A Singapore court has found a British author Alan Shadrake, guilty of insulting the judiciary in a book he wrote on the death penalty.
The Singapore High Court on Wednesday found a British author guilty of insulting the city—state’s judiciary in a book on the death penalty in Singapore.
Alan Shadrake, 75, would be sentenced for contempt of court next Tuesday, Justice Quentin Loh said. The Briton is likely to face a possible jail term, a fine or both.
“This is a case about someone who says among other things the judges in Singapore are not impartial [and are] influenced by political and economic situations and biased against the weak and the poor,” Mr. Loh said.
Based on interviews with a former executioner, human rights activists and police officers, Mr. Shadrake in his book Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock described several death penalty cases.
“I think I have been given a fair hearing,” Mr. Shadrake said after the judge issued his verdict.
Based in Malaysia, Mr. Shadrake was arrested in Singapore in July following a launch of his book in the city—state.
He is out on bail but his passport has been impounded.
Keywords: Insult, judiciary, death penalty book, interviews, verdict
