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SINGAPORE: According to recent polls, the death penalty is considered more effective than life imprisonment as a deterrent against certain capital crimes, Minister of Law and Interior K Shanmugam said on Monday (5 October).
Mr Shanmugam was responding to a parliamentary question from the Workers’ Party Member of Parliament Jamus Lim on whether there has been any systematic study by the Ministry of the Interior (MHA) on the deterrent effect of life imprisonment in relation to the death penalty.
The Sengkang GRC deputy also asked if the study has been conducted in cases where a perpetrator’s reasoning ability may have been compromised by factors such as mental illness or addiction.
In his written response, Mr. Shanmugam said that MHA had commissioned a survey last year involving 2,000 residents.
The majority of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the death penalty is more effective than life imprisonment as a deterrent against the use of firearms in Singapore (70.8%), the commission of murders (70, 6%) and drug trafficking (68%).
The MHA also commissioned a study of a sample of non-Singaporeans who are likely to visit Singapore and could therefore face the country’s laws and penalties.
The study, conducted in 2018, found that 76 percent of those surveyed believed that the death penalty is more effective than life imprisonment in deterring people from committing serious crimes in Singapore, such as murder, gun smuggling of fire and drug trafficking.
84% believe that, compared to life imprisonment, the death penalty is more effective in deterring people from drug trafficking to Singapore.
READ: Court of Appeal orders new arguments in case of drug trafficker sentenced to death, execution pending
“We want to emphasize that studies must be taken in context. Some tentative conclusions can be drawn, but the very nature of these studies is such that more work will be required over time periods, ”said Mr. Shanmugam.
When deciding whether to apply the death penalty to a particular crime, Mr. Shanmugam said the government takes into account several factors, including three key considerations: The seriousness of the crime in terms of the harm caused to the victim and to society, the frequency of the crime. or how widespread it is, as well as the need for deterrence.
These factors are considered in their entirety, and the fact that a crime is not widespread today may not in itself be a deciding factor, Shanmugam said.
ON DRUGS AND CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
For drug trafficking offenses, Mr. Shanmugam said that while capital punishment thresholds “may not seem high” to the layperson, “they actually involve significant amounts of drugs.”
“For example, the capital punishment threshold of 15g of pure heroin (diamorphine) equals 1,250 straws of heroin and feeds 180 drug addicts for a week. This is leading to death, or at least a ruined life, to a large number of abusers and their families, “he said.
The minister also pointed to some evidence that knowledge of the death penalty led to a reduction in the amount of drugs trafficked and provided statistics on how the number of certain crimes decreased after the death penalty was introduced for them.
For example, MHA found that there was a 66% reduction in the average net weight trafficked for opium in the four-year period after the mandatory death penalty was introduced in 1990 for trafficking more than 1,200 g of opium.
In the four years after the introduction of the death penalty for trafficking more than 500 g of cannabis in 1990, there was “a 15 to 19 percentage point reduction in the probability that traffickers would choose to traffic above the threshold of capital punishment, “Shanmugam said.
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Another study by the MHA showed that convicted drug traffickers who claimed to be more aware of the serious legal consequences had limited their trafficking behavior.
Firearms robbery and the crime of kidnapping were reduced after the death penalty was imposed, and those crimes are now at “a very low level,” said Mr. Shanmugam. No cases of firearm theft were reported in the past 13 years.
“There is majority public support for the death penalty. There have been several polls that show this,” added Mr. Shanmugam.
OFFENDERS AFFECTED BY MENTAL ILLNESS OR ADDICTION
In response to Assoc Prof Lim’s question about perpetrators with mental illness or addiction, Mr. Shanmugam said that if an offender is not of sound mind at the time of the crime, he will be acquitted on the defense of his low mood The criminal code.
This defense can be applied to all crimes. If an offender is intoxicated at the time of the crime, he can use the intoxication as a defense, but he has to show that he did not know what he was doing, that he did not know that his conduct was wrong and that the intoxication was caused without his knowledge or against his Will.
“The Government has a responsibility to ensure the safety of Singaporeans, while maintaining a fair and equitable criminal justice system,” said Mr. Shanmugam.
“The rights of offenders must be seen in the context of the rights of victims and the right of Singaporeans to live in safety and security. The approach we have taken has made Singapore one of the safest places in the world. to live. This is something highly valued by Singaporeans. “
He asked Associate Professor Lim to share his views with the MHA on whether he supports the death penalty and, if so, for what crimes and why.
“And if he is against the death penalty, it will also be useful to know from him the reasons for his position. Members’ views will be considered carefully and respectfully, ”said Mr. Shanmugam.
