THE FIRST CHIEF: Wee Chong Jin A Judicial Portrait
John Koh MA (Cantab), LLM (Harvard)
Academy Publishing 2010 Contents
Page
Foreword v Preface xiii Wee Chongjin — /I Chronology xxiii
Chapter 1 Penang, Cambridge and Singapore 1
Chapter 2 Lawyer 15 British Military Administration and Colony of Singapore 16 DK Walters and Wee 19 Without Precedent 22 The $5m Oil Case 24 Maria Hertogh 25 AVery Good Combination 26 From Criminal to Commercial Work 28 Malayanisation 31
Chapter 3 Judge 35 Terrell's Case and the Rule of Law 36 First Asian from the Bar 38 Qualities of a Judge 40 The Push for "Local" Leadership 42 Crimes, Riots, Strikes and Boycotts 45 First Asian Chief Justice 49 xviii Contents
Page Chapter 4 The Chief Justice and the New Republic (1963-1969) 55 Challenging Times 57 Merger 58 Federal Court of Malaysia 58 Shared Legal Heritage 60 One Country,Two Chiefs 62 Konfrontasi and Bombs 63 Race Riots 66 Defamation Suits 69 Separation and Independence 70 Sovereignty and Transition 72 The Constitutional Commission 74 Appeals to the Privy Council 87 Changing Bench and Bar 88 Setting the Tone 89 Administrative Balance 90 Portraits of the Emerging Economy 90 Separate and Independent 94 Other Duties 96
Chapter 5 The Chief Justice and Nationhood (1970-1990) 99 End of Jury Trials and Capital Cases 101 Presumptions and OngAh Chuan 105 HawTuaTau 107 Sentencing 108 Marshall Encounters 110 Rule by Law 112 Booms and Property 114 Commerce 118 White Collar Crimes 121 Corruption 124 No Room for Politics 125 Contents xix
Page Defamation and Contempt 127 Detentions and Press Freedom 132 Setting the Tone 134 Natural Justice 137 Professional Standards 138 Administering and Workload 145 Workload 147 Getting Good Men 149 Three Extensions 151 Honours 153 Goodbye from the Bench 154 The Transition from Wee 156
Chapter 6 Commonsensible 161 Facts Decide Cases 162 HACKS and Sarsi 162 Konfrontasi and Geneva Convention 164 Examining the Evidence 166 Francis Seow 168 Ordinary Meanings, Robust Rulings 170 As Few Words as Possible 172 Proportionality and Fairness 175 3Ds of Lawyering 178 Fearlessness 179 Quiet Dignity 182
Chapter 7 Controversies 187 Barisan Attack 188 Legislating away Case Law 190 Detention Powers and Lee Man Seng 192 Public Disquiet 196 Law Society 199 Board of Legal Education 200 Out of Step 202 xx Contents
Page A Bridge Too Far 203 End of Privy Council Appeals 207
Chapter 8 Contributions 211 Common Law 213 Leading Cases 215 Public Law 216 Right to Counsel 216 Separation of Powers 217 Judicial Review: Chng Suan Tze and Aftermath 217 All Power has Legal Limits 219 Chng Amended 223 Anomalies of History 226 Legal Service Commission 227 Singapore Academy of Law 228 The Most Stable Branch 229 Avoiding Judicial Activism 230
Appendix A Welcome Reference for Wee Chong Jin upon his Appointment to the High Court Bench (21 August 1957) 235
Appendix B Welcome Reference for Wee Chong Jin upon his Elevation to Chief Justice (14 January 1963) 239
Appendix C Braddell Memorial Lecture - "The Legal Profession in Singapore - Past, Present and Future" (29 August 1980) 245 Contents xxi
Page Appendix D Citation for Wee Chong Jin - Conferment of Honorary Degree of Doctor of Civil Law by the University of Oxford (24 June 1987) 263
Appendix E Proceedings at the Opening of the Singapore Academy of Law (31 August 1990) 265
Appendix F Farewell Reference for Wee Chong Jin (27 September 1990) 269
Appendix G Tribute to Wee Chong Jin (departed 5 June 2005) 279
Cases Cited 287 Index 295