Except that Ravi will be locked up in IMH instead of Mas Detention Centre and subjected to pychotic drugs to dull his brilliance and break his will to oppose the wicked Leegime. May the Familee kena struck by lightning or choked to death!
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Lawyer's remand at IMH extended
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Judge says his rights not violated; Ravi insists he is not of unsound mind </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Khushwant Singh
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
</TD><TD vAlign=bottom>
Ravi, who faces two charges of disturbing a religious prayer session and harassment at a mosque last month, says no lawyer is willing to represent him. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->FOR over an hour in court yesterday, lawyer M. Ravi fought against being sent back to a mental hospital.
Handcuffed and in the orange overalls of remand prisoners, Ravi, who had already been remanded at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for two weeks, insisted he was not of unsound mind.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story --><STYLE type=text/css> #related .quote {background-color:#E7F7FF; padding:8px;margin:0px 0px 5px 0px;} #related .quote .headline {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;font-weight:bold; border-bottom:3px double #007BFF; color:#036; text-transform:uppercase; padding-bottom:5px;} #related .quote .text {font-size:11px;color:#036;padding:5px 0px;} </STYLE>Clashes in court - and elsewhere
Sept 12, 2003: High Court judge Woo Bih Li reports M. Ravi to the Law Society for improper conduct.
When representing a client in a capital case, he continues presenting his arguments even after the judge tells him the case is over.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>He faces two charges of disturbing a religious prayer session and harassment at a mosque in Chinatown last month.
The prosecution had asked that Ravi, 39, be sent to the IMH for psychiatric assessment - a request allowed in criminal cases to determine if the accused is fit to be charged with a crime.
On Aug 18, at the second asking, the prosecution's wish was granted by District Judge Carol Ling.
The case is believed to be the first in recent times involving a lawyer facing criminal charges who has been ordered to undergo a psychiatric examination.
Lawyer Violet Netto, a friend of Ravi, has filed a criminal motion in the High Court challenging his remand at IMH. Ravi also asked for permission to go to the court personally to fix a hearing date.
At yesterday's hearing, Ravi called himself the 'leading human rights lawyer' here and said he could even be a law professor. He also boasted that he was the lawyer who has filed the most criminal motions in the High Court.
Ravi said no lawyer was willing to represent him in his case, telling him that they would rather 'represent a terrorist, but not a politician'. 'Since no lawyer wants to represent me, I had no choice. But now I have the best choice because I have to act for myself,' he said.
He offered to produce a letter from his personal psychiatrist Ken Ung, indicating that he did not require hospitalisation.
Dr Ung of Adam Road Hospital had treated him since 2006 and was in the best position to assess his mental condition, Ravi added.
But doctors at the IMH required more time to assess his mental state, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Lim Tse Haw.
District Judge Victor Yeo said he found that Ravi's constitutional rights had not been violated and extended his stay at the mental hospital for two more weeks.
The judge also instructed the prosecution to check the allegations made by Ravi that police had treated him
roughly and damaged his spectacles and that he did not have food and clean drinking water.
While arguing his case, Ravi promised to 'disobey any unlawful order' passed by the court. But after Judge Yeo's decision, Ravi was led out of the court by his escorts without any commotion.
His case will come before the court again on Sept 15.
The disturbance charge Ravi faces carries a maximum jail term of three years or a fine, or both, while the harassment charge could set him back by up to $5,000 in fines, if convicted. [email protected]
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Lawyer's remand at IMH extended
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Judge says his rights not violated; Ravi insists he is not of unsound mind </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Khushwant Singh
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
Ravi, who faces two charges of disturbing a religious prayer session and harassment at a mosque last month, says no lawyer is willing to represent him. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->FOR over an hour in court yesterday, lawyer M. Ravi fought against being sent back to a mental hospital.
Handcuffed and in the orange overalls of remand prisoners, Ravi, who had already been remanded at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for two weeks, insisted he was not of unsound mind.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story --><STYLE type=text/css> #related .quote {background-color:#E7F7FF; padding:8px;margin:0px 0px 5px 0px;} #related .quote .headline {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;font-weight:bold; border-bottom:3px double #007BFF; color:#036; text-transform:uppercase; padding-bottom:5px;} #related .quote .text {font-size:11px;color:#036;padding:5px 0px;} </STYLE>Clashes in court - and elsewhere
Sept 12, 2003: High Court judge Woo Bih Li reports M. Ravi to the Law Society for improper conduct.
When representing a client in a capital case, he continues presenting his arguments even after the judge tells him the case is over.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>He faces two charges of disturbing a religious prayer session and harassment at a mosque in Chinatown last month.
The prosecution had asked that Ravi, 39, be sent to the IMH for psychiatric assessment - a request allowed in criminal cases to determine if the accused is fit to be charged with a crime.
On Aug 18, at the second asking, the prosecution's wish was granted by District Judge Carol Ling.
The case is believed to be the first in recent times involving a lawyer facing criminal charges who has been ordered to undergo a psychiatric examination.
Lawyer Violet Netto, a friend of Ravi, has filed a criminal motion in the High Court challenging his remand at IMH. Ravi also asked for permission to go to the court personally to fix a hearing date.
At yesterday's hearing, Ravi called himself the 'leading human rights lawyer' here and said he could even be a law professor. He also boasted that he was the lawyer who has filed the most criminal motions in the High Court.
Ravi said no lawyer was willing to represent him in his case, telling him that they would rather 'represent a terrorist, but not a politician'. 'Since no lawyer wants to represent me, I had no choice. But now I have the best choice because I have to act for myself,' he said.
He offered to produce a letter from his personal psychiatrist Ken Ung, indicating that he did not require hospitalisation.
Dr Ung of Adam Road Hospital had treated him since 2006 and was in the best position to assess his mental condition, Ravi added.
But doctors at the IMH required more time to assess his mental state, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Lim Tse Haw.
District Judge Victor Yeo said he found that Ravi's constitutional rights had not been violated and extended his stay at the mental hospital for two more weeks.
The judge also instructed the prosecution to check the allegations made by Ravi that police had treated him
roughly and damaged his spectacles and that he did not have food and clean drinking water.
While arguing his case, Ravi promised to 'disobey any unlawful order' passed by the court. But after Judge Yeo's decision, Ravi was led out of the court by his escorts without any commotion.
His case will come before the court again on Sept 15.
The disturbance charge Ravi faces carries a maximum jail term of three years or a fine, or both, while the harassment charge could set him back by up to $5,000 in fines, if convicted. [email protected]
