It could be remarks made to influence the judge and therefore designed to interfere with an ongoing case. Or it could be attacks on the independence or integrity of the court or judges.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) pointed out that anything done or published that is calculated to bring a court or a judge of the court into contempt or to lower his authority is a contempt of court, also commonly referred to as ‘scandalising the court’.
Contempt of court is concerned with protecting the administration of justice, said the AGC in a statement yesterday. ‘One of the cornerstones of the administration of justice is that the public must be able to rely on the courts to deliver judgments free from bias or interference from others.
‘To this end, the confidence of the public in the integrity and independence of the courts must not be undermined.’
But unlike other public figures, it noted that judges do not have the liberty of entering into a public debate or defending themselves in a public forum when their integrity is attacked.
As the administration of justice is a matter of public interest, the Attorney-General as guardian of the public interest is responsible for taking contempt proceedings when the integrity and independence of the courts or judges are attacked, said the AGC.
TWO former senior employees of UOB Kay Hian Private Limited (UOBKH) were charged on Wednesday for allegedly lying to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) in relation to reports on a then Catalist aspirant. Lan Kang Ming, 38, and Wee Toon Lee, 34, each face three charges of providing MAS with false information in October 2018 in relation to due diligence reports on an unidentified company applying to list on the Catalist board of the Singapore Exchange. MAS said in a media statement on Wednesday that it was performing an onsite inspection of UOBKH between June and August 2018, to assess the latter's controls, policies and procedures in relation to its role as an issue manager for Initial Public Offering (IPOs). During the examination, Lan and Wee were said to have provided different versions of a due diligence report relating to background checks on a company applying to be listed on the Catalist board of the Singapore Exchange. UOBKH had acted as the issue manager
Comments
Contempt of court may take many forms.
15 October 2008
It could be remarks made to influence the judge and therefore designed to interfere with an ongoing case. Or it could be attacks on the independence or integrity of the court or judges.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) pointed out that anything done or published that is calculated to bring a court or a judge of the court into contempt or to lower his authority is a contempt of court, also commonly referred to as ‘scandalising the court’.
Contempt of court is concerned with protecting the administration of justice, said the AGC in a statement yesterday. ‘One of the cornerstones of the administration of justice is that the public must be able to rely on the courts to deliver judgments free from bias or interference from others.
‘To this end, the confidence of the public in the integrity and independence of the courts must not be undermined.’
But unlike other public figures, it noted that judges do not have the liberty of entering into a public debate or defending themselves in a public forum when their integrity is attacked.
As the administration of justice is a matter of public interest, the Attorney-General as guardian of the public interest is responsible for taking contempt proceedings when the integrity and independence of the courts or judges are attacked, said the AGC.