More court proceedings via video, including sentencing of inmates on remand, with new facility

Video court hearings will now include pleas of guilt and sentencing for accused persons on remand, with the opening of a new video court facility at Changi Prison Complex.

The facility, which has been in use since March, has 81 cubicles that are equipped for internet-based video conferencing.

There are now dedicated spaces for different types of proceedings, including mentions, pre-trial conferences, pleas of guilt, sentencing, pre-reading sessions and quick consultations.

The change is in line with the 2018 amendment to the Criminal Procedure Code.

Virtual hearings were previously used only for selected proceedings such as applications for bail, release on personal bond and extension of remand, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) said on April 29.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the facility, Senior Minister of State for Law and Transport Murali Pillai said that SPS began expanding its video court capabilities in February 2019, adding that the need for such facilities became more urgent when Covid-19 struck.

“The SPS (video court facility) aligns with Singapore’s broader digital transformation of the courts and legal sector, which collectively contribute to a more integrated, modern justice system,” said Mr Murali.

SPS said it had previously operated 17 video-conferencing cubicles, 13 of which were retrofitted during the Covid-19 pandemic to allow court hearings to continue amid public health restrictions.

Superintendent of Prisons An Koh Shian, who is the senior assistant director at SPS’ sentence management branch, said: “During Covid-19, there were public health restrictions and social distancing measures, which restricted our movement to the courts.

“That’s why we saw the urgency to retrofit (the video-conferencing cubicles) to facilitate remote hearings.

“During that time, we also put in place modern video-conferencing platforms such as Zoom to help the courts to minimise the risk of backlogs and ensure the timeliness of court hearings.”

Said Mr Murali: “The project scope was expanded in 2022 to future-proof our processes. The Ministry of Home Affairs, SPS and the Judiciary recognised that remote hearings would not only be useful in a crisis, but could also become a core part of how we deliver justice.”

He said that between 2020 and 2025, SPS facilitated approximately 104,000 remote hearings.

“These made up more than 90 per cent of court hearings facilitated by SPS during that period,” added Mr Murali.

The newer cubicles have acoustical barriers and are soundproof to allow inmates greater privacy during court proceedings.

There is also a digital queue-management system which shows the inmates’ serial number and their assigned cubicle for their court hearing.

This also improves the coordination of inmates’ movements within the facility.

The cubicles are equipped with CCTVs, which allow SPS officers to monitor inmates from a control room.

Currently, 80 to 90 hearings are conducted at the facility daily. SPS said this has reduced the need to transport inmates physically to court.

Mr Murali said the expanded facility offers more flexibility for the courts, as inmates who cannot attend sessions in person can do so virtually.

In the event that a lawyer needs to take instructions from an inmate during a video hearing, they can be moved into a separate virtual room to speak privately.

He added that a pilot programme for lawyers to arrange remote interviews with their clients in remand has also been implemented.

“This reduces the need to travel to the prisons, saves time and costs, and still maintains the necessary security and safeguards for SPS,” said Mr Murali.

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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