PSS213 Assignment: Criminal Law in Practice – An Overview (TMA)

PSS213 Assignment: Criminal Law in Practice – An Overview

Singapore University of Social Sciences

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This Tutor-Marked Assignment (TMA) requires you to write a 3500-word report by answering two (2) questions.

Question 1:

Paul is a police officer serving his full-time national service. He is 19 years old, and holds a Diploma from a local polytechnic. He currently holds the rank of Sergeant and has been posted to Bukit Lima Neighbourhood Police Centre (the “NPC”).

Question 2:
With reference to the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code
and other sources of law (e.g. Parliamentary Reports, relevant case law), examine the procedural differences between a Criminal Trial and a Plead Guilty Mention.

This TMA assesses a student’s ability to apply Singapore criminal procedure and substantive criminal law to realistic policing scenarios, rather than merely restate statutory provisions. Question 1, in particular, requires careful sequencing: what a police officer should do first, why, and under which statutory authority.

A common weakness is jumping too quickly to conclusions about offences or police powers. High-scoring submissions demonstrate restraint: they analyse the purpose and recording of a First Information Report, distinguish arrestable and non-arrestable offences accurately, and justify every investigative step with reference to the Criminal Procedure Code and relevant provisions of the Penal Code.

For Question 2, weaker answers list procedural differences mechanically. Stronger responses explain how the design of criminal trials and plea guilty mentions reflects their distinct objectives, supported by statutory references and case law.