Written Answer by Minister for Law, Mr K Shanmugam, to Parliamentary Question on Defence Counsel Scandalising and Insulting Moral Integrity of Complainants or Witnesses During Cross-Examination in Criminal Trials for Sexual or Child Abuse Offences

11 SEP 2017

11 Sep 2017 Posted in Parliamentary speeches and responses

Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan (Nominated Member of Parliament)

Question:
To ask the Minister for Law in each year since 2011, how many instances have there been of cross-examination by defence counsel which have been calculated to scandalise and insult the moral integrity of complainants or witnesses in criminal trials concerning sexual or child abuse offences.

Answer:

  1. We do not have the specific numbers requested. However, our discussions with both the courts and the Bar indicate that while this is not yet a serious problem, such conduct does take place.

Last updated on 11 Sep 2017