Rehana Perveen v Public Prosecutor: Grievous Hurt & Penal Code Interpretation

Rehana Perveen appealed to the High Court of Singapore against her conviction for voluntarily causing grievous hurt to her mother-in-law, Samim Akhtar, under section 325 of the Penal Code. The prosecution argued that Rehana forcefully hit Samim's