Law Society president says Singapore lawyers apathetic about public law
SINGAPORE: Singapore lawyers are apathetic about issues of public law, says the man who is three months into his role leading the legal fraternity.
So, in his first big move since becoming Law Society president, Mr Michael Hwang has persuaded its council members to set up a high-powered committee to “promote greater awareness of public and international law”.
Apathetic is an understatement. How about “fear of persecution”? That sounds about right.
The last time lawyers tried to be “interested” in human rights, they were met with the giant hammer of the government and the Law Society got nerfed. That was when they became activist and spoke out against the Newspaper and Printing Presses (Amendment) Bill way back in the 1987. The government pays lip service to human rights, so it is any wonder lawyers don’t care anymore?
