SINGAPORE: Singapore’s courts will introduce measures to enhance the management of cases involving sexual offences, announced Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon on Monday ( Jan 13 ).  ,
A professional list of judges and city judges with experience and special training will be assigned to all situations involving sexual crimes in the High Court and tests involving some sexual infractions in the State Courts starting on Monday.  ,
The Chief Justice said at the start of the 2025 constitutional year that” these instances require careful management because the prosecution process can have on both plaintiffs and accused people.”
In the High Court, all intimate crime cases will be heard by judges on the professional listing, including trials, plead guilty mentions, lawyer’s appeals, legal motions and legal revisions, said a spokeswoman for the courts in response to CNA queries.  ,
In the State Courts, the professional list may include trials for severe sexual offences – where there is a penetrative act, the exploitation of a defenseless person, an abuse of a position of trust, the use of deception, or the use of violence, the spokesperson added.  ,
It will also be applicable to tests involving complainants or accused people who have specific needs that affect their ability to provide evidence, according to the director.  ,
The High Court now has seven judges on its professional record for such studies. Four of them are even part of the eight magistrates who did get lawyer’s appeals. On the list for situations at the State Courts are 12 city judges.  ,
The courts are expanding the education and resources available to these judges in order to gain greater expertise in handling physical offence cases, according to the spokesperson.  ,
The judges may also experiment with the use of improved pre-trial lists to improve the handling of these cases, protect plaintiffs, and defend the rights of victims while upholding the right to a reasonable trial, according to Chief Justice Menon.  ,
According to the court director, the goal of the schedule is to facilitate parties ‘ discussions and identify key issues that are likely to occur during the test.  ,
The director added,” This will help the courtroom crystallize the information in question and shape the contentious positions that are likely to be explored in cross-examination,” the director added.  ,
This would enable the prosecutor to” shut out traces of questioning” that are” completely unimportant” or” evidently intended to insult or offend the complainant” at the test.  ,
For every criminal case before the High Court, parties currently must submit a judge case conference checklist at least seven days before the scheduled conference, and a similar requirement applies to state courts.  ,
The pilot will build on this already-existing checklist, and parties are required to take into account and estimate the amount of time they will need for each witness ‘ cross-examination and examination.  ,
SUSTAINABLE WORK PRACTICES
The Law Society will publish a policy on preventing workplace harassment and bullying, Chief Justice Menon announced on Monday, in order to promote safe and sustainable workplaces.  ,
In his speech, he said a toolkit will provide legal counsel on fundamental rules and policies that they can put in place to stop such behavior at work.  ,
The ethics and professional standards committee’s final report, which was also released on Monday, included eight new recommendations for the policy.  ,
Following a rise in disciplinary tribunals at the time, the committee was established in 2023.  ,
The interim report, which Chief Justice Menon outlined in 2024, made 13 recommendations, including making ethics modules a mandatory part of the bar exam to ensure that lawyers and law students remain up-to-date with their ethical obligations.  ,