This article examines the arrest of Karpal Singh, a prominent human rights lawyer, deputy chairman of the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) and former opposition Member of Parliament was arrested on a charge of sedition under Malaysia’s edition Act 1948. Karpal has been an outspoken critic of the government of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
The author states that the charge did not only violate the common-law immunity in favour of judges, lawyers, parties and witnesses, for among other things, words said in open court, the charge contravened international human rights standards as wel as the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.
This article examines the arrest of Karpal Singh, a prominent human rights lawyer, deputy chairman of the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) and former opposition Member of Parliament was arrested on a charge of sedition under Malaysia’s edition Act 1948. Karpal has been an outspoken critic of the government of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
The author states that the charge did not only violate the common-law immunity in favour of judges, lawyers, parties and witnesses, for among other things, words said in open court, the charge contravened international human rights standards as wel as the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.