Once a Jolly Hangman [Kindle Edition]

Alan Shadrake (Author)

Book Description

When this book was first published in Asia in July 2010, UK journalist Alan Shadrake was arrested and tried, then sentenced to jail—for daring to put the Singapore justice system in the dock. This revised and updated edition covers Shadrake’s arrest, and his ongoing campaign against the death penalty as he prepares for his appeal.

Singapore has one of the highest execution rates per capita in the world. Its government claims that only the death penalty can deter drug dealers from using their country as a transport hub—but this hard-hitting investigation reveals disturbing truths about how and when the death penalty is applied.

Including in-depth interviews with Darshan Singh—Singapore’s chief executioner for nearly fifty years—and chilling accounts of high-profile cases, including the execution of Australian Nguyen Van Tuong, this is an horrific exposé of the gross abuse of human rights.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Alan Shadrake is a renowned veteran investigative journalist and author whose 50-year career has taken him around the world. His book, Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock, was published in Singapore in July 2010. It was banned immediately and Alan was arrested, tried and found guilty on several charges and sentenced to a short stint in jail. He is currently appealing his sentence.

Product Details

• File Size: 964 KB
• Print Length: 224 pages
• Publisher: Pier 9 (April 11, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004W1GQZ6
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #329,825 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #99 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Politics & Social Sciences > Crime & Criminals > Penology

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars good book, and confirmed by singapore's reaction June 26, 2012

By Lucky777

Format:Kindle Edition

this writer has done a decent job of describing a harsh legal system, and sadly was persecuted for doing it. definitely worth reading.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Once a Jolly Hangman February 8, 2013

By z

Format:Kindle Edition

I have had a low opinion of Singapore's government sice I learned that some prisoners can be caned, and my opinion has not improved since I learned more about their poltical and judicial system.

When I read that British born writer Alan Shadrake got imprisoned for six weeks for writing a book criticising Singapore's judicial system, particularly its excessive use of the death penalty, I was disgusted. (Of course his being sent to jail rather proved his point.)

My copy of Once a Jolly Hangman is a revised edition, with a couple of new chapters about the author's arrest and trial.

In the first part of the book, The Jolly Hangman, is an interview with Singapore's hangman Darshan Singh. Alan Shadrake was a brave man to go and visit Mr Singh, and surpringly the author said he found Mr Singh a likebale man (although he dislikes what he does for a living).

The second part is Singapore Justice in the Dock, which looks at a number of cases where people were charged with capital offences in Singapore, starting with Nguyen Van Tuong, an Australian citizen who was hanged in 2005 for drug trafficking. (Most excetions in Singapore are for drug related offences.) But less than three months after Nguyen's execution a woman was arrested in an airport in Australia for drug trafficking, having sucessfully smuggled heroin through Singapore. So the death penalty, at least in this instance, did not work as a deterrent.

Alan Shadrake gives details of cases which ended with the defendent being hanged, and some where they got off more lightly. But the people escaped execution seemed to get off because of who they were rather than because of any mtigating circumstances.

What makes matters worse is that anti-death penalty campaigners in Singapore are treated like criminals. (The USA are probaly worse offenders when it comes to executing prisoners, but at least people who against capital punishment are free to express their opinions.)

Some things are not entirely accurate, He says that when Nguyen Vasn Tuong was sentenced to death there was a huge outcry from many Australians. But he doesn't mention that a lot of Australians agreed with the death sentence. But I'm probably splitting hairs.

Likewise he states that Britain abolished the death penalty in 1965. In fact Britain suspended the death penalty for muder in 1965, and it wasn't actually abolished until a few years later. And some crimes, such as treason, were still theoretically punishable by death until 1998 when Britain did completely abolish the death penalty. But the last excution in Britain was in 1964, and to all intents and purposes Britain stopped using the death penalty in 1965.

Once a Jolly Hangman is an interesting read, and I would love to meet the author.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Interenting account of a disturbing side of Singapore September 23, 2011

By Marco Carnovale

Format:Paperback

This author is a brave man and endured prison in Singapore for writing this book. We learn the story of a Singaporean Sikh who was the country's chief hangman for decades. It is an insighful account of this gruesome career! It also highlights some reasonable questions about the fairness of the system, much like similar debates do in other countries where the death penalty is applied. Shadrake writes well and keeps the reader's attention.

However I feel the value of the book is diminished by the value judgement of the author, who is viscerally against the death penalty. I am too by the way so I agree with him. But it seems to me that in writing this book he should better have stayed with the facts of his inquiry. As it is, his arguement is weakened by his passion. The book could be improved with some substantial editing and cuts of all that is not related to his main point about the fairness of the legal system in Singapore.

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