The founder of the Association of Bloggers of Singapore Ms Jayne Goh was sued for defamation by a former secondary school teacher, Mrs Janet Wong for implying that he was corrupt on a blog entry last year.
Ms Goh had alleged that Mrs Wong had accepted bribes in return for allowing foreign students admission into her school.
Mrs Wong sued Ms Goh and is asking for aggravated damages because the post had not been removed since last year.
She had asked Ms Goh through her lawyers to remove the article and to apologize as it had damaged her character and caused her distress and embarrassment.
Mrs Goh denied that she had defamed Mrs Wong saying that she did not use the word “corrupt” or “bribe” to defame her.
Assistant Registrar Jason Chan ruled that what Ms Jayne Goh wrote in her blog last year had indicated that the teacher, Mrs Janet Wong, was corrupt.
The next step for the court now is to decide if Ms Goh was justified in making the statements in the article and if the evidence she offers will support this.
The court can make a decision based on the lawyers’ arguments, or rule that the case should go to trial.
Ms Jayne Goh made headlines this year with the setting up of the Association of Blogger ostensibly to “educate” bloggers on responsible blogging.
AB(S)’s mission statement states that it’s committed to ‘promoting, protecting, and educating its members’, ’supporting the development of blogging as new media’, and ‘helping to extend the power of the press…to every citizen’.
To join, a blogger must pay an entrance fee of $50. Ordinary membership is $60 a year and corporate membership, $100 a year. The fees go towards the association’s operating costs.
The association drew flak from the online community with many bloggers expressing scepticism about the organisation, questioning its purpose and leadership.
It was boycotted by most major blogs including the Temasek Review.
Article from Temasek Review
Ms Goh had alleged that Mrs Wong had accepted bribes in return for allowing foreign students admission into her school.
Mrs Wong sued Ms Goh and is asking for aggravated damages because the post had not been removed since last year.
She had asked Ms Goh through her lawyers to remove the article and to apologize as it had damaged her character and caused her distress and embarrassment.
Mrs Goh denied that she had defamed Mrs Wong saying that she did not use the word “corrupt” or “bribe” to defame her.
Assistant Registrar Jason Chan ruled that what Ms Jayne Goh wrote in her blog last year had indicated that the teacher, Mrs Janet Wong, was corrupt.
The next step for the court now is to decide if Ms Goh was justified in making the statements in the article and if the evidence she offers will support this.
The court can make a decision based on the lawyers’ arguments, or rule that the case should go to trial.
Ms Jayne Goh made headlines this year with the setting up of the Association of Blogger ostensibly to “educate” bloggers on responsible blogging.
AB(S)’s mission statement states that it’s committed to ‘promoting, protecting, and educating its members’, ’supporting the development of blogging as new media’, and ‘helping to extend the power of the press…to every citizen’.
To join, a blogger must pay an entrance fee of $50. Ordinary membership is $60 a year and corporate membership, $100 a year. The fees go towards the association’s operating costs.
The association drew flak from the online community with many bloggers expressing scepticism about the organisation, questioning its purpose and leadership.
It was boycotted by most major blogs including the Temasek Review.
Article from Temasek Review