Death Penalty Appeal

last SG · 2005-10-26T11:18:18+00:00

oh my god......still talking about this hanging stufff......get over it.......its centuries ago......look at the hanging of the pure aussie guy in malaysia l...

Li Ka Shing SG

What does application of law supposed to mean? The mandatory death penalty is already an application of law. It is deliberately crafted to be mandatory to send an extra strong message. It's intentional. That's the law and that's why Singapore is like this today. Because Singapore sent out an extra strong message. What does discretionary death penalty suppose to mean? It only softens it. Why do u want to soften a law??? No loopholes for any discretion, mandatory is there for a purpose. Otherwise u simply send a weaker message.

Don't u see......u step back a little, u give more room for the criminals to step forward a little. Don't give any room. Squeeze their room as much as u can.

LazerLordz SG

And be worse off as a society that is supposed to evolve and not regress in social development?No thanks.

Mandatory sentencing feeds on the human urge for a fast process that does not allow for mitigating factors.Nothing is black and white in this world, and the judge is supposed to be the authority in interpreting the law.

Never confuse effective justice for efficient justice.The former is a boon to society, the latter, highly susceptible to weakness and irreversible mistakes.Punishment is not one-dimensional as you have been brought up to think. Rolling Eyes

laoda99 SG

I will rather have a safer, stricter society than one which allows drugs/guns on the streets. The government is doing a good job in keeping singapore drug free.

LazerLordz SG

No one is saying we will dismantle the society we have built by one review on the death penalty law.Only alarmists think that way.

laoda99 SG

Human beings are like that: Give an inch they will want a yard. I agree that the law should be definite in administering punishment in drug matters. No bargaining. No sympathy with drug pushers, esp one with 26,000 doses of heroin. Drug addicts and traffickers are big fat liars. Seen them in lockup myself.

LazerLordz SG

Well then, it's your opinion.

Singapore does not exist in a vacuum and has to move with the times.If the people are convinced that we need to give the judiciary more latitude in deciding on capital punishment, so be it.Nothing stays the same and evolution is better than standing still.

laoda99 SG

If moving with the times means leniency for such criminals, then I would prefer to stand still and not move forward at all.

Li Ka Shing SG

The mandatory death penalties are only reserved for extraordinary crimes. You won't get mandatory death for stealing a computer.

Drug trafficking is an extraordinary crime. Mandatory death is the penalty.
It doesn't mean the quality of justice has decreased. Because for cases like stealing a computer, a judge can consider mitigating factors, like u must pay your brother's debts. But when u become a drug trafficker, it's an extraordinary crime and u are immediately given the capital punishment even though u did it to pay ur brother's debt.

Herein lies the difference. That for extraordinary crimes, no mitigating factors are mitigating enough for you to commit that extraordinary crime. And this is what strong message the mandatory death penalty is there for. Once you take this away, you step back a little and soften it. People will know that there are actually mitigating factors and discretionary judgements in an extraordinary crime. You reserve mandatory death penalties for extraordinary crimes for a reason. Don't take it away.

laoda99 SG

Cannot agree more. There should be no room for opportunists.

LazerLordz SG

Does it mean leniency?Assumption is never the best thing.

And the unflinching faith in the mandatory system is due to our misguided trust in the infalliability of the prosecution.

We are human.We make mistakes, and investigators do too.I wouldn't trust any human being to be 100% and it's better to err on the side of caution.You can exonerate a wrongly accused man if he's in prison.You cannot revive a dead man if he is executed wrongfully.

Right now our prosecution is quite accurate.Can we guarantee that forever?Isn't that too much arrogance?

laoda99 SG

Do u mean the police wrongfully accused a drug trafficker who was founded 26,000 doses strapped on his body? I seriously doubt so.

LazerLordz SG

Not him.But can you GUARANTEE the infalliability of something else?Like the other crimes that come under the mandatory sentencing?

Ponder upon it.There are no easy answers to the problems in the world, and we have to think further than what we were taught.

Goodnight. Very Happy

laoda99 SG

nobody can guarantee the infalliability of everything, but I would still say we have a effective/efficient legal system.

Seen how the police/system in our neighbouring countries work and I can say I do not have any confidence in them.

Singapore is so much better. I can say so as a former police officer.

LazerLordz SG

Point taken.Cheers.

oxford mushroom SG

I am not convinced that what you propose will move us forward....it is more likely a move towards a more chaotic and lawless society

sbst275 SG

I have always believed the law we have determine the kind of society we would have... I think I am right...

Howard has warned the young in Australia abt touching drugs as you can't be at mercy in Asia

Chin Eng SG

I think lots of people write in the forum basing the comments on personal opinions - but again this is an assumption and I can't check this one out.

At least I have stated very clearly that I AM MAKING AN ASSUMPTION, so let's not get personal, ok.

However you are right. Japan DOES have the death penalty: http://web.amnesty.org/pages/deathpenalty-sentences-eng

Chin Eng SG

Yup... a friend who use to work for the drug rehab had told me that many of these folks plea bargain, or fake the rehab, or trhy to glean pity.

Nobody need to die if they don't do drugs.

aiko34 SG

what's wrong with using scare tactics?

if it gets the job done, why not?

that is why you see drugs and crimes so rampant at the countries you so affectionately want to ape.

seik0 SG

Like you said, as your a former police officer, CORRUPTION. Police think they have power over people beneath them, they think they can away with practically everything, its in every country. You think singapore dont have a drug problem... see for your self, its lurking in your streets, you don't see it cos, you just blinded by other countries drug problems, that you dont see yours. And why not hang the judges even the PM?, if they send a innocent person to death of even in prison. As they say.. "An Eye For An Eye" right?

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