Fighting for death row clients' lives and the toll on lawyers
The Straits Times|February 26, 2024
Pressure points include carrying the weight of saving a life, dealing with client’s family
Selina Lum Senior Law Correspondent
Fighting for death row clients' lives and the toll on lawyers

 Lawyer Too Xing Ji was in a taxi with a friend at dinner time when he suddenly broke down in tears after sharing his experience of representing a prisoner on death row.

This took place two weeks after Mr Too faced the Court of Appeal on May 23, 2019, and succeeded in getting a temporary reprieve for a drug courier on the eve of his scheduled execution. The client is still on death row.

On another occasion, Mr Too could not get a stay of execution for a client and was devastated.

His client consoled him.

The mental and emotional toll faced by lawyers and prosecutors was highlighted in January when Attorney-General Lucien Wong mentioned the various initiatives to support his officers’ mental well-being.

Prosecutors handling cases involving the death penalty are also scheduled for mandatory check-ins with an in-house psychologist.

In Singapore, the death penalty can be imposed for offences including murder, drug trafficking, use of firearms and kidnapping.

A spokesperson for the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) said in response to The Straits Times’ queries that the mental health support it provides applies to any of its officers who may require it, and is not just restricted to death penalty cases.

In some instances, check-ins are mandated to ensure that officers get the necessary support.

“As the death penalty is imposed only for the most serious crimes, such as murder, prosecutors handling these cases may be repeatedly exposed to traumatic material,” said the spokesperson, adding these include violent and graphic audiovisual material.

The spokesperson said prosecutors in some cases may also have to interview grieving family members and guide them through the difficult process of testifying about the fatal incident.

Being able to consult a psychologist can help prosecutors deal with stress and negative emotions, the spokesperson added.

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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der February 26, 2024-Ausgabe von The Straits Times.

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