This paper looks at the career of David Marshall during the years in which he was a "peripheral politician", as Chan Heng Chee has called him. It was in these years that his commitment to the causes of human rights and civil rights in Singapore came to the fore. During his career as an opposition politician and later as a barrister he regularly championed the causes of freedom of speech and freedom of conscience in Singapore. He stood against increasing odds for the rights of those who were detained without trial and who were persecuted for their political beliefs. His career between 1956 and 1972 saw him take a leading role in a number of significant issues. These included his opposition to the government’s move to eliminate trial by jury in Singapore; his campaign for humane treatment for the detainees of Operation Cold Store; and his defense of freedom of the press when government critics were arrested, among other actions. This paper will look at Marshall’s role in these three occasions and evaluate his contribution to the practice of politics in Singapore and will evaluate the long term impact of his defense of the rule of law. It will be based on an examination of his speeches and on the materials in the David Marshall papers
