The Dark Shadow Shrine

embrace the darkness; that you may see the light nestled within it......

Friday, April 28, 2017

Shanmugam rebukes academic over remarks

Click HERE

Interesting thoughts on how the law should be a reflection of prevailing social norms and attitudes...

"criminal penalties should reflect public opinion, but that this does not equate to bowing to public pressure........when deciding what conduct should be criminalised, and the appropriate range of penalties that should be meted out for different categories of offences."

Consider:
1) the failure to repeal the Penal Code 377A in Singapore that penalizes sexual acts between males
2) the controversy over the hudud law in Malaysia
3) controversy of syariah law in Malaysia and Indonesia
4) the recent arrest of the old man who sexually harrassed an Amercian on the MRT, and the middle-aged couple who bullied an old man at the Toa Payoh hawker centre by 'choping' a whole table to themselves with an umbrella.....

Do note that if people lose faith in the law in delivering justice (whether in over-delivering or under-delivering), they may resort to vigilantism (esp online ones) to ensure justice is meted out according to their wishes. What will result are disrespect for civil law and chaos and anarchy!