CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Law (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Sir, the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill seeks to amend the Criminal Procedure Code (Chapter 68) ("CPC") to enable offenders to plead guilty by electronic means under the Automated Traffic Offence Management System or "ATOMS".

Pleading Guilty by Electronic Means

Sir, composition fines are currently paid in several ways, including by cheque, phone bank and ATM. If the deadline for payment of the composition fine has expired, offenders must appear in court to answer for their offences. ATOMS will enable offenders to settle traffic tickets containing an offer to compound even if the deadline for payment has expired provided they do so not later than two days before the appointed court date. The offender does this by pleading guilty to the traffic offence and paying a court fine at purpose-built kiosks. In addition, ATOMS will provide another means for offenders to pay their composition fines. For a start, only first time traffic offenders for which an offer of composition has been made can make use of ATOMS.

Sir, ATOMS is one of the services offered by NETS kiosks. Nine of these kiosks have been set up at convenient locations. Let me assure Members that ATOMS will be user-friendly. Basically, the user will be responding to questions posed by touching on the screen. Payment will be made by ATM card. If the system proves effective, the service can be extended to cover other minor regulatory offences for which offers of composition have been made.

Benefits of New System

Sir, ATOMS will be the first system of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region. Of course, nobody should commit traffic offences. But for some reason or other, they happen. When this happens, offenders will find the system convenient. They can settle their traffic tickets at their own time at any nearby kiosks. There is no need to go to court and time is saved. Also, judicial time will be freed to hear more serious cases. The Subordinate Courts have assessed the potential annual savings from the implementation of ATOMS at $113,000.

New Section 137A

Sir, to pave the way for ATOMS to be introduced, a new section 137A will be added to the CPC. The provision will allow a person accused of specified offences to plead guilty by electronic means so that he does not have to appear physically before the Magistrate's Court. The Minister is empowered to determine:

(a) the offences (within the class of offences punishable by fine or by imprisonment not exceeding three months or by both) in respect of which an offender may plead guilty by electronic means;

(b) the class of offenders eligible to plead guilty by electronic means.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee.].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.