Appeal To The Privy Council
Since the trial had been held in a district court, Jeyaretnam could not appeal the conviction. He exercised his right to appeal his disbarment to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. The Council duly reversed the judgment, noting:
- "Their Lordships have to record their deep disquiet that by a series of misjudgements, the appellant and his co-accused Wong, have suffered a grievous injustice. They have been fined, imprisoned and publicly disgraced for offences of which they are not guilty. The appellant, in addition, has been deprived of his seat in Parliament and disqualified for a year from practising his profession. Their Lordships order restores him to the roll of advocates and solicitors of the Supreme Court of Singapore, but, because of the course taken by the criminal proceedings, their Lordships have no power to right the other wrongs which the appellant and Wong have suffered. Their only prospect of redress, their Lordships understand, will be by way of petition for pardon to the President of the Republic of Singapore."
Following the decision of the Privy Council, Jeyaretnam wrote to Singapore President Wee Kim Wee to ask that the convictions be removed as a result of the Privy Council's decision. However the Singapore government strongly condemned the Privy Council's judgement and Wee, on the advice of the Cabinet, refused to remove the convictions. Jeyaretnam therefore remained disqualified from Parliament until 1991. Singaporean judges also refused to reverse his convictions.
Read more about this topic: J. B. Jeyaretnam
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