A person facing investigations or criminal charges may need to wait several months or even years before his case is concluded. I have seen how some lower income Singaporeans struggle with this. A simple parking violation that usually attracts an out-of-court composition fine is not paid, eventually leading to a court hearing that requires a bailor. Failure to find a bailor will lead to pre-trial custody, which often leads to job loss or disruption of education, plunging the whole family into a much more precarious situation.
I had previously raised this issue during the Justice Motion in November 2020. To that end, I was very encouraged when the Criminal Procedure Code was amended last year to expressly require the law enforcement agency or judge to consider releasing a person charged with a less serious offence on his personal bond, with no need for a bailor.
The new provisions are Section 93(1A) and (1C) of the CPC, which came into force on 1st August last year. After more than six months, it would be opportune to find out if there are significant outcomes to date. Are there indications from the law enforcement agencies that more eligible persons are being released on personal bond? Similarly, for those charged in court, are there similar indications from the courts that more accused persons are now being released on personal bond?
