A Singapore man who claimed there is “no proof” that human minds exist has lost his legal battle against the Institute of Mental Health, after attempting to sue multiple high-profile figures including Lawrence Wong and Ong Ye Kung.
The case stemmed from the man’s repeated admissions to IMH following several incidents between 2024 and 2025. According to a High Court judgment released on May 21, 2026, the claimant, identified as Frank Lee, sought to permanently stop IMH from confining anyone in the future.
Lee also wanted the court to issue a declaration regarding what he described as the “truth” behind his treatment and the treatment of another individual linked to his case.
The High Court ultimately dismissed all his applications, with Justice Andre Maniam ruling that the claims were legally unsustainable and contrary to public interest.
Lawsuit Named PM Lawrence Wong, Ong Ye Kung And Attorney-General
Court documents showed that Lee was first warded at IMH from Jul. 19 to Aug. 6, 2024, after he was arrested for allegedly wrongfully confining a woman. He was later admitted on two additional occasions between November 2024 and May 2025.
In April 2026, Lee filed a lengthy 135-page statement of claim. Despite naming several public officials and government representatives as defendants, the judge noted that Lee was not seeking financial compensation.
Instead, Lee argued that psychiatry itself was harmful and illegitimate. In a 41-page affidavit titled “The Truth About Psychiatry”, he claimed that mental illnesses were beliefs rather than facts and argued that psychiatry was “the most evil hoax in the history of mankind”.
Among his arguments was the assertion that there is no factual proof that the human mind exists.
Lee wrote that he was “not stating that humans do not have minds”, but instead claimed there was insufficient proof for such existence.
The lawsuit also referred to psychiatric institutions as “Involuntary Human Alteration Facilities” instead of hospitals.
Judge Says Singapore Law Recognises Mental Disorders
Justice Maniam rejected Lee’s arguments, pointing out that Singapore’s laws already recognise the existence of mental disorders and psychiatric treatment frameworks.
The judge highlighted that the Institute of Mental Health operates under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act, which allows for the detention and treatment of mentally disordered persons.
He further stated that Parliament would not have enacted such legislation “in vain”.
The court also ruled that Lee’s attempt to include prominent political figures in the lawsuit was inappropriate. According to the judgment, Lee appeared to have named the additional defendants simply to gain their attention rather than because they were directly involved in actionable claims.
Justice Maniam described this as an abuse of the court process and ordered the statement of claim to be struck out entirely.
Lee was eventually ordered to pay legal costs amounting to S$74,000 in total, including S$47,000 to IMH and S$27,000 to the government defendants.
The unusual case has since attracted widespread attention online in Singapore, with many netizens debating mental health laws, civil liberties, and the limits of unconventional legal arguments.