Rationalising the burden of establishing defences at criminal law in Singapore: Reconsidering Jayasena, in the wake of Eu Lim Hoklai

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 299-329
Author(s):  
Meera Rajah
Keyword(s):  
Death Penalty ◽  
Criminal Law ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Burden Of Proof ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Mental Condition ◽  
Wrongful Conviction ◽  
Legal Concept ◽  
Literal Sense ◽  
The Subject

The reversal of the burden of proof and the imposition of a mandatory death penalty for certain offences have left the Singapore criminal justice system the subject of much rights-based criticism. Case law hints that there exists a very real possibility of wrongful conviction, should the courts apply s. 107 of the Evidence Act (‘EA’) in its literal sense and shift the legal burden to the accused, irrespective of the defence he seeks to invoke. The Singapore courts have acknowledged that the ‘evidential burden’ of proof as a distinct legal concept on numerous occasions but have not reconciled it with Lord Devlin’s interpretation of s. 3(3) EA in Jayasena, which limits proof to the ‘legal burden’. This article argues that the time has come for the Singapore courts to expressly banish the Jayasena ghost. The fairer approach would be to examine whether the defence falls within the categories of (a) mental condition defences, namely insanity, insane automatism, diminished responsibility and intoxication causing abnormality of mind, and (b) other general defences. Reliance on a defence within the former category will cause the accused to bear the legal burden of proof; he should only bear the evidential burden for the latter.

scholarly journals THE SUBJECT OF CRIME: THE PROBLEM OF ESTABLISHING AGE LIMITS OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 809-812
Author(s):  
Natalia Yu. Zhilina ◽  
Esita E.Ganaeva ◽  
Marina L. Prokhorova ◽  
Denis N. Rudov ◽  
Irina V. Savelieva
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Law ◽  
Criminal Responsibility ◽  
Political Rights ◽  
Legal Concept ◽  
Scientific Methods ◽  
General Scientific ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Age Limits ◽  
Civil And Political Rights ◽  
Criminal Legislation

Purpose: This article presents the authors’ analysis of the problem of determining the subject of a crime as a legal concept, and defining the legal characteristics of a person who has committed a crime by features that are necessary for criminal responsibility (individual, age, and responsibility). Methodology: The present study was based on a dialectic approach to the disclosure of legal phenomena using general scientific and private scientific methods. Considered the Convention on Rights of the Child1989; International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights "in 1966; and UN Standard Minimum Rules for Administration of Juvenile Justice. Result: It is noted that the theory of criminal law and criminal legislation of various legal systems, including Russia, associate criminal responsibility with the age of the subject of the crime. Based on the requirements of criminal law, the subject of a crime may not be any imputed person, but only having reached a certain age. Applications: This research can be used for universities and students in law. Novelty/Originality: In this research, the model of establishing age limits of criminal responsibility is presented in a comprehensive and complete manner.

Legal challenges in bringing AI evidence to the criminal courtroom

2021 ◽  
pp. 203228442110570
Author(s):  
Katherine Quezada-Tavárez ◽  
Plixavra Vogiatzoglou ◽  
Sofie Royer
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Law ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Fair Trial ◽  
Criminal Proceedings ◽  
Legal Challenges ◽  
Criminal Courtroom ◽  
European Criminal Law ◽  
Applications Of Ai

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the criminal justice system. One of the promising applications of AI in this field is the gathering and processing of evidence to investigate and prosecute crime. Despite its great potential, AI evidence also generates novel challenges to the requirements in the European criminal law landscape. This study aims to contribute to the burgeoning body of work on AI in criminal justice, elaborating upon an issue that has not received sufficient attention: the challenges triggered by AI evidence in criminal proceedings. The analysis is based on the norms and standards for evidence and fair trial, which are fleshed out in a large amount of European case law. Through the lens of AI evidence, this contribution aims to reflect on these issues and offer new perspectives, providing recommendations that would help address the identified concerns and ensure that the fair trial standards are effectively respected in the criminal courtroom.

Death Penalty in South Asia: A Comparative Study between India and Bangladesh

2020 ◽  
pp. 002190962092653
Author(s):  
Sadiya S. Silvee ◽  
Ximei Wu
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Death Penalty ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Amnesty International ◽  
The Social ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The Subject

