Section 377A ruling: Govt is considering different viewpoints carefully, says Shanmugam

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Section 377A of the Penal Code, which criminalises sex between men but which the Government has said will not be proactively enforced

The five-judge panel, led by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, also ruled that the law was "unenforceable in its entirety" until the Attorney-General of the day signals a change in the prosecutorial policy

Singapore wants to be "a stable society with traditional heterosexual family values, but with space for homosexuals to live their lives and to contribute to society".

the issues surrounding Section 377A are deeply divisive, and that is why Singapore has taken a "live and let live approach".

the Government had expressly included in the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act that any attack on any member of the LGBT community because of his or her identity, or on LGBT+ groups, will be an offence, and will not be tolerated.

socially charged issues, such as whether or not to repeal Section 377A, call for continued discussion and open-ended resolution within the political domain, where consensus can be forged, rather than for win-lose outcomes in court. "In this way, we can accommodate divergent interests, avoid polarisation and facilitate incremental change," he said.

Qns: 

1. In your society, how far is equality for all a reality? (Cam. 2012)

2. How far, in your society, should unpopular views be open to discussion? (Cam. 2013)