Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim on Public Defenders Bill
In Parliament on Monday (Aug 1), MP Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim highlighted the important role that a Public Defender’s Office (PDO) would play in portraying the image and integrity of Singapore’s criminal justice system. He called for safeguards on plea bargaining, with a possible avenue for review of such cases by an independent body. He also suggested publishing an annual statistics report on PDO cases that have gone to trial, number of accused persons assisted and conviction rates. Mr Zhulkarnain also spoke about building up the capabilities of public defenders. He proposed seconding officers from the Attorney-General’s Chambers to the PDO, actively recruiting from the Criminal Bar and setting up specialised teams within the PDO.
In Parliament on Monday (Aug 1), MP Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim highlighted the important role that a Public Defender’s Office (PDO) would play in portraying the image and integrity of Singapore’s criminal justice system. He called for safeguards on plea bargaining, with a possible avenue for review of such cases by an independent body. He also suggested publishing an annual statistics report on PDO cases that have gone to trial, number of accused persons assisted and conviction rates. Mr Zhulkarnain also spoke about building up the capabilities of public defenders. He proposed seconding officers from the Attorney-General’s Chambers to the PDO, actively recruiting from the Criminal Bar and setting up specialised teams within the PDO.
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