The death penalty has been the subject of controversy for a long time. South Asian countries have found themselves with this controversy by acquiring an ambivalent approach towards the death penalty. Out of eight South Asian countries, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan retain the death penalty law, and firmly believe that the death penalty can deter people from committing future crimes, whereas Sri Lanka and Maldives have chosen to retain the death penalty law but have abolished it in practice. Conversely, Nepal and Bhutan are the only two countries that have abolished death penalty both in law and practice. In this context, this comparative study of death penalty trials explores the approach taken by the judiciary of two South Asian jurisdictions, Bangladesh and India, towards the death penalty. This paper utilizes the findings of two original empirical research projects that explored judges’ opinions on the retention and administration of the death penalty in both jurisdictions. Amnesty International death penalty reports along with the case judgements are used, which helped to portray the true approach and flaws in the death penalty trials in both the jurisdictions. The paper will assess the death penalty trials and approach of the different stakeholders in the trial to highlight the distinct approaches taken by the two jurisdictions towards the death penalty. The paper argues that in both countries there is inconsistency in sentencing, the social cry for justice is prioritized over convicts’ rights and, from judges to legal representatives, all the stakeholders involved in a criminal trial hold a convictive approach, making a criminal justice system which presumes justice is served by awarding the death penalty.

Why isn’t history a recognized criminal specialists’ teacher?

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-36
Author(s):  
Jarosław Warylewski
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Death Penalty ◽  
Criminal Law ◽  
Justice System ◽  
The Real ◽  
Penal Law ◽  
History Of

The study includes reflections on the history of punishment and other means of a criminal reaction, their effectiveness and their impact on the criminal justice system. It indicates the limited “repertoire” of the mentioned measures. It draws attention to the real threats to the most important legal interests, especially to life, such as war and terrorism. It doubts the effectiveness of severe penalties, especially the death penalty. Indicates the dangers of penal populism and the perishing of law, including criminal law. It contains an appeal to criminologists and penal law experts to deal with all these dangers in terms of ideas rather than individual regulations.

Guilty Until Proved Innocent: Wrongful Conviction and Public Policy

1986 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 518-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Ronald Huff ◽  
Arye Rattner ◽  
Edward Sagarin ◽  
Donal E. J. MacNamara
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Innocent Person ◽  
Wrongful Conviction ◽  
Extant Literature ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽  
The Subject

Few problems can pose a greater threat to free, democratic societies than that of wrongful conviction—the conviction of an innocent person. Yet relatively little attention has been paid to this problem, perhaps because of our understandable concern with the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system in combatting crime. Drawing on our own database of nearly 500 cases of wrongful conviction, our survey of criminal justice officials, and our review of extant literature on the subject, we address three major questions: (1) How frequent is wrongful conviction? (2) What are its major causes? and (3) What policy implications may be derived from this study?

scholarly journals Islamic criminal procedure law: human rights issues

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 47-57
Author(s):  
Yusif Mamedov
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Criminal Law ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Due Process ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Burden Of Proof ◽  
The Law ◽  
The Right

It has been established that harsh Islamic punishments are practically not applied due to the high burden of proof and the need to involve an exhaustive number of witnesses. It has been proven that the Islamic criminal justice system provides the accused with basic guarantees. It is noted that according to Sharia, Islamic crimes are divided into three categories: Hadd, Qisas and Tazir. It is noted that Islamic criminal law provides that the accused is not guilty if his guilt is not proven. It is noted that equality before the law is one of the main legal principles of the Islamic criminal model, as all persons are equal before the law and are condemned equally regardless of religious or economic status (lack of immunity). There are four main principles aimed at protecting human rights in Islamic criminal law: the principle of legality (irreversible action), the principle of presumption of innocence, the principle of equality and the principle of ultimate proof. In addition, the Islamic criminal justice system provides defendants with many safeguards, which are always followed during detention, investigation, trial and after trial. It is established that such rights are: 1) the right of every person to the protection of life, honor, freedom and property; 2) the right to due process of law; 3) the right to a fair and open trial before an impartial judge; 4) freedom from coercion to self-disclosure; 5) protection against arbitrary arrest and detention; 6) immediate court proceedings; 7) the right to appeal. It is noted that if a person is charged, he/she has many remedies It is noted that the trial must be fair, in which the qadi (judge) plays an important role. It has been established that, in addition to the procedural guarantees, the qualifications and character of the qadi, as well as the strict requirements of Islamic rules of proof, are intended to ensure a fair trial in the case of the accused. Adherence to these principles has been shown to indicate that the rights of the accused are fully guaranteed under Islamic criminal law.

scholarly journals MISTAKEN IDENTITY OF THE VICTIM IN CRIMINAL LAW

Obiter ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Hoctor
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Law ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Legal Rules ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Mistaken Identity ◽  
Legal Perspective ◽  
Legal Position ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Point Of Departure ◽  
Dolus Eventualis

