David Marshall (12 March 1908 – 31 December 1995) was the leader of the Singapore Labour Front and became the first Chief Minister of Singapore in 1955.
Born into an Orthodox Jewish family descended from Baghdadi Jews in Singapore, David Marshall was educated at Saint Andrew's School, Singapore. He became interested in politics and the independence movement at an early age. He was called to the Bar in 1937 after graduating from the University of ...
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David Marshall (12 March 1908 – 31 December 1995) was the leader of the Singapore Labour Front and became the first Chief Minister of Singapore in 1955.
Born into an Orthodox Jewish family descended from Baghdadi Jews in Singapore, David Marshall was educated at Saint Andrew's School, Singapore. He became interested in politics and the independence movement at an early age. He was called to the Bar in 1937 after graduating from the University of London and the Middle Temple in Britain. He would later become the most successful criminal lawyer in Singapore, with a reputation "Marshall never loses". Known for his sharp eloquence and imposing stances, he claimed that he had secured 99 acquittals out of 100 cases he defended for murder during Singapore's period of using trial by jury. When Singapore's leader (and Marshall's political opponent) Lee Kuan Yew abolished the jury system in 1969, he quoted Marshall's reputation to illustrate its inadequacy.
In the Second World War, David...
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