's agenda (no prizes for guessing who wanted it included). And
not just the Asian perspective but also the "Singapore
experience."
So, if you want to hear what our
Singapore speakers, especially Mr Jayakumar, are going to say
about the Rule of Law – Asian Style and what really is the
Singapore experience, make sure you keep Friday, 19 Oct free. Its
your one opportunity to let the DPM know what you think of it.
(Sad, isn't it, that we have to wait for a foreign
association to organise a forum for us to engage the PAP
Government on the rule of law in Singapore.)
So make sure
you bookmark this website, we'll announce the details for
registration whenever it becomes available which is expected to
be in the next few weeks.
You might also be interested in
knowing the list of Singaporean lawyers in the Conference's Host
Committee. (Note the presence of Mrs Lee Suet Fern,
daughter-in-law of Mr Lee Kuan Yew.):
Chair: Philip
Jeyaretnam SC, Singapore
Law Society, President
Vice-Chair: Lucien Wong,
Allen and Gledhill
Committee Members:
Michael Hwang
SC, Michael Hwang
Wong Meng Meng SC, Wong Partnership
Jimmy
Yim SC, Drew & Napier LLC
Christopher Lau SC Alban Tay
Mahtani & de Silva
Leslie Chew SC, Gurbani & Co
Andre
Yeap SC, Rajah & Tann
Prof. Tan Cheng Han, SC
Dean,
Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore
Lawrence
Boo, Singapore International Arbitration Centre
Abdul Rashid
Bin Abdul Gani, KhatterWong
Lee Suet Fern, Stamford Law
Corporation
Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara, Wong
Partnership
Lawrence Teh, Rodyk & Davidson
Shashi
Nathan, Harry Elias Partnership
Swanur McGowan, McGowan &
Co
Chandran Arul, C Arul & Partners
Teh Hwee Hwee,
Singapore Academy of Law
Angeline Joyce Lee, Singapore
Corporate Counsel Association, President
David Lum Chin Weng,
AON, Singapore
Shawn Toh, Singapore Law Society
Read
also: SDP
expresses wish to see victims of PAP repression speak at IBA
conference and
the rest of correspondence
between SDP and IBA.
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