Along with the drama and pathos that the trial of Oscar Pistorius brought to a multitude of South Africans, who devotedly followed the events (and dissections of events) with great dedication a few years ago, the case also highlighted and publicized a number of legal rules and doctrines. Who would have thought, for example, that the term of art dolus eventualis would emerge as the subject of such quizzical interest for so many?Other issues which emerged are no less interesting from a legal perspective, but are admittedly of much more narrow and parochial interest, being limited to those who are required to apply substantive criminal law, whether in the courts or in the classroom. One of these is the error in obiecto notion (the spelling “obiecto”, rather than “objecto” which more typically appears in the textbooks and the case law, is more correct, although, both spelling forms will be used below, as needs be). The word “notion” is carefully selected, since describing error in obiecto as a rule, has been firmly and correctly dismissed as incorrect by Snyman (Hoctor Snyman’s Criminal Law 7ed (2020) 171): “[It] is not the description of a legal rule; it merely describes a certain type of factual situation.” Burchell’s point of departure is even more stark: “[T]he so-called error in objecto rule has uncertain, dubious origins and reference to it, even as a description of a factual predicament, should be excluded from the lawyers’ lexicon”. Phelps uses the phrase “little-known principle” to describe this “factual predicament”. The author in Kemp, Walker, Palmer, Baqwa, Gevers, Leslie and Steynberg Criminal Law in South Africa 3ed (2018) 263 does not use any nomenclature when discussing the legal position arising out of this factual situation.

Criminal Law

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Allen ◽  
Ian Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Law ◽  
Strict Liability ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Mens Rea ◽  
Sexual Offences ◽  
The Past ◽  
Actus Reus ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Law

Course-focused and comprehensive, the Textbook on series provides an accessible overview of the key areas on the law curriculum. Textbook on Criminal Law has been providing students of criminal law with a readable and reliable introduction to the subject for the past 28 years. This is the fifteenth edition, which has been updated to include all of the latest case law and statutory changes. Topics covered include actus reus, mens rea, negligence and strict liability, and capacity and incapacitating conditions. It also examines general defences, parties to crime, inchoate offences, and homicide. Towards the end of the book chapters consider non-fatal offences, sexual offences, offences under the Theft Acts 1968 and 1978, fraud, and criminal damage.

Male circumcision under Polish criminal law

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 0-0
Author(s):  
K. Banasik
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Law ◽  
Male Circumcision ◽  
Justice System ◽  
German Language ◽  
Criminal Offence ◽  
Bodily Injury ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Neonatal Circumcision ◽  
Language Literature

Introduction: Male circumcision is not widely discussed in Poland. This article is the first paper on circumcision in the light of Polish criminal law and anticipates a problem that can happen in the practice of the Polish criminal justice system in the next years. The author has discussed selected issues concerning male circumcision. The subject of deliberations has been circumcision of Jewish infants, taking place on the Polish territory. Purpose: To examine whether circumcision of infants is prohibited in Polish criminal law and whether a person carrying out neonatal circumcision for religious reason is punishable for a criminal offence. Materials and methods: The English- and German-language literature and other online available data relating to male circumcision have been examined. The provisions of the Polish Penal Code and other legal acts have been analysed. Moreover, judgements of the Polish courts and the Polish criminal law literature have also been the subject of research. Results: In Poland, there is no special legislation on male circumcision, in particular, there is no special criminal offence of circumcision. However, a person performing infant circumcision completes the elements of criminal offence consisting of causing bodily injury. Conclusions: In Polish criminal law, the customary justification of circumcision excludes the unlawfulness of the conduct of the person (called mohel) carrying out Jewish infant circumcision for religious reason. In the case of Jewish neonatal circumcision, we deal with so-called secondary legality of the committed act. In the final assessment in the aspect of criminal law, the conduct of a mohel is not unlawful and thus is not punishable as a criminal offence.

scholarly journals Les victimes sans crimes : le traitement pénal des accidents de travail

Criminologie ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Lippel
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Law ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Final Section ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Criminal Code ◽  
Work Place ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Work Accidents ◽  
Accidents De Travail

More people die in Canada every year from work related accidents and illnesses than as a result of murder. More work days are lost to work accidents and illnesses than to strikes and lockouts. Yet the illegalities committed in the field of health and safety in the workplace are, for all intents and purposes, left unnoticed by the criminal justice system. This article addresses the use of penal and criminal law in Quebec against employers who have violated health and safety legislation and the Criminal Code. The first part examines the historical, political and social reasons why deaths and injuries in the work place are perceived as normal and inevitable, rather than as aberra -tions often of a criminal nature. The second part examines the application of statutory legislation in Quebec, particularly the Act Respecting Occupational Health and Safety (R.S.Q. c. S-2.1). The nature of the offences therein provided for is studied, as well as the attitude of the judiciary and the Quebec Health and Safety Commission (C.S.S.T.) towards their application. In the final section the relevant provisions of the Criminal Code are studied, in the light of the rare examples from case law where criminal negligence charges have been laid. The article concludes with the assertion that a change of attitude both on the part of the state and on the part of public opinion is necessary if we wish that health and safety in the workplace be taken seriously by employers.

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