The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and the Singapore Police Force will start consultations on the Video Recording of Interviews (VRI) during investigations, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced on Wednesday (Jul 22).
The consultations will be conducted with a view to start the VRI pilot from first quarter of 2016, it added in its press release.
The pilot will involve a limited set of offences and allow for an assessment for how the VRI impacts investigations, its effectiveness in different situations, and the resources required to implement VRI, before a decision is made on its broader implementation, said the ministry.
This comes after MHA, together with the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Ministry of Law, conducted a study on the feasibility of introducing VRI. The study looked at how VRI has been adopted in the US, UK, Australia and Hong Kong, and how the various models of VRI impacted the administration of criminal justice, said MHA.
The ministry found that the implementation of VRI in Singapore “will further strengthen confidence in the integrity of our criminal justice system and assist the Courts to try cases more effectively”.
With the VRI, a recording of the interview will be provided to the Courts so as allow it to “take the interviewee’s demeanour into account in determining the admissibility or weight to be accorded to the interviewee’s statement”, said MHA.
“It will also provide an objective, contemporaneous account of the interview process and allow the Courts to decide on allegations that may be made about the interview,” the ministry added.
MHA said the pilot will be conducted under the existing legal framework, and that they will commence consultations with various stakeholders on its implementation. Further details will be announced after consultations have been completed, it said.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
