Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock
Alan Shadrake
Petaling Jaya: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, 2010
ISBN: 9789675832000

Over the past few decades, investigative journalism has come to mean the kind of brave reporting that exposes injustice, wrongdoing and, above all, the abuse of power. Alan Shadrake's hard-hitting new book cuts through the façade of official silence to reveal disturbing truths about Singapore's use of the death penalty. From in-depth interviews with Darshan Singh, Singapore’s chief executioner for nearly fifty years, to meticulously researched accounts of numerous high profile cases, Once a Jolly Hangman reveals the cruelty and imprudence of an entire judicial system. At the same time he displays a touching empathy with the anguish of the victims and their families. This important book should be required reading for human rights activists everywhere.