SINGAPORE: The rule of law is a framework for strengthening Singapore's social fabric because it is "the basis on which we believe that no one is above the law, and so no segment of society will rise ahead or fall behind because of who we are", Law Minister Edwin Tong said on Wednesday (May 13).As the government "sits in the middle of society and laws", it is also its duty to reflect the social values that society wants to see in the laws of the land, he said.He pointed to how the law distinguishes harm caused to vulnerable people like children and the elderly, because society wants to send a strong signal that this is reprehensible. The law therefore inflicts harsher punishments on offenders who harm vulnerable victims.Mr Tong was speaking on a panel about the rule of law and Singapore's social fabric at the SGLaw200 Youth Forum, together with High Court Judge Mohamed Faizal Mohamed Abdul Kadir and Deputy Attorney-General Goh Yihan.
The forum is part of commemorations for the bicentennial of Singapore's modern legal and judicial system.Their wide-ranging dialogue also spanned the separation of powers in Singapore's legal system, ensuring access to justice and whether there is a "glass ceiling" for ethnic minorities in the judiciary.During the dialogue with almost 500 attendees, an audience member referenced the law minister's earlier remarks about no one falling behind and asked about Singapore not allowing same-sex civil marriages for the LGBTQ community.Mr Tong, who is also second minister for home affairs, reiterated the government's view that it must look at "the value system of society" and "what the majority consensus of society would be" on such issues.After a parliamentary vote in 2022, Singapore repealed Section 377A of the Penal Code criminalising sex between men and also amended the Constitution to protect the heterosexual definition of marriage."When we abolished 377A, we also said in conjunction with that that we will enshrine what we believe is the core tenet of social policy in Singapore," said Mr Tong."At this point in time, the sense is that our society respects the core value of the family system, the family union to be that of a heterosexual union, and the policies are built upon them," he said.This does not mean that those who have different priorities or views do not have a place in Singapore, he said.Noting that sentiments can drift over time, Mr Tong added that it has also "always been in Singapore's interest and in our style to do things in incremental stages" in a way that the values and social mores of the majority are represented.
