SINGAPORE - Blogger Han Hui Hui has been given until March 25 to decide whether to appoint a lawyer to represent her in a constitutional challenge that she mounted.
Consequently, the pre-trial conference that was held before Assistant Registrar Jean Chan on Wednesday has been adjourned to April 1.
The 23-year-old was initially represented by lawyer M. Ravi for the judicial review. But he has since been suspended from practice by the Law Society, until further notice, over concerns about his medical condition.
Han is arguing against the constitutionality of what she terms a "blanket refusal" to permit her to speak or organise a demonstration at the Speakers' Corner at Hong Lim Park.
The National Parks Board (NParks) has said that it will not approve any application to use the Speakers' Corner by any of the persons charged for their roles in a protest on Sept 27 last year.
Han is one of six people charged with being a public nuisance at the protest rally, which encroached on a nearby charity carnival. She and blogger Roy Ngerng Yi Ling each face an additional charge of organising a demonstration without approval.
The six are accused of disrupting the YMCA Proms @ The Park charity event for special needs children, which was held at Hong Lim Park at the same time as the Return Our CPF rally which the duo had co-organised. The cases are pending.
Lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam has taken over from Mr Ravi as the solicitor for the criminal matter. But he told The Straits Times that he has had "no instructions" on the constitutional issue.
Han told reporters she was not in touch with Mr Thuraisingam over Wednesday's pre-trial conference, even after receiving a notice last week to attend court.
