SINGAPORE (Bernama-Xinhua): Singapore will introduce measures to improve the management of sexual offence cases, including appointing a specialist group of judges for such cases, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon has said.
All sexual offence cases in the High Court and selected trials in the State Courts will now be assigned to a specialist group of experienced and specially trained judges and district judges, he said on Monday during the Opening of the Legal Year 2025.
"These cases require careful handling because of the impact that the trial process can have on both complainants and accused persons," he added.
Singapore will also pilot enhanced pre-trial checklists designed to protect complainants while ensuring the accused retain the right to a fair trial.
According to local media, the checklists will help identify contentious issues likely to arise during cross-examination, which will enable judges to exclude lines of questioning deemed irrelevant or insulting to complainants. - Bernama-Xinhua
