Judicial decisions cannot be influenced by public opinion: Chief Justice
(Today Online) – Comments and observations are today posted freely on the Internet and print media, and while the judiciary should be aware of public sentiments, there is a “vital difference between the public interest and public opinion”
The task of dispensing a “just sentence” is now more challenging, with the expectations of a more discerning and vocal public, but judicial decisions cannot be dictated or influenced by public opinion, said Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon yesterday.
Comments and observations are today posted freely on the Internet and print media, and while the judiciary should be aware of public sentiments, there is a “vital difference between the public interest and public opinion”, he said.
The Chief Justice made these remarks as he launched the third edition of a book that sets out sentencing principles, considerations and precedents from cases that have passed through the courts.
The previous edition of Practitioners’ Library: Sentencing Principles in the Subordinate Courts was published in 2003 and there have since been major changes to the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code, with new offences created and prosecuted.
The third edition, with contributions by 27 District Court judges, comes in two volumes (S$535, available on LexisNexis’ online bookstore).
Before such a tome became available, defence lawyers might have felt handicapped when going to court, not knowing about relevant cases that had not been recorded, said lawyer Amolat Singh.
“Now all the practitioners, judges and prosecutors are, in this sense, on the same page. Sometimes, we call this the ‘great equaliser’,” he said.
The book also helps lawyers’ clients who may be wondering about the sort of punishment they would get.
“After we share this with them, very often, they actually take a step back, think about their case and, sometimes, they even decide to throw in the towel instead of wasting the court’s time,” said Mr Singh.
Read more at: http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/judicial-decisions-cannot-be-influenced-public-opinion-chief-justice
