While considering arguments for an appeal in a capital drug trafficking case, lawyer Selva K. Naidu personally checked the scene in Johor Bahru where his client was alleged to have loaded drugs into a hidden compartment in a car through its boot.
Drawing on his keen eye as a photography enthusiast, he immediately realised something was amiss. The line of sight did not add up; a key prosecution witness could not have seen what he claimed.
This insight prompted Mr Selva to examine the seized vehicle, in which the drugs were found, and he also discovered that the secret compartment could only be accessed through the rear passenger cabin, not through the boot as alleged.
By recreating the scene and producing photographs taken by a friend, he cast serious doubt on the witness’s testimony. The result: the Court of Appeal overturned the conviction and set free the prisoner who had previously been sentenced to death by hanging.
In another appeal case, his photography knowledge again proved pivotal. The prosecution relied on images suggesting clear visibility between a witness and the alleged crime scene.
Mr Selva challenged this, explaining that the use of a long focal length lens in the photographs taken by the investigating authority had compressed distance, creating a misleading impression of visibility.
He produced comparative photographs taken with a standard focal length lens, and conducted precise distance measurements. These showed that the actual distance was more than double what the witness had claimed.
This, among other arguments, led to the conviction being quashed, and the condemned prisoner being set free.
In both instances, his attention to detail and depth of photographic knowledge and experience saved his clients from the death sentence.
For Mr Selva, the realms of law and photography are not so different. Both demand keen observation, patience, and the ability to present a persuasive narrative grounded in common sense.
Called to the Bar in 1987 after graduating from the National University of Singapore, his entry into the legal profession seemed almost preordained. His father served 56 years as a legal assistant at the Attorney-General’s Chambers, and two of his sisters were already lawyers.
Legal discussions were a staple at the family dinner table, alongside a shared interest in courtroom dramas such as Crown Court. Still, Mr Selva emphasises that the choice to pursue law was ultimately his own.
Now 65, he has built a distinguished career as a criminal litigator known for probing beyond the obvious and rigorously testing assumptions.
That same curiosity shapes his passion for his hobby of photography, which began at the age of 12 when he first peered through the viewfinder of his father’s twin-lens reflex camera.
Fascinated by light, composition and human expression, he developed a particular interest in portraiture and dance photography.
A milestone moment came when one of his photographs was published in SilverKris, Singapore Airlines’ in-flight magazine.
Photography, he says, has heightened his sensitivity to human behaviour and expression — an invaluable skill in the courtroom, where reading subtle, and often involuntary, cues can make all the difference.
Beyond his legal practice and artistic pursuits, Mr Selva also serves on inquiry and review committees within the legal profession, as well as on the Singapore Hockey Federation’s disciplinary panel.
In these roles, he helps uphold standards of fairness and integrity as an advocate, an artist, and an arbiter.
