OPPOSITION leader Chee Soon Juan, 46, of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) was sentenced to 12 days jail on Monday for contempt of court, while his sister Siok Chin was given 10 days for a similar offence.

This is the stiffest sentence ever meted out for such an offence.

Dr Chee's sentence came shortly on Monday noon after he had discharged his newly-appointed lawyer J.B. Jeyaretnam.

Instead he stood up himself and told the court that he had at no point intended to scandalise the three-day court proceedings last week to assess damages in a defamation suit brought against the Chee siblings and the SDP by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Earlier in the morning, Ms Chee, 42, was sentenced to 10 days jail after being found guilty of contempt of court.

In passing sentence at the High Court, Justice Belinda Ang noted that Ms Chee had disobeyed the court's orders and scandalised the court proceedings last week.

Justice Ang said that such misbehaviour, if unpunished, would diminish the dignity of the court and would not be in the public interest.

Ms Chee, who was represented by lawyer M. Ravi, is appealing against the sentence.

Both Chees have been given a stay of execution pending the appeal.

Should they fail in their appeal, they would have to turn themselves in next Thursday morning.