SOAS, University of London (The School of Oriental and African Studies)

Shared Values of Singapore: Sexual Minority Rights as Singaporean Value

Phil Chan

Abstract

For scholars of comparative constitutional law and human rights, Singapore offers an exceptional platform in terms of the number and diversity of issues that require and excite discussions. A human rights issue less discussed is the legal situation affecting persons belonging to sexual minorities in Singapore, where consensual sexual activity between male adults continues to be a crime. The Singapore government opposes sexual minority rights development on the basis of a Singapore ‘culture’ that revolves around certain ‘shared values’. Persons belonging to sexual minorities in Singapore must therefore overcome a formidable hurdle in order to realise their right of equality, and the legal situation affecting them provides useful insight into the development of human rights and governance in Singapore in general. This seminar first examines the Singapore government’s position on human rights by deconstructing Singapore ‘culture’. It then deconstructs the relevant laws affecting persons belonging to sexual minorities in Singapore and, finally, explores whether and how Singapore may develop its own jurisprudence on sexual minority rights under the framework of legitimate constitutional comparativism.

Speaker Biography

Phil C.W. Chan is currently Visiting Scholar at the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law, University of Cambridge. He graduated from the University of Hong Kong with the Rowdget W. Young Medal in Law in 2002 and from the University of Durham with an LL.M. in 2004. He served as a visiting academic in law, international relations, and Asian and Chinese studies during 2006–2008 at the Lauterpacht Centre, Keele, the Australian National University, the University of Toronto, the University of Ottawa, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg and Vanderbilt University, and as Lecturer in Law at the University of Waikato during 2010–2011. He has published over 25 articles in Chinese Journal of International Law, Criminal Law Forum, European Business Law Review, International Journal of Human Rights, International Journal of Punishment and Sentencing, Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice, King’s College Law Journal, Nottingham Law Journal, Sexuality & Culture, and Singapore Journal of Legal Studies, and has delivered over 60 conference presentations and invited lectures and seminars. He was Guest Editor of two International Journal of Human Rights special double issues (Equality in Asia-Pacific: Reality or a Contradiction in Terms? (2007); Protection of Sexual Minorities since Stonewall: Progress and Stalemate in Developed and Developing Countries (2009)), both with Forewords by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and published additionally as Routledge books. Since August 2008, he has been pursuing a Ph.D. in Law at the National University of Sin