7/29/12

Singapore Law Watch - Giving judges discretion not a bad thing

29July2012
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Giving judges discretion not a bad thing
enter e-mail Source Date StraitsTimes 14Jul2012
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FormerattorneygeneralWalterWoontalkstoThamYuenCabouttheproposedreformstothe mandatorydeathpenalty Whataretheimplicationsofadiscretionarydeathpenalty?Wouldithaveasmuchdeterrent effectoncrime? TherearealreadysectionsofthePenalCodeandotherstatuteswherethedeathpenaltyisdiscretionary.So makingitdiscretionaryformurderandsomedrugtraffickingoffencesisnotunprecedented. Youcannotdetermurderwithadeathpenalty,exceptforthepremeditatedones.Fordrugtrafficking,Idon't thinkthatmakingthedeathpenaltydiscretionarywillreducethedeterrenteffect,unlessthereisadefacto moratorium.Anycourierwillstillhavetomakethecalculationwhetheritisworththeriskofthegallowstobring drugsthroughSingapore. Comparedtoothersocieties,howhighisthelevelofjudicialdiscretionhere?Howdoesthe changetilttheseparationofpowersbetweentheexecutiveandthejudiciary,ifitdoes? ThePublicProsecutor(meaningtheAttorneyGeneral)hasadiscretionoverwhatchargetobring. Inthecaseofakillingforinstance,thechargecanbemurder,orculpablehomicidenotamountingtomurderor evenvoluntarilycausinggrievoushurt.Thisisprosecutorialdiscretion. Itisnotexercisedarbitrarily.Thereareinternalguidelinesandtheprosecutorsarealwaysmindfulofprecedent whentheychooseaparticularcharge. Thereisnorulethattheprosecutionmustseekthemostseverepenaltypossibleindeed,thisisneverthecase. Theprosecutionbringsachargethatisappropriatetotheevidenceandthelaw.Thejudgethenhasadiscretion aboutwhatsentencetopassiftheaccusedisguilty. SometimesParliamenttakesawaythatdiscretion,byprescribingafixedpenalty,forexample,deathfor traffickinginaboveacertainquantityofillicitdrugs.Butingeneral,thetrialjudgehasadiscretionhowseverea penaltytoimpose.Thisisjudicialdiscretion. Assumingalljudgesandprosecutorsarefairandperformtheirjobsastheyshould,doesitreally matteronwhomthediscretionlies? Yes,itmatters.ThedecisiontobringaparticularchargeistakenwithoutthePublicProsecutorhavingtodisclose reasons.Thishasalwaysbeenthecase.Thereforeitisimpossibletoknowwhysomearechargedwithacapital offencewhileothersarenot(basedonthepubliclyavailableinformation).Itwouldbeundesirabletoforcethe PublicProsecutortodisclosethereasonsforaparticulardecisiontochargetherewillbesituationswhere witnessesorintelligencesourcesmaybecompromised,forinstance. Ajudgemustgivereasonswhenhepassessentence,sothattherecanbeanappeal.Justiceisthereforeseentobe done. Constitutionally,itisbetterforajudgetodecidewhetherapersonshouldhangwhenhepassessentencerather thanthatthePublicProsecutorshouldeffectivelydecidebypressingachargethatcarriesamandatorydeath sentence. Eventhoughthedeathpenaltyremainsoneofthekeypillarsofourpenalsystem,thereforms signaltherehasbeenashiftfromthepreviousapproach.Whatramificationswilltherebeon sentencing?Doyouthinkjudgeswillbemorecircumspect? Judgesarealwaysreluctanttosentencepeopletodeathifthereisanyreasonabledoubt.Givingthemdiscretion allowsthemtotakeintoaccountmitigatingfactors.Idon'tseethatasabadthing.Aonesizefitsallapproachto

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7/29/12

Singapore Law Watch - Giving judges discretion not a bad thing

sentencingisapttoproducehardcases. WhatwouldyouliketoseeinthefinalBillonthereforms?Forexample,whatkindofsafeguards shouldbeincluded? Nosafeguardsarenecessary.Ourjudgesarecompetenttodecide.Theyknowwheretheirdutylies. ItisunwiseofParliamenttotiethejudges'handsbybeingtooprescriptive.Parliamentcanneverforeseeallthe possiblecombinationsoffactorsthatwillariseinanyparticularcase. Thestrengthofthecommonlawsystemwehaveisthatitisflexible. yuenc@sph.com.sg Source:StraitsTimesSingaporePressHoldingsLtd.Permissionrequiredforreproduction.

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