Philip Jeyaretnam
Encyclopedia
Philip Antony Jeyaretnam (born 1964) is a lawyer
from Singapore
. He is a Senior Counsel
in Singapore, former President of the Law Society of Singapore
, and a member of the Singapore Public Service Commission. He is also well known as a fiction writer. He is the younger son of the late veteran Singaporean opposition politician J.B. Jeyaretnam
and Margaret Walker, and is of Sri Lankan Tamil and English descent.
The young Philip received his early education at Raeburn Park School
and the United World College of South East Asia
in Singapore, and the Charterhouse School
in Surrey
, United Kingdom
. He then read law at Corpus Christi College
, Cambridge University
, and graduated with First Class Honours in 1986. He was admitted to the Singapore Bar in 1987, and was conferred the title Senior Counsel in 2003. In 1991, he was a Fulbright Fellowship visitor to the University of Iowa
International Writers' Program, and the Harvard Law School
. He is an avid reader on subjects pertaining to history, science, anthropology and of course, literature.
He is the president of the Singapore Law Society, and was Chairman of the Society of Construction Law from 2002 to 2004. He is also a member of the SIAC Regional Panel of Arbitrators. He was an Adjunct Professor with the Department of Building at the National University of Singapore
between 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007. On 20 July 2005, Jeyaretnam was appointed as a board member of the Singapore National Kidney Foundation
.
His fiction First Loves, published in Singapore in 1987, claimed record sales on the Sunday Times bestseller book list. It won him the compliment as Singapore's "home-grown Maugham". Philip was presented with the 'Young Artist of the Year' award in 1993, and a South-East Asian Write Award in 2003.
He chairs the Board of Trustees for the nonprofit arts group the Practice Performing Arts School, founded by the late theatre doyen Kuo Pao Kun. In his view, the arts are as important as any other elements in the growth of a society. Writers, artists, composers, directors – whom he terms ‘ideas people’ – are needed for a lively arts scene and that more should be done to encourage new ideas from artists. He also called for greater support from the private sector for “the serious arts”, since the popular arts are commonly “funded by the market and community organisations”.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. He is a Senior Counsel
Senior Counsel
The title of Senior Counsel or State Counsel is given to a senior barrister or advocate in some countries, typically equivalent to the title "Queen's Counsel" used in Commonwealth Realms...
in Singapore, former President of the Law Society of Singapore
Law Society of Singapore
The Law Society of Singapore is the organisation that represents all lawyers in Singapore. It publishes the Law Gazette and operates a scheme for needy people to benefit from legal services free-of-charge. The Society also sets out rules for how lawyers should advertise. The Law Society is...
, and a member of the Singapore Public Service Commission. He is also well known as a fiction writer. He is the younger son of the late veteran Singaporean opposition politician J.B. Jeyaretnam
Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam
Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam was a politician and lawyer from Singapore. He was the leader of the Workers' Party from 1971 to 2001...
and Margaret Walker, and is of Sri Lankan Tamil and English descent.
The young Philip received his early education at Raeburn Park School
Tanglin Trust School
Tanglin Trust School is an international school in Singapore. The school teaches a British-based curriculum and is primarily intended to serve the British expatriate community in Singapore. Approximately 70%-80% of the students in the school are British...
and the United World College of South East Asia
United World College of South East Asia
The United World College of South East Asia is an independent, international school in Singapore. The school's main campus is in Dover Road. A second campus was opened in 2008 in Ang Mo Kio...
in Singapore, and the Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He then read law at Corpus Christi College
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
, Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, and graduated with First Class Honours in 1986. He was admitted to the Singapore Bar in 1987, and was conferred the title Senior Counsel in 2003. In 1991, he was a Fulbright Fellowship visitor to the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
International Writers' Program, and the Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. He is an avid reader on subjects pertaining to history, science, anthropology and of course, literature.
He is the president of the Singapore Law Society, and was Chairman of the Society of Construction Law from 2002 to 2004. He is also a member of the SIAC Regional Panel of Arbitrators. He was an Adjunct Professor with the Department of Building at the National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
between 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007. On 20 July 2005, Jeyaretnam was appointed as a board member of the Singapore National Kidney Foundation
National Kidney Foundation Singapore
The National Kidney Foundation Singapore is a Singapore-based foundation running kidney dialysis and prevention programmes. It is fully supported by charity donations.-Beginnings:...
.
His fiction First Loves, published in Singapore in 1987, claimed record sales on the Sunday Times bestseller book list. It won him the compliment as Singapore's "home-grown Maugham". Philip was presented with the 'Young Artist of the Year' award in 1993, and a South-East Asian Write Award in 2003.
He chairs the Board of Trustees for the nonprofit arts group the Practice Performing Arts School, founded by the late theatre doyen Kuo Pao Kun. In his view, the arts are as important as any other elements in the growth of a society. Writers, artists, composers, directors – whom he terms ‘ideas people’ – are needed for a lively arts scene and that more should be done to encourage new ideas from artists. He also called for greater support from the private sector for “the serious arts”, since the popular arts are commonly “funded by the market and community organisations”.
Book titles
- Campfire (1985)
- Evening Under Frangipani (1986)
- First Loves (1987)
- Raffles Place Ragtime (1988)
- Abraham’s Promise (1995)
- Tigers in paradise : the collected works of Philip Jeyaretnam (2004)
Articles (Non-Professional)
- Inheritance (1991) - English-written essay, subsequently translated into German in 1993.
Articles (Professional)
- Building and Construction Law, Singapore Academy of Law Annual Reviews (vols. 2000 - 2004; co-author)
External links
- http://www.postcolonialweb.org/singapore/literature/jeyaretnam/jeyaretnamov.html
- http://www.asean-coci.gov.sg/philip.htm
- http://www.bdg.nus.edu.sg/staff_bdgpj.htm