Singapore’s Top Court Refuses To Overturn Law That Criminalises Gay Sex
Singapore’s highest court on Monday declined to overturn a colonial-era law that criminalises sex between men. The Court of Appeal left it up to the Parliament to change laws and pointed to the government’s promise to not enforce the law.LGBTQI advocacy group Pink Dot SG called the court’s refusal to strike down section 377A of the country’s penal code “a devastating blow” to the community.
The petition was filed by retired medical practitioner Dr. Tan Seng Kee, disc jockey Ong Ming Johnson and activist Choong Chee Hong.The court’s acknowledgement of the government pledge that it will not enforce the law was “cold comfort”, said the group.
Singapore’s Parliament in 2007 repealed Section 377 of the penal code, which criminalised oral and anal sex between consenting adults.
