Another defamation case. they are ever so on the alert!!! Sue
sue sue!! What else???? Has anybody here read the article?
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Apr 27, 2007
AsiaOne
The Far Eastern Economic Review (Feer) magazine has filed an
affidavit seeking permission to engage a Queen's Counsel (QC) to
represent it in a defamation suit.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew are
suing the magazine's publisher and its editor.
Mr Peter Low of Peter Low Partnership, lawyer for Feer, filed an
affidavit to the High Court this week. Mr Low said this is because
it could not get a Senior Counsel (SC) to act on its behalf and
pointed to the complex nature of the case.
Senior Counsel are the local equivalent of the QC, who are top
lawyers from Britain. Singapore has 45 SCs.
The hearing for the application to the High Court for a Queen's
Counsel is set for May 10.
However yesterday, a Senior Counsel Harry Elias of Harry Elias
Partnership told The Straits Times that he is ready, willing and
able to represent Feer, if no SC came forward.
As SC, it is incumbent on us to say we are ready to help...I would
argue the case as I would for any other client, without fear or
favour, said Mr Elias.
Mr Low, who applied to engage QC Gavin James Millar represent Feer,
declined to comment.
Review Publishing and Feer editor Hugo Restall are being sued by PM
Lee and MM Lee for an article which the magazine published last
July.
The article questioned whether Singapore deserved its reputation
for having a "squeaky-clean government". PM Lee and MM Lee said the
article had set out to disparage them.
In his application, Mr Low said that QC Millar had successfully
argued several high-profile defamtion cases in Britain. He also
sought to have Mr Millar to represent Feer in its current bid to
throw out the defamation suit.
Feer, a monthly magazine, has already failed twice to dismiss the
case and the hearing for its third and last attempt will be held in
July.
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