Laws should be used to uphold justice not for deterrence

robertteh SG

In many cases, the so-called deterrence meted to offenders has failed to stop or deter future crimes of the same nature.

Drug trafficking is one such instance where deterrence by death penalty does not work as intended.

What is more important in passing and enforcing laws is upholding of accountability and transparency in upholding of justice. Punishment should always be aimed at correcting the particular criminal and eliminating the cause for future commissions of the same crimes. Reforming and redeeming the criminal is one approach. There should be no assumptions that just because of certain consequences to society a criminal should be punished with some mandatory sentences or death. Below death, many measures are just as effective like life or long-term imprisonment and rotan. Let death sentence be the sentence of final resort reserved for treason or murder.

The man who was death SG

prevention is better than cure, however we can’t ever, not even once err on the side of caution when it comes to the death sentence

robertteh SG

It is only a general assumption that heavy punishment will create deterrence. But this might not be the case in practice. To a certain degree it may have a certain impact but not always.

A cheat is often undeterred by heavy penalty even though heavy sentences have been imposed by judges. A drug trafficker is unlikely to be deterred not even by death as can be seen in many many drug traffickers around today many years after the severe death penalty was introduced.

So our laws should aim at befitting punishment to the crimes not be so obsessed in deterring the future commission. If the laws regard a particular crime as more serious just impose sentence according to the penalty befitting that category. Do not worry the judges do not know how to exercise sentencing and interfere in his sentencing by making all the severe punishments mandatory as has happened in the Drug laws resulting in greater social and many problems with our neighbouring countries,

The lessening of crimes has happened due to good economic performance of the country. If the economy is bad there will be more crimes. So it is for the leaders to see how to improve the governing of the country to bring about more progress and better and more jobs as well if we want to reduce or combat crimes.

oxford mushroom SG

Your views are acknowledged, but experts in the field are divided on this issue. Scholars in this area have argued that the death penalty has a deterrent effect and that is a desirable objective of the legal system.

Those interested can read and follow up on the links in the following document:

http://teacher.deathpenaltyinfo.msu.edu/c/about/arguments/arguments.PDF

Singaporeans should read the arguments on both sides and their decision should be respected. Any political party that does not heed the views of the majority do so at their peril. This is especially true of the Opposition when the stakes are stacked against them.

Do not mistake the voices of a vocal minority to be representative of the silent majority. The Democrats made that mistake at the previous US Presidential election when Bush swept to power with a huge majority, whilst making no apologies for his right wing, Christian conservative policies.

robertteh SG

The pertinent issue is: which band do our laws and policies fall in? Are our law makers and judges overly obsessed with deterrence?

If our laws are too harsh because of some obsessions of our leaders that they must punish certain criminals extremely to prevent certain crimes, then we should ask the question - are our leaders overdoing punishments for control or political purpose ? Is it necessary to ban chewing gums? Is it necessary to make Sedition Act tougher to nab people posting some criticisms of government or policies they don't like?

If we are in the wrong band, and forgetting that principal objective of laws is upholding of justice with accountability and transparency, then it is only right to desist from overkill of punishments as the latter might make us a police and authoritarian state. There seems to be a tendency for our law makers to accept the argument that we need to impose heavy sentence as deterrence with a habit to pass new mandatory sentencing for all kinds of offences.

Just imagine, people can go to jail for all sorts of reason like falling windows because of some rusty windows in the past. Are we becoming a society where control and punishment is everything. Even a fumbling old land lady can be jailed for mere renting of flat to foreigners not knowing how to check or stupid enough for not helping police to prevent entry of illegal immigrants.

ShutterBug SG

In my opinion, LAW in Singapore very harshly deters drug offenders. DETERRENCE to me is ok, it makes sense - especially with drugs. But what I did't quite like, and totally cannot agree with, is our government's inflexibility, and arrogance, over the latest hanging.

And if the Death Penalty is a permanent and essential component of Singapore's LAW, why can't our government make it more humane by upgrading the method to Death by Lethal Injection??? Too gentle?? Do they prefer some degree of brutality?? Too expensive??? Or just plain STUBBORN??? Just like with casino...before cannot now can, bcos need money.

We're fast earning nick names & jokes internationally; "Singapore's a 'fine' place and many people 'hang out' there...."

oxford mushroom SG

What makes you think that lethal injection is more humane? The drug that causes death is not the barbiturates but a muscle relaxant that paralyses the breathing, followed by a poison that stops the heart. The prisoner may feel completely and suddenly out of breath but is unable to struggle because he is paralysed. Depending on how long the next drug is administered and how long it takes to stop the heart and lose consciousness, he may have sensation of suffocation.

Judicial hanging is rapid and more instantaneous in comparison.

oxford mushroom SG

Are stringent laws there because the government wants to exert greater control or is it because by and large, Singaporeans want to have a safer and relatively crime-free society? The former is undesirable but surely the latter reason is comprehensible?

Perhaps Singaporeans are prepared to trade a measure of liberty for security? What is so strange about that since the Israelis are prepared to trade land for peace?

sbst275 SG

I see ppl are critics on the recent hanging case

Is it because of Australian influence? The whole point comes out to this, the more they wanna make noises or boycott, it would just toughen the stance. Nothing would come out from this

ShutterBug SG

Have you tried hanging yourself?

All manner of death/killing, involves some degree of pain or suffering. The contention is; HOW MUCH of it. In Lethal Injection, there's little or no physical trauma, and less brutal, making the act of execution, "SEEMINGLY", more humane. Although Death Penalty is something I am against.

robertteh SG

Is GRC there for maintenance of racial harmony or perpetuation of one-party rule?

There are other means to maintain racial harmony without abolishing the one-man one-vote democratic practice in electing government. Like the NKF, it is a matter of accountability and transparency and objective corporate governance.

Over the years, there have been too many problems caused by unchecked assumptions and hidden agendas.

So the citizens should speak out objectively so that we will not have all kinds of assumptions and insidious agendas seeping into our laws and governance.

Do we want to have a government continuing to give some excuses like the dirtying of streets by chewing gums or racial harmony protection to pass more draconian laws.

What is an occasional racist remark in blogging as compared with total deprivation of freedoms of expressions through internet and blogs under the proposed amendments to the Sedition Act. There are other ways to promote racial harmony and we need not listen to all the paranoid about blogging becoming a haven for expressing racism.

ndmmxiaomayi SG

Deterrence is what our laws have been aiming at.

Upholding justice is as important, but it seems to be second to deterrence. Upholding justice is hard, as seen in the recent hanging of the Australian.

oxford mushroom SG

What a question. And you have tried lethal injection? Mr. Green But I do know the effects of the drugs