Criminal Procedure Contents

1. Commencement of legal proceedings

a. Commencement of court proceedings
i. How non seizable offences and seizable offences are brought to court
1. four ways essentially
ii. Conditions prereq for initiation of proceedings (for all types) (sections 129-132)
1. arrest cases
2. complaint cases (warrant or summons)
a. by police
b. by private persons/ companies
c. procedure upon magistrates’ cognizance of complaint (A-G)
b. Commencement of Investigations - First Information Report
i. What is a First Information Report (FIR)
ii. Procedure when information received
iii. Significance of FIR
1. Admissibility of statements AFTER FIR
2. When investigations have begun
iv. Evidential Value of FIR
v. Right to FIR
c. Powers of Arrest
i. Definition of seizable offence
ii. How to effect arrest section 24; 28
iii. What amounts to arrest (x5)
iv. three types of arrest
1. without warrant
a. 5 grds in section 32, + section 33 + other acts– see especially what is
reasonable complaint, credible information, reasonable suspicion
2. with warrant
a. form; procedure etc of warrant/ when warrant in lieu of summons
3. private arrest
a. section 34(1) (4 conds) or
b. section 34(5)
v. legality of arrest – so long as powers above outlined
vi. effect of illegal arrest
1. wrongful arrest – appropriate remedies (x5)
vii. detention and procedure upon arrest
1. without warrant sections 35-36
2. with warrant section 35
3. private arrest section 34
viii. fundamental rights under constitn
1. right to be informed
2. defended by lawyer
3. brought before magistrate without delay
d. Powers of Search & Seizure
i. Seizable versus non seizable
ii. search warrants – sections 61-66 (when and how issued); time period for validity; power of
HC judge or lack thereof
iii. general powers of search and seizure
iv. illegally obtained evidence
e. Powers to Compel Production of Documents and Things –
i. section 58: note conditions
ii. issue of summons – section 42-45 (applicable also to above: arrest cases)
f. Powers of Investigation and Recording of Statements
i. Seizable vs non seizable
ii. Includes: attendance of witness etc
g. Other powers of investigation
 i. PC offences for false info or refusing to ans info/ Loh Chai Huat case: exclusivity of PCA and
CPC

2. Identification Parades
a. When necessary
b. Conduct of parade
c. Fairness to accused
d. Reliance on IP

3. taking instructions
a. obligations and relationship – rondel and mcfadden
b. overview of the interviews; what info to solicit from client
c. advising guilty plea
d. advising against concealing info – section 213 PC
e. representations to PP
f. general professional responsibility obligations
g. composition – conditions before compoundability
h. professional responsibility
i. guilty plea
ii. perjured evid
iii. cross exam
iv. LPP
v. Citation of authority
vi. Conflict of interest
vii. PCR
viii. Two cases on prison authorities – ong ying ping and chen kok siang joseph
i. Capital cases assignation of counsel

4. Bail
a. Purpose
b. Discharge of sureties s358
c. Bailable offences
i. Of right but subject to exceptions
d. Non bailable
i. Generally allowed at court discretion but subj to
ii. reasonable grounds (death/life impt)
iii. HC’s unfettered discretion
iv. Other factors to consider
e. Quantum
f. Types of bail
g. Imposition of conditions
i. Non bailable vs bailable
ii. Other mandatory conditions
iii. Bail bond sureties – law and practice
h. Bail at three levels
i. Police bail/ court bail/ bail in the course of investigations/ bail pending appeal
i. High court’s power to vary bail
j. Bail and backdating of sentences
k. Forfeiture of bail bond
i. Show cause
ii. appeal

