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Source
Straits Times
Date
09 Jul 2013
Author
K.C. Vijayan
Partners seeking to repeal gay-sex law apply for QC to represent them
TWO gay partners who are fighting to repeal the law that criminalises sex between men have applied to have England's former attorney-general present their case.
Mr Gary Lim and Mr Kenneth Chee claim the Section 377A legislation is discriminatory and unconstitutional.
They have asked permission for Lord Peter Goldsmith to appear in court on their behalf, alongside their legal team from Singapore.
The 63-year-old is one of an elite group of British lawyers called the Queen's Counsel (QC).
He has appeared in numerous high-profile cases in Britain and abroad, and advised former British prime minister Tony Blair on the legality of the 2003 Iraq invasion.
Mr Lim, 44, and Mr Chee, 37, launched their bid to have S377A revoked last year.
The long-term partners argued that the offence - which has been on the statute books since 1938 - violates the Constitution, which guarantees equality for all before the law.
In April, Justice Quentin Loh dismissed their challenge at the High Court, saying that whether or not the legislation should be repealed is a matter for Parliament.
The couple have now taken the case to the Court of Appeal - and raised the stakes by hiring Senior Counsel Deborah Barker to lead a team of KhattarWong lawyers.
They have also applied to have Lord Goldsmith represent them due to his expertise and breadth of knowledge.
The application is unusual because they are not asking for the QC to take sole charge of the case.
Instead, they want him to work alongside a Senior Counsel - the Singapore equivalent.
QCs are allowed to appear in the Singapore courts only if they have expertise that is relevant to the case or if there are special circumstances such as a lack of suitable local lawyers.
Lord Goldsmith has agreed to represent the couple pro bono, which means free of charge.
He served as an attorney-general for England, Wales and Northern Ireland between 2001 and 2007.
An American legal journal once described his advocacy skills as equal to those of the finest barristers of his generation.
The veteran lawyer has also made repeated visits to Singapore over the last 20 years.
In 2009, the Law Society invited him to deliver its biennial lecture at the Supreme Court Auditorium.
A pre-trial conference on the application is due to be heard today at the High Court.
[email protected]
Source: Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Permission required for reproduction.
Straits Times
Date
09 Jul 2013
Author
K.C. Vijayan
Partners seeking to repeal gay-sex law apply for QC to represent them
TWO gay partners who are fighting to repeal the law that criminalises sex between men have applied to have England's former attorney-general present their case.
Mr Gary Lim and Mr Kenneth Chee claim the Section 377A legislation is discriminatory and unconstitutional.
They have asked permission for Lord Peter Goldsmith to appear in court on their behalf, alongside their legal team from Singapore.
The 63-year-old is one of an elite group of British lawyers called the Queen's Counsel (QC).
He has appeared in numerous high-profile cases in Britain and abroad, and advised former British prime minister Tony Blair on the legality of the 2003 Iraq invasion.
Mr Lim, 44, and Mr Chee, 37, launched their bid to have S377A revoked last year.
The long-term partners argued that the offence - which has been on the statute books since 1938 - violates the Constitution, which guarantees equality for all before the law.
In April, Justice Quentin Loh dismissed their challenge at the High Court, saying that whether or not the legislation should be repealed is a matter for Parliament.
The couple have now taken the case to the Court of Appeal - and raised the stakes by hiring Senior Counsel Deborah Barker to lead a team of KhattarWong lawyers.
They have also applied to have Lord Goldsmith represent them due to his expertise and breadth of knowledge.
The application is unusual because they are not asking for the QC to take sole charge of the case.
Instead, they want him to work alongside a Senior Counsel - the Singapore equivalent.
QCs are allowed to appear in the Singapore courts only if they have expertise that is relevant to the case or if there are special circumstances such as a lack of suitable local lawyers.
Lord Goldsmith has agreed to represent the couple pro bono, which means free of charge.
He served as an attorney-general for England, Wales and Northern Ireland between 2001 and 2007.
An American legal journal once described his advocacy skills as equal to those of the finest barristers of his generation.
The veteran lawyer has also made repeated visits to Singapore over the last 20 years.
In 2009, the Law Society invited him to deliver its biennial lecture at the Supreme Court Auditorium.
A pre-trial conference on the application is due to be heard today at the High Court.
[email protected]
Source: Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Permission required for reproduction.
