 According to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers , the criticisms involving judicial bias " could have stemmed from the very high number of cases won by the government or members of the ruling party in either contempt or defamation suits brought against government critics , whether media or individual " . The Government is alleged to have used the judiciary as a tool to deluge their political opponents like J.B. Jeyaretnam , Tang Liang Hong and Dr. Chee Soon Juan with litigation , in some cases causing bankruptcy and , eventually , removal from the political scene . In a 2008 report , the International Bar Association Human Rights Institute ( " <unk> " ) claimed that the " slim likelihood " of a successful defence to defamation , combined with high damages awarded in cases involving PAP officials , " sheds doubt on the independence of the judiciary in these cases " . 