5. police statements
a. types of statements
b. when power arises
c. Statements under s 121 CPC (long statements)
i. Who can a section 121 statement be taken from
ii. When can a section 121 statement be taken
iii. Effect of a failure to comply with requirements under section 121
1. proced irreg and weight
2. exceptions – flouting/ prejudice (writing/ informing of charge)
iv. Role of interpreters
v. Necessity of medical examination before recording of section 121 statement
vi. Privilege against self-incrimination (bound to tell the truth) - section 121(2)
1. effect of keeping silent for fear of self incrimination
d. Statements under s 122(6) CPC (cautioned statements)
i. admissibility provisions
ii. Purpose
1. Adverse inference
iii. Notice in writing
1. service
2. extent of explanation/ warning to be administered
a. failure to do so => impact on drawing of inference
iv. how much of defence to be stated in s122(6) statement
v. effect of failure to follow 122(6) procedure
1. admissible/ weight/ adverse inference
e. Admissibility of statements
i. Statements to police officers by accusd/ by witnesses/ to non police officers/ out of court
statements
ii. Voluntariness
1. s24 EA and s122(5)
2. differences in 2 provisions
3. Proof of statement - beyond reasonable doubt that voluntary
4. two limbs to TIP
a. note beh chai hock – adm not equiv to voluntariness
b. types of TIP (or non-TIP)
c. self perceived
d. drug influence
e. interrogation and cross examination
5. TIP having reference to the charge
6. from person in authority
7. statutory obligation to answer
iii. effect of amended charge on 122.6 statement
iv. Oppression
v. Voir Dire
1. when nec
2. treatment of evid – not to be used in main trial (exceptions)/ not used in another voir
dire/ cross examining co accused/PW during co accused’s voir dire/ subseq objn/
proced irreg
3. burden of proof
4. improper admission of statement – no voir dire (s169 EA NOT s369 CPC)
vi. Judicial Discretion to exclude
f. Use of statements (x7) – note esp:
i. S157 EA
ii. S123 CPC
iii. S147 EA
iv. S159 EA
v. S30 EA
vi. S27
vii. S161 EA
6. Evidential matters
a. Evidence by conditioned statements s371 (or 141 for PI)
b. Privilege
i. S128 privilege
ii. Communications during marriage s124 EA
iii. Against self incrimination s134(4) and 134(5) EA
c. s27 Evidence Act – fact discovered by virtue of statement
d. Impeachment
i. Definition and purpose
ii. Kwang boon keong – aim/ purpose/ effect
iii. When allowed (types of inconsistency)
iv. The mechanics (legis provisions)
v. procedure
1. for witness: muthusamy
2. for accused: loganatha
3. where voluntariness of coaccused/witness/accused statements are challenged –
different proced
vi. hostile witness
1. refreshing memory s161
2. cross examination of own witness s156
3. cross examining on previous inconsistent statements s147
4. impeachment s157
vii. effect of impeachment
viii. application for statement to impeach – Rosli bin Othman
ix. s147(3) – use of impeached witness’ statement as substantive evid
1. not nec to do so all the time
x. types of statements for impeachment
1. eg SOF
xi. conviction on prev inconsistent statement
xii. action against a hostile witness
e. Illegally obtained evidence
f. Hearsay exceptions
i. Evidence by video

7. prosecution of offences
a. who
b. public prosecutions
c. private prosecutions
d. control of prosecution

8. The charge
a. Purpose
b. Form & Particulars
i. Sample
ii. Particulars: s158; s159; special provisions for CBT/CMP; s160
c. Tendering charges
i. Who/procedure
d. Error or omission s162
e. Duplicity
i. S168 general rule
ii. Distinction between separate and alternative offences
1. implications: when curable and when not
f. Double counting
g. Joint charges - section 34/109/143 PC
h. Joinder of charges
 i. 2 exceptions to 168: 169 and 170
ii. when rightly joined and when not
iii. charge to prefer – prosecutorial discretion
iv. section 171 – separation of charge and trial where prejudice
i. Joinder of defendants section 176
i. When
ii. Effect of misjoinder
iii. Court discretion to order joinder
iv. Evid of co accused
v. Conviction of abettor
vi. No need to amend charge when co accused acquitted
j. Framing the charge
i. Alternative charges – s172, 173, 174, 175; s215
k. Amendments of charge
i. During trial s163 (note s166 +164)
ii. On appeal
1. HC s256/ s19,23,27 SCJA
2. CA s54(1)
iii. Criminal revision s268
l. Irregularities s162; s396
m. Withdrawal
n. Charges taken into consideration (TIC)

