"High Court sets out new sentencing framework for NS defaulters
SINGAPORE: Singapore's High Court on Tuesday (Jul 25) set out new sentencing benchmarks for those who default on national service (NS).
In a written judgment, the court said that the length of sentences should be amplified for those who have defaulted for a longer period of time, to "reflect the decline in a person's physical fitness with age" and also to create a "progressive disincentive" for defaulters to delay their return.
It added that there would be a spike for sentences where an offender had defaulted for at least 10 years, as he would then be unlikely to serve his reservist obligations in full.
The court also ruled that the statutory maximum sentence of 36 months' imprisonment should be the starting point when sentencing offenders who had defaulted for around 23 years or longer, as they would have evaded the whole of their full-time NS obligations, as well as post-Operationally Ready Date (ORD) reservist obligations."
This will put the attempt to default NS to rest as the sentence will be FIXED and everyone who try their luck KNOW what the consequences are.
It is an emotional issue as no male Singaporean can be exempted except those certified as medically unfit.
It also forever raise the question of 'special NS and Reservist' post for one of the ones of current President Tony Tan revealed during the last EP campaign. A ghost that will probably never go away.
In a written judgment, the court said that the length of sentences should be amplified for those who have defaulted for a longer period of time, to "reflect the decline in a person's physical fitness with age" and also to create a "progressive disincentive" for defaulters to delay their return.
It added that there would be a spike for sentences where an offender had defaulted for at least 10 years, as he would then be unlikely to serve his reservist obligations in full.
The court also ruled that the statutory maximum sentence of 36 months' imprisonment should be the starting point when sentencing offenders who had defaulted for around 23 years or longer, as they would have evaded the whole of their full-time NS obligations, as well as post-Operationally Ready Date (ORD) reservist obligations."
This will put the attempt to default NS to rest as the sentence will be FIXED and everyone who try their luck KNOW what the consequences are.
It is an emotional issue as no male Singaporean can be exempted except those certified as medically unfit.
It also forever raise the question of 'special NS and Reservist' post for one of the ones of current President Tony Tan revealed during the last EP campaign. A ghost that will probably never go away.
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