Politics · Other · 4 hrs ago
Singapore plans law to set tougher sentences for scam offenders
Singapore’s High Court gave probation and community sentences to four young scam offenders in September, while dismissing appeals by three others.
The seven people had been convicted of giving scam syndicates access to bank accounts or Singpass credentials, and six were under 21.
The judges said sentencing advisory guidelines are not binding on the courts and that prison or reformative training should not automatically be the default for young offenders.
Senior Minister K Shanmugam said the government believes deterrence should carry more weight because scams are a serious problem.
He said the government will introduce legislation to make clear that the court’s approach in the September case should not be followed.
The dispute highlights the roles of Parliament in making laws and courts in interpreting them.
The proposed legislation will be brought to Parliament, but the available information does not say when.
Singapore plans to introduce legislation setting out tougher sentences for scam-related offenders, including young people.
The move follows a High Court ruling in September that gave probation or community-based sentences to four young offenders.
Senior Minister K Shanmugam said the government’s policy is that deterrence and prevention should carry greater weight in sentencing.
The court said sentencing advisory panel guidelines are not binding and that custodial sentences should not be treated as the default for young offenders.
- Who
- Singapore’s government, led on this issue by Senior Minister K Shanmugam, plans the legislation.
- What
- It plans legislation to make clear that tougher deterrent sentences should apply to scam-related offenders, including youths.
- When
- Shanmugam said the ministry would table legislation in Parliament; no date for its introduction is stated.
- Where
- Singapore.
- Why
- The government says deterrence and prevention should carry greater weight, after the High Court gave four young scam offenders probation or community-based sentences.
Singapore government
High Court
Sentencing approach
Singapore government
The government says deterrence and prevention should carry far greater weight and calls for sterner penalties, such as jail or reformative training.
High Court
The court said sentencing guidelines are not binding and that custodial sentences or reformative training should not be the default for young offenders in these cases.
Role of legislation
Singapore government
The government plans legislation to make clear that the court’s position in the September case is not to be followed.
High Court
The court said Parliament should make clear if it intends to remove particular sentencing options for an offence.
The High Court allowed appeals in four scam-related cases and gave the offenders probation or community-based sentences.
Shanmugam said the ruling ran contrary to government sentencing guidelines calling for sterner penalties.
Shanmugam told Parliament that deterrence and prevention should carry far greater weight when sentencing scam offenders.
- Appeals heard
- Seven individuals convicted of giving scam syndicates access to bank accounts or Singpass credentials
- Young offenders
- Six of the seven were under 21
- Appeals allowed
- Four cases resulted in probation or community-based sentences
- Appeals dismissed
- Three
- Planned legislation
- To be tabled in Singapore’s Parliament
What people are saying
This is not the time to go soft.
We wanted this message to go out that every offender, young or old, will be very seriously dealt with.
sentencing guidelines suggested by the SAP (sentencing advisory panel) are not binding on the court but are intended to offer some assistance in the sentencing process
too blunt