9. Prosecution case
a. Mention
i. Mentions courts
ii. Other courts
b. Open justice concept
c. Parties to criminal proceedings
d. Preliminaries
i. Adjournment s198/ PDs
ii. Holding period and exceptions (fast track and fam)
iii. Presence of accused at trial (s203)/ dispensation s137/s364A
e. Transfer of cases s186
f. Plea of Guilt
i. Advised on offence and penalty/ duty of judge
ii. Charge read and explained (+essentials of charge)
iii. Fitness to plead
iv. Understanding nature and conseq of plea (lee weng tuck)
v. Qualified pea of guilt
vi. Statement of facts
vii. Electronic pleading
viii. Conviction/TIC/admission/crim record/mitigation/ pronouncement and orders/pass
sentence/ancillary orders/ appeal
ix. Retraction of plea
1. Correction of error
2. if not, revision
x. qualifying plea: Newton hearing
g. Trial
i. Stay and transfer
ii. Opening
iii. Order of witnesses
1. calling fresh witnesses/compelling/ failure to attend etc
 iv. Order of examination
v. Test at close of prosecution case/ submission of no case to answer
vi. Court to call defence or not
vii. Defence case
viii. Closing
ix. Acquit or convict and subseq applications
x. Discharge at any stage

10. Defence case

a. Admission of queen’s counsel
b. Trial
i. Cross examination rules and Putting client’s case
ii. Calling of defence – s196(2) inference
iii. Prosecution right of reply
iv. Accused giving evid
v. Where there are co accused
c. Defences open to accused
i. Alibi - leave
ii. S107, 108 EA
d. Impeachment
e. Recall of witness
f. Final submissions
g. Burden & Standard of Proof/ Oblig to call evidence (adverse inferences otherwise)
h. Acquittal or conviction
i. Mitigation – how to mitigate
i. Sentencing
ii. Appeal and other matters
j. Citation of auth practice direction

11. criminal appeals

a. Right of appeal
i. Finality/ party/crim case or matter/ final judgement
b. Two stages
c. Types of appeal
i. Against acquittal
ii. Against conviction upon PG
iii. Sub court to HC appeal
1. s60 SCJA exception further appeal
iv. High court to CA appeals
d. Procedural matters
i. Sub court to HC – notice/petition/skeletal arguments
ii. HC to CA – notice/petition
iii. Extension of time
1. factors
2. procedure
e. remand
f. Bail
g. Stay of execution
h. Procedure at hearing
i. Judges on appeal
j. Powers of appellate courts
i. HC and CA: General juris
ii. Amendment of charges
iii. Reversal of judgments
iv. Enhancing sentence
v. Finding of facts – change?
 vi. Deciding whether prima facie case established
vii. Taking fresh evidence
viii. Curing irregularities s395;396
k. Abatement of appeal
l. Revision

12. judgement and sentence

a. jurisdiction – HC/DC/MC
b. mode of delivering judgement
c. functus officio s217
d. explaining judgement
e. sentencing philosophy
i. public interest
ii. sentencing consistency and parity
1. previous cases
2. accomplices
iii. one transaction and totality principle
iv. relevance of English law
v. s71 PC – closely connected acts
vi. max sentence provided by law
vii. enhanced punishment for previous conviction /treatment of antecedents
viii. spent convictions/ Registration of Criminals Act
f. sentences
i. imprisonment for life
ii. imprisonment
1. backdating
2. deferment
3. default sentences
4. rehabilitation
iii. home detention
iv. caning
v. fines
vi. police supervision
vii. probation
viii. reformative training
ix. corrective training
x. preventive detention
xi. disqualification from driving
xii. CWO
g. Mitigation plea
h. Aggravating factors
i. Prosecution costs
j. Compensation

13. Preliminary inquiries

a. Purpose
b. Who presides
i. Duty of magistrate
c. Standard of proof
d. Procedural matters pre PI
e. Day of PI
f. After PI
g. Review of PI

14. coroner’s inquiry

a. Role of the state coroner
b. Jurisdiction
c. The coroner and public prosecutor
 d. When a case is referred to the coroner
e. Coroner’s inquiry hearing
f. Verdicts
g. Section 280 CPC: stay
h. Role of lawyers and deputy public prosecutors in coroner’s inquiries
i. Organ transplants

15. Miscellaneous matters

a. Disposal of Property
i. Prosecution s386 vs no prosecution s392
ii. forfeiture
b. Accused Persons of Unsound Mind
c. Juvenile Proceedings
d. women
e. Contempt of Court
f. History of crim pro
g. Inherent powers f courts
h. Discovery
i. CCMS
j. PTCs
k. Community courts
l. English law