Legal disputes between individuals and institutions can often be protracted and contentious. In the case of Ms Jeanne-Marie Ten Leu Jiun and the National University of Singapore (NUS), the termination of her candidature in 2006 sparked a series of legal actions, according to a report by Channel NewsAsia
The culmination of this legal battle is the recent imposition of a civil restraint order against Ms Ten, preventing her from pursuing any further court action related to the issue for a period of two years.
Background
Ms Jeanne-Marie Ten Leu Jiun enrolled in the NUS School of Design and Environment in January 2002 to pursue a Master of Arts (Architecture) degree.
However, a dispute arose between Ms Ten and her supervisor, Dr Wong Yunn Chii, which ultimately led to the termination of her candidature.
The disagreement centered around Ms Ten’s accusation that Dr Wong had used her work in a project without proper acknowledgment.
Despite completing her thesis submission two days past the deadline, with the assistance of a stand-in signatory and an extension, Ms Ten faced further obstacles in her pursuit of the degree.
She lodged complaints against Dr Wong and raised objections regarding the examination process. These ongoing conflicts culminated in NUS terminating her candidature in September 2006.
Recognizing the persistent legal actions initiated by Ms Ten against the university, NUS sought an extended civil restraint order from the High Court. The purpose of this order was to prevent Ms Ten from commencing any further legal action or application related to the termination of her candidature.
Court’s decision
Justice Kwek Mean Luck presided over the application made by NUS for a civil restraint order. In his judgment issued on July 13, he granted NUS’ application and imposed a two-year civil restraint order on Ms Ten.
Justice Kwek observed that Ms Ten had consistently commenced actions and made applications that were devoid of merit. He referred to previous rulings between 2020 and 2022 that deemed her actions to be baseless.
However, it is worth noting that Justice Kwek allowed Ms Ten to pursue an ongoing case against then-NUS professor Lily Kong. This particular case involves allegations of perjury and obstruction of justice.
The imposition of the civil restraint order against Ms Ten has significant implications for her legal standing in relation to NUS.
During the two-year period, Ms Ten is restrained from initiating any court action or application concerning the termination of her candidature. .
While the civil restraint order limits Ms Ten’s ability to pursue legal action against NUS, it does not preclude her ongoing case against Professor Lily Kong.
This case revolves around allegations of perjury and obstruction of justice. Despite the restraint order, Ms Ten is permitted to continue her efforts to privately prosecute Professor Kong in this specific matter.