Shall the Twain Never Meet? Competing Narratives and Discourses of the Rule of Law in Singapore
Singapore Journal of Legal Studies, December 2012, pages 298-330
34 Pages Posted: 20 Mar 2013
There are 2 versions of this paper
Shall the Twain Never Meet? Competing Narratives and Discourses of the Rule of Law in Singapore
Shall the Twain Never Meet? Competing Narratives and Discourses of the Rule of Law in Singapore
Date Written: October 3, 2012
Abstract
This article aims to assess the role played by the rule of law in discourse by critics of the Singapore Government’s policies and in the Government’s responses to such criticisms. It argues that in the past the two narratives clashed over conceptions of the rule of law, but there is now evidence of convergence of thinking as regards the need to protect human rights, though not necessarily as to how the balance between rights and other public interests should be struck. The article also examines why the rule of law must be regarded as a constitutional doctrine in Singapore, the legal implications of this fact, and how useful the doctrine is in fostering greater solicitude for human rights.
Keywords: constitutional law, human rights law, rule of law, Singapore
JEL Classification: K19, K49
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation