In this article, we explore what is judicial mercy and the circumstances in which it has been exercised, as well as the circumstances in which the Courts have declined to exercise it notwithstanding there may have been good reasons to do so. What exactly is judicial mercy? The Courts generally follow basic sentencing principles that…
When an offender is sentenced in court, the relevant punishment provisions and the sentencing framework laid down by the Court in previous cases (if any) set the baseline for sentencing. However, the Courts may consider various personal circumstances and other factors, or “mitigating factors” that may warrant a reduction in sentencing severity. What principles do…
The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has announced the re-classification of etomidate from the Poisons Act to the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA). This means that users will be treated and punished as drug offenders. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has also announced its full support for HSA’s crackdown on etomidate-laced vaporisers, also known as…
Section 64 (1) of the Road Traffic Act 1961 of Singapore (“RTA”) sets out the offence of reckless driving. In summary, it refers to any behaviour behind the wheel that is reckless or endangers public safety, including speeding, weaving between cars or ignoring traffic signals. Singapore imposes strict penalties on such offences to protect road…
Crimes can include anything from minor offences such as certain Road Traffic Offences to more serious offences such as sexual offences, robbery, rioting, extortion, causing hurt or damage to public property, murder, and treason. White Collar crimes, on the other hand, could come in the form of fraud, criminal breach of trust, cheating and other…
In Singapore, harassment is defined as any kind of behaviour that causes alarm, apprehension or distress to an individual. Harassment generally encompasses a range of actions and is governed under numerous laws, including the Protection From Harassment Act (POHA) and the Penal Code. This article provides an overview of the POHA, highlighting key offences, associated…