Bar Council Human Rights Committee co-chairman Andrew Khoo today handed in the Bar’s letter of appeal to the Singapore High Commission, representing Bar president Steven Thiru as well as Sabah Law Association president Brenndon Soh and Advocates’ Association of Sarawak president Leonard Shim.

“The question of whether Kho Jabing should die, we respectfully suggest and humbly submit, should not depend on the collective decision of a majority of judges,” the appeal reads.

The Bar pointed out that one Singapore High Court judge and two Singapore Court of Appeal justices had opined that Kho had not displayed a “blatant disregard of human life” and so should not be sentenced to hang.

“The fact that learned judges of Singapore have expressed doubts that Kho Jabing exhibited sufficient mens rea or intention to commit the crime of murder should, in and of itself, give rise to concerns whether Kho Jabing should be made to pay the ultimate price for his crime and be sentenced to hang,” the Bar said.

“If there is any doubt about the level of his intention, and there genuinely is, that doubt must be resolved in Kho Jabing’s favour.”

The Bar however clarified that this was not a questioning of the Singaporean justice system, but rather an appeal for the reconsideration of the case and a grant of mercy.

“We ask Your Excellency to take into account that there is genuine doubt whether a death sentence is justified in this case,” the Bar said.

“The death penalty is an irreversible punishment. Once taken, Kho Jabing’s life cannot be returned to him or his family.”

Kho was convicted of murder in 2010 in Singapore and sentenced to the mandatory death penalty on July 30, 2010.

However, after the 2012 review of mandatory death penalties, the High Court re-sentenced Kho to life imprisonment and 24 strokes of the cane on Aug 14, 2013.

However, on Jan 14, 2015, the Court of Appeal re-imposed the death penalty in a three-to-two decision.