A police notice has arrived, a family member has been arrested, or a charge has
been read out and the next date is already fixed. We act for individuals under investigation and facing charges in the State Courts and the High Court, and we do it without drama.
Criminal defence in Singapore runs from the first police interview to being charged in court, police bail, representations and meetings with the Prosecution and, if the matter proceeds, trial and appeal. Jerrie Tan LLC acts for individuals at every stage. Jerrie Tan also sits on the Supreme Court’s Lead Counsel panel under the Legal Assistance Scheme for Capital Offences and continues to act pro bono in capital matters.
Most people who contact us have never dealt with the criminal process before and are frightened of it. The first job is to explain plainly what is happening, what the range of outcomes realistically is, and what happens next week.
Advice and representation from the first notice or interview, before any charge is brought.
The full range of offences heard in the State Courts, through mentions, pre-trial conferences and trial.
More serious offences tried in the General Division of the High Court, including capital cases.
Offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act, including matters carrying the most serious penalties.
Rape, outrage of modesty and related offences — matters that require care, discretion and rigorous preparation.
Assault, hurt and related offences, including matters arising from domestic and workplace incidents.
Cheating, criminal breach of trust and theft.
Matters involving children and young persons under investigation, and the distinct process that applies to them.
Bail applications and written representations to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
Contested trials, mitigation, and appeals against conviction or sentence.
The Singapore International Arbitration Centre operates more than one procedure, and which one applies is largely a function of the amount in dispute. The 7th edition of the SIAC Rules, in force from 2025, introduced a streamlined track for smaller claims.
| Track | Amount in dispute | Timetable | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streamlined Procedure | SGD 1,000,000 or below | Award within three months of the tribunal's constitution | Introduced by the SIAC Rules 2025. Built for speed and proportionality on smaller commercial claims, where a full evidentiary process would cost more than the dispute is worth. |
| Expedited Procedure | More than SGD 1,000,000, up to SGD 10,000,000 | Compressed timetable set by the tribunal and Registrar | The threshold was raised from SGD 6 million under the previous rules. A sole arbitrator and a shortened process, without abandoning oral evidence where it matters. |
| Standard Procedure | No monetary limit | Set by the tribunal in consultation with the parties | The full process — pleadings, document production, witness and expert evidence and a hearing. Used where the amounts or the issues justify it. |
Thresholds as set out in the SIAC Rules 2025 (7th edition). The applicable track and timetable should be confirmed against the rules in force when the notice of arbitration is filed.
“What you can expect at the first meeting is what your realistic range of outcomes is, what evidence would move you within that range, and what it will cost to get there.”
Nobody has influence over the Prosecution, the courts or the police, and any suggestion otherwise should end the conversation.
What we can do for you is to provide strategic advice on what should be said and when, what evidence should be preserved, what are the weaknesses in the Prosecution’s case and the Defence’s case, and what personal circumstances that matter to sentence are collated and properly presented to the Prosecution and the courts.
Investigation, charge, mentions or trial. Each stage demands a different approach in terms of strategy.
Statements given without advice are the most common source of avoidable damage. Preparation before an interview is worth more than argument afterwards.
Disclosure, the evidential gaps, and whether the charge as framed actually fits the facts. This is where representations succeed or fail.
Where a matter is going towards a plea of guilt, a mitigation plea should be properly prepared setting out the law and helpful facts that strengthen your ask for a more lenient sentence.
Jerrie has more than 40 reported judgments across the State Courts, the Supreme Court and the Singapore International Commercial Court. The matter below is described only as far as it appears in the published judgment.
Jerrie was appointed by the Court of Appeal as independent counsel to assist the court on the sentencing framework for the enhanced punishment of rape of domestic helpers under section 73(1) of the Penal Code. The Court of Appeal set out the framework in its judgment. Independent counsel are appointed to assist the court, and the appointment reflects the court’s assessment of the counsel appointed.
In 2021 Jerrie was empanelled as Lead Counsel under the Supreme Court of Singapore’s Legal Assistance Scheme for
Capital Offences, among the youngest female lawyers to be appointed, and continues to act pro bono in capital matters. She also:
Jerrie Tan is the Founding Director of Jerrie Tan LLC, a Singapore disputes practice acting where commercial risk, regulatory scrutiny and personal liability intersect. She has been in practice since 2013 and spent almost a decade at an international law firm working alongside leading Senior Counsel, developing a commercial disputes and corporate investigations practice with a particular focus on Mandarin-speaking and China-based clients.
She has more than 40 reported judgments and has appeared across the State Courts, the Supreme Court and the Singapore International Commercial Court. She teaches Advocacy to law graduates preparing for call to the Singapore Bar and serves as an Adjunct Fellow at the NUS Centre for Pro Bono and Clinical Legal
Education.
In a time when disputes lawyers become more and more specialised, not just in areas of practice but right down to specific roles and tasks, Jerrie’s exposure and width of practice makes her a ‘complete’ lawyer, who understands the full legal and commercial concerns of clients, and provides clients with holistic and well considered advice.
NARAYANAN SREENIVASAN S . C . · MANAGING DIRECTOR , SREENIVASAN CHAMBERS LLC
Speak to a lawyer before you attend, even if you are convinced you have done nothing wrong and expect to clear it up in an hour.
Under the Criminal Procedure Code, a person being examined is bound to state truly what they know of the facts and circumstances, subject to not being required to say anything that would expose them to a criminal charge — and adverse
inferences can arise where a fact later relied on was not mentioned when it should have been. Preserve your phone and messages as they are, do not discuss the matter with anyone else involved, and do not attempt to reconstruct events with others beforehand.
You will be given a first mention date, at which the charge is read and you indicate whether you intend to plead guilty or claim trial — you are not obliged to decide that at the first mention, and adjournments to take advice are routine. Bail is usually addressed at that stage (where appropriate). If the matter is contested, it moves through pre-trial conferences and a disclosure process before
trial dates are fixed. Representations to the Prosecution and requests for meetings with the Prosecution can be made along the
way. Timelines vary considerably with the seriousness and complexity of the charge.
Charges can be amended, reduced or withdrawn. The general route is to forward a set of written representations to the Attorney-General’s Chambers setting out why the charge should be amended, reduced or withdrawn. Whether they succeed depends entirely on the facts and circumstances of the case — nobody can promise a result, and no lawyer has influence over prosecutorial decisions. What careful work changes is the quality of the submission: representations that engage with specific evidential difficulties, made at a point where the position can still move, are a different exercise from a general plea for leniency, and they are worth preparing properly.
Matters involving children and young people are handled differently from adult proceedings, with a distinct process oriented towards rehabilitation and a different range of orders available to the court. Parents are usually involved, and safeguards apply to
how a young person is interviewed. In a case where a child or a young person is interviewed, an appropriate adult would be
present. The most useful thing a family can do at the start is to get advice quickly and resist the urge to have the young person explain themselves informally to anyone — school, employer or investigator — before that advice is taken. Discretion matters here
more than anywhere, and we treat these matters accordingly.
Consultations are by appointment and treated in confidence. If someone in your family has been arrested or called in, the first 48 hours are worth a phone call.
This page is general information only and does not constitute legal advice. It does not create a solicitor–client relationship. Outcomes depend on the specific facts of each matter. Case references are described only as far as they appear in publicly reported judgments. Please seek advice on your own circumstances.
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jerrie@jerrietanllc.com
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