ST: 377A targeted male prostitution, not consensual sex, lawyers argue

Section 377A of the Penal Code was originally intended to curtail the spread of male prostitution, not consensual private sexual acts between men, said lawyers arguing for the law to be repealed.

It also was not intended to criminalise penetrative sex, which was covered under Section 377, a separate law that was repealed in 2007, they added. On top of that, the law violates parts of the Singapore Constitution that guarantee equality before the law and freedom of expression, the lawyers said.

The legal team, comprising Senior Counsel Harpreet Singh Nehal from Audent Chambers, Mr Jordan Tan from Cavenagh Law and Mr Remy Choo Zheng Xi from Peter Low & Choo, were in the High Court yesterday to present arguments in the first of three cases challenging Section 377A that are being heard.