The Death Penalty in Singapore: in Decline but Still Too Soon for Optimism

Abstract

Singapore is one of the few countries in the world which still imposes the death penalty for certain criminal offences. Until recently, it was the mandatory sentence for murder, drug trafficking and use of firearms--and it is these three offences which comprise nearly all of the executions in Singapore. This article examines the use, historical origins and recent legislative and judicial developments in the death penalty in Singapore. While the number of executions has fallen to very low levels in recent years and changes to the law relating to the mandatory death penalty in murder and drug offences have been made, it is the opinion of the author that the death penalty will continue to be used in Singapore in the foreseeable future.