More than Just a Job: Comparative Legal Study of the Substantive Laws and Legal Cultures Relating to the Police Use of Force in Singapore and the United Kingdom
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Singapore Law Review
(2016) 34 Sing L Rev
MORE THAN JUST A JOB: COMPARATIVE LEGAL
STUDY OF THE SUBSTANTIVE LAWS AND LEGAL
CULTURES RELATING TO THE POLICE USE OF
FORCE IN SINGAPORE AND THE UNITED KINGDOM
JESSLYN ZENG YONG Hui*
The objective of this research paper is to engage in a comparative legal study of the Police
Use of Force in the United Kingdom and Singapore: to identify differences and
similarities in their substantive laws; to analyse their respective legal cultures forpossible
reasons behindsuch differences andsimilarities; and to explore their approaches to Police
Use of Force using real crime scenarios. This paper concludes that the substantive laws
in the United Kingdom and Singapore differ significantly, with theformerplacing more
emphasis on protecting perpetrators' rights whereas the latter places emphasis on
ensuring homeland security This may be explained and is further illustrated by the
identifing elements of legal culture in both countries, such as organisational
ftamework, social and political considerations, as well as crime demographics.
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Objective
The objective of this research paper is to engage in a comparative legal study of the
Police Use of Force in the United Kingdom [UK] and Singapore:1 to identify
* Third Year Student, Faculty of Law and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (Economics),
National University of Singapore. I sincerely thank Associate Professor Michael Dowdle
for his supervision and support, without which this article would not have been possible. I
would also like to express my gratitude for my friends who gave comments on how to
improve the article, as well as the student editors at the Singapore Law Review for their
work. All errors, if any, are my own.
1 As a disclaimer, this research acknowledges that the Singapore Police Force would have
developed internal guidelines governing the Use of Force that police officers are expected](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/singlrev34&div=12&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
More than Just a Job: Comparative Legal Study of the Substantive Laws and Legal Cultures Relating to the Police Use of Force in Singapore and the United Kingdom