Singapore
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Background
The Republic of Singapore is a prosperous island nation in Southeast Asia. Singapore, also known as "Lion City," consists of the main island of Singapore plus 63 offshore islands. Originally founded in 1819 as a British trading colony, Singapore gained independence from the British in 1963, merged with Malaysia for two years, and became fully independent in 1965. Today, Singapore is a leading financial center and high-tech hub. It also has one of the busiest ports in the world. The estimated GDP in 2010 was $292.2 billion. The most common industries in Singapore’s export-driven economy are consumer electronics, information technology products, pharmaceuticals, and financial services.
Nearly 5 million people live in Singapore, and the entire population lives in an urban setting. The population is 77% Chinese, 14% Malay, and 7% Indian. Between one-third and one-fourth of the population are foreigners. Buddhism is the most popular religion (42.5%), followed by Muslim (14.9%), and Christian (9.8%). There are four official languages: Mandarin, English, Malay, and Tamil. The national anthem is exclusively sung in Malay. The life expectancy of 82 years is among the highest in the world, and 92.5% of the population is literate. [1] [2]
Type of System
A former British colony, Singapore is a parliamentary republic with a legal system based on English common law. The constitution is based on the pre-independent State of Singapore Constitution, and it was written in 1959 and amended in 1965. [3] There are three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. The judicial branch has a Supreme Court, divided into the Court of Appeal and the High Court, as well as Subordinate Courts and a Constitutional Tribunal. There are several specialized courts, such as a Community Court and a Bail Court, to encourage efficiency and strict case management. [4] The judge decides both legal and factual issues. The jury system was abolished in 1970. [5]
Many narcotics offenses carry a mandatory death penalty sentence, and many vandalism offenses require a mandatory caning sentence. There are also strict penalties for crimes related to various guns and weapons. Jaywalking and littering are also considered crimes. [6] Singapore has one of the highest execution rates in the world, and a significant number of those executed include foreign nationals. [7]
Sources of Defendants' Rights
Defendants' Rights
Pre-Trial
Trial
Post-Conviction
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QUICK FACTS
- Mid-2009 Prison Population: 12,944 (national prison administration, via Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators)
- Official Prison Capacity: 13, 876 (92% occupancy level)
- Mid-2009 Prison Population Composition: 16.3% foreign prisoners, 15.4% pre-trial detainees/remand prisoners, 9.8% female prisoners, 4.7% juveniles/minors/young prisoners (2007 average)
- ↑ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sn.html
- ↑ http://www.singstat.gov.sg/
- ↑ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sn.html
- ↑ http://www.singaporelaw.sg/content/LegalSyst1.html#Section7
- ↑ http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Singapore.htm
- ↑ http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1017.html#crime
- ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20080111225751/http://www.amnesty.org/en/alfresco_asset/aad0c6f3-a509-11dc-a92d-271514ed133d/asa360012004en.html
