This Week In Court

– week of 19th June –

What does justice look like to you? Is it when a sole breadwinner has to pay $15000 in bail in order to be able to come out of remand and work to provide for his family? Is it when someone is kept in remand for more than a year as authorities have not completed reports on his case? Is it when a member of the public is (allegedly) hurt to the point of being bruised in several places in the course of his arrest? This week in court, we encountered individuals who faced these situations, at the hands of what many trust and believe is a “justice” system.

Another thing we are reflecting on this week is how when there are situations of violence and harm, de-escalation is what is needed first and foremost. But sometimes, interventions by the police can escalate a situation. Anyone with power and authority should never treat others without dignity. Inhumane and authoritarian practices only serve to push people to the edge, where they end up acting out of fear and panic. Instead, they should be given a chance to regulate themselves and do better.

Case 1

A man asked the judge to lower his bail amount of $15,000. He said that he needs to work in order to provide for his family as he is the sole breadwinner. However, District Judge Terence Tay said that the bail was “only” $15,000. Since only half the amount has to be paid in cash, the judge said that it should not be hard for the man’s family to pay it.

Case 2

A man in remand asked the judge why his Health Sciences Authority (HSA) report was taking so long since his arrest was in September last year. Judge Terence Tay told the man that, “there is no point in asking questions if you don’t want an answer right?” It was later revealed that there had been a lapse in the investigation and HSA reports were ready since November last year but yet, his charges have not been addressed in court.

The same man said that when he was arrested again for another offense, the report stated that he had drugs on him, but he argued that he had not been carrying any drugs at that time. The judge then ordered a follow up by the Investigation Officer (IO) for his case. This means that his period of remand will be extended, even though it’s already been almost a year.

Case 3

A man that appeared in court via Zoom told the judge that when he was arrested, he was drunk and was pinned down by law enforcement officers.

He claimed that he had bruises all over his body as a result of being beaten by the police officers who arrested him. The judge asked the man to seek medical attention within the prison facility and to lodge a police report about the allegations.