Author
Prof CHAN Wing Cheong
Organisation/Institution
Singapore Management University, School of Law
Country
SINGAPORE
Panel
Criminal Law
Title
Will public opinion on the death penalty in Singapore ever change?
Abstract
This paper analyses the public opinion surveys conducted in Singapore between 2016 and 2021 to evaluate the extent and underlying rationale of public support for the death penalty. While prevailing scholarship both in Singapore and overseas suggest that such support is rooted in limited understanding, is weakly held, and susceptible to change when respondents are exposed to evidence-based information and informed debate, this paper challenges that assumption in the Singapore context. This paper argues that public endorsement of the death penalty in Singapore is resilient and will remain high. This stability is reinforced by institutional factors, state narratives on law and order, and the public’s trust in state institutions. These findings suggest that advocacy strategies premised on shifting public opinion through education and awareness will have limited effect in Singapore. Consequently, human rights organisations and abolitionist movements must reconsider their engagement strategies. Moreover, the Singaporean case study offers valuable comparative insights for other retentionist countries, many of which are in Asia, where similar dynamics may be at play. By highlighting the contextual factors that sustain public support for the death penalty, this paper contributes to a more nuanced understanding of penal attitudes and informs the strategic recalibration of abolitionist efforts in other countries as well.
Biography
CHAN Wing Cheong is Professor of Law at the Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University. He completed his undergraduate studies in Law in Oxford University (England) and his Masters degree in Cornell University (USA). He is an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore, a barrister of Gray's Inn (England & Wales), and a qualified attorney of New York State (USA). His academic career started with the Faculty of Law at the National University of Singapore in 1993. He teaches and researches mainly in the areas of criminal law and family law. He is the co-author of Criminal Law in Singapore which is widely used by law students and practitioners, and it has been cited numerous times by the courts in Singapore. He has also been a member of law review committees convened by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Law, Law Reform Committee of the Singapore Academy of Law, Family Justice Courts, and other Inter-agency/inter-Ministerial committees.
