Criminal Defence Lawyers in Singapore
Most people meet a criminal lawyer after a phone call from the police, and long before any charge. That is the point at which advice is worth most. We act for people under investigation and for people already charged.
Being investigated or charged is disorienting in a way that is hard to explain to anyone who has not been through it. Decisions arrive quickly, usually without enough information, and often at a police station rather than at a desk with time to think.
Our criminal lawyers act for people at every stage: under investigation, released on bail, charged, in a trial, and on appeal. What follows is what we can tell you before you speak to anybody.
If the police have asked you to come in
An invitation to attend an interview is not a charge, and it is not nothing. What you say is recorded, and it will be read back to you in a courtroom later if the matter goes that far.
A few things worth knowing:
- You are required to attend when lawfully required to do so, and you must answer questions truthfully. Lying to an investigator creates a fresh problem on top of the one you already have
- You are not obliged to answer a question where the answer would expose you to a criminal charge. That is different from refusing to attend, and it is different from being evasive
- A court may draw an adverse inference where you stay silent about something you later rely on in your defence. Silence is not automatically safe
- You will be asked to read and sign your statement. Read it. If it does not say what you meant, say so before you sign, not months afterwards
In Singapore you generally do not have a lawyer sitting beside you during a police interview, and access to counsel can be deferred while investigations are at an early stage. That is precisely why it is worth speaking to one before you attend, while there is still time to understand what is being asked and why.
What happens, and in what order
Every case is different, but the shape is usually this:
Investigation. Statements are taken, devices and documents may be seized, and you may be released on bail while enquiries continue. Many matters end here, with no charge.
Charge. If the prosecution proceeds, you are formally charged and the case is first mentioned in court. Nothing is decided at a first mention.
Plea or claim trial. You either plead guilty or claim trial. This is the decision the whole case turns on, and it should never be made on the strength of what someone told you at a police station.
Disclosure and pre-trial conferences. Where a matter is contested, the prosecution and defence exchange material and the court manages the case towards a trial date.
Trial and sentencing. If convicted, or on a plea of guilt, the court moves to sentencing, where mitigation is heard.
Appeal. Conviction, sentence, or both can be appealed, within strict time limits that start running immediately.
Pleading guilty is still a decision that needs advice
A great many people conclude early that they will simply plead guilty and take what comes. Sometimes that is right. It is still worth advice, for three reasons.
The charge you have been given may not be the charge the facts support, and charges are sometimes reduced. The statement of facts you are asked to admit to may contain more than you actually did, and admitting it can change the sentence. And mitigation is a real exercise, not a formality: what is put before the court, and how, affects the outcome.
Our note on why you should still hire a lawyer even if you have pleaded guilty sets this out at greater length.
Bail
Bail is not a fine and it is not an admission of anything. It is security that you will turn up. Someone, usually a family member, stands as bailor and takes on a real obligation: to know where you are, to produce you when required, and to lose the sum if you do not appear.
Bail conditions can be onerous, and they can sometimes be varied. Where passports are impounded and travel matters for work, that is a conversation worth having early rather than accepting the first set of conditions as fixed.
The matters we act on
Theft, cheating and criminal breach of trust. Often employment-related, and often accompanied by a company’s own internal investigation running in parallel. See our note on what constitutes a criminal breach of trust.
Violent offences. Assault, affray and voluntarily causing hurt, which covers a wide range of seriousness and where the injury sustained does a great deal of work in sentencing.
Drug-related offences. Consumption, possession and related offences, where the quantities and the specific charge matter enormously and where the penalties are severe.
White collar and regulatory. Offences arising out of business, employment and dealings with regulators, where the investigation often begins with documents rather than with an arrest. Related: defamation and slander.
Traffic offences. Drink driving, dangerous or reckless driving, speeding and the common traffic offences generally. Disqualification from driving is frequently the part that hurts most, and it is often the part nobody warns you about.
Sexual offences and harassment. Outrage of modesty, voyeurism, harassment and doxxing. These matters carry consequences beyond the sentence, and they are handled with the discretion that implies.
We also act on immigration offences, which carry mandatory penalties more often than people expect.
What we do first
Step 1: Find out where the matter actually stands
Under investigation, on bail, charged, or something else. People frequently do not know, and the answer changes everything that follows.
Step 2: Get the documents
The charge sheet, the bail papers, any notice to attend, and anything you have signed. What you signed matters more than what you remember saying.
Step 3: Tell you the realistic range
Not the best case. The range of outcomes a court is actually likely to land on, and what moves you within it.
Step 4: Decide plea or trial, with reasons
And, if the charge does not fit the facts, take that up with the prosecution rather than accept it.
Step 5: Prepare properly
Whether that means mitigation or a defence, the preparation is the work. The hearing is where it shows.
Criminal defence in Singapore: frequently asked questions
Should I speak to a lawyer before my police interview?
Yes, and it is the single most useful thing you can do early. You cannot generally have a lawyer in the interview room with you, which is exactly why the conversation beforehand matters: understanding what you are obliged to do, what you are not, and what the process is likely to look like from here.
Do I need a lawyer if I am going to plead guilty?
It is worth having one. The charge may be reducible, the statement of facts you are asked to admit may go further than what actually happened, and mitigation genuinely affects sentence. A plea of guilt is a decision with consequences that last years; it deserves more than a shrug.
What actually happens at a first mention in court?
Very little, which surprises people who have spent a week dreading it. The charge is read, and the matter is usually adjourned so you can take advice or so investigations can be completed. You are not expected to argue your case, and you should not try to.
Can charges be dropped?
Sometimes. The prosecution may reduce a charge, offer a conditional warning instead of prosecuting, or grant a discharge. What makes that possible is usually representations made properly and early, with the right material attached, rather than a phone call asking nicely.
Will I have a criminal record?
A conviction is recorded. Under the Registration of Criminals Act certain convictions can later become spent, meaning you are generally not required to disclose them, provided the conditions are met and you stay out of trouble for the qualifying period. Not every conviction qualifies. It is a question worth asking about your specific charge rather than assuming either way.
What does a bailor actually take on?
Responsibility for producing you in court when required, and the money if you do not appear. It is a genuine obligation rather than a formality, and it should be explained properly to whoever is being asked to do it, usually a parent or a spouse who has never been near a court before.
How long will my case take?
A straightforward plea can conclude within a few months. A contested trial takes considerably longer, because dates depend on the court’s diary, the number of witnesses, and how much material has to be disclosed. We will give you a realistic view once we know which of the two you are in.
Can I appeal?
Conviction, sentence or both can be appealed, and the time limits are short and start running immediately. If you are unhappy with an outcome, the time to say so is now rather than after you have thought about it for a month.
Is what I tell you confidential?
Yes. What you tell a lawyer in seeking legal advice is privileged, and it stays privileged whether or not you go on to instruct us. That is the reason to be straightforward about what happened, including the parts you would rather not say out loud.
What clients say.
Friendly and Professional Staff with fast and effective outcomes. Communication was clear and the process was handled very efficiently.
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