Li Shengwu hires top UK lawyer to advise on court case

Mr Li Shengwu (left), nephew of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, is seeking legal advice from Queen's Counsel David Pannick (right) for his contempt of court case. The proceedings were initiated against Mr Li over a Facebook post he put up on July 15, 2017.

The nephew of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Mr Li Shengwu, has hired a top British lawyer to advise him on his case for contempt of court.

Queen's Counsel David Pannick is one of the lawyers who won a landmark case this week against British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's suspension of Parliament before the deadline to exit the European Union.

Mr Li, an assistant professor of economics at Harvard University, said on Facebook on Wednesday: "I'm grateful for Lord Pannick's guidance and help, even as he has been in the midst of winning a landmark constitutional case in the UK."

Mr Li said he has filed his defence affidavit and that his legal team has taken advice from Mr Pannick in the past two years.

The contempt of court proceedings were initiated over a Facebook post Mr Li put up on July 15, 2017, in which he said "the Singapore Government is very litigious and has a pliant court system".

The post was in reference to a dispute between his father, Mr Lee Hsien Yang, his aunt, Ms Lee Wei Ling and his uncle, PM Lee, over the fate of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew's home at 38 Oxley Road.

The Attorney-General said that the post was an "egregious and baseless attack" on the judiciary, and started contempt of court proceedings against Mr Li the following month after he failed to comply with a request to remove it.

Mr Li said the Facebook post was private and did not constitute contempt of court when read in context.

On Sept 27, 2017, the A-G obtained leave from the High Court to serve contempt of court papers on Mr Li in the United States.

The papers were personally served on Mr Li on Oct 17 that year at Harvard University.

Mr Li has said in a media interview that he left Singapore because of concerns that he might be detained by the authorities over the case.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 27, 2019, with the headline Li Shengwu hires top UK lawyer to advise on court case. Subscribe