Lord Bridge of Harwich:

On 19 October 1987 the High Court of Singapore ordered that the appellant be struck off the roll of advocates and solicitors of the Supreme Court of Singapore. On 25 October 1988 their Lordships allowed the appellant's appeal from that order indicating that they would give the reasons for their decision later. This they now do.

The Background

The Workers' Party of Singapore is a political party in the ordinary sense, but is also, unlike English political parties, a body having legal personality under Singapore law. The appellant is the Secretary General of the Workers' Party. In 1972 the Workers' Party sued Tay Boon Too ("Tay"), a Member of Parliament, for slander in respect of words spoken in the 1972 general election campaign. The action failed and the Workers' Party were ordered to pay Tay's costs. A liability under this order for a sum exceeding $17,000 remained unsatisfied.

In the 1980 general election the appellant himself stood unsuccessfully as a Workers' Party candidate for Parliament. Madam Chiew Kim Kiat ("Madam Chiew"), the mother of the appellant's election agent, brought an election petition against the appellant's successful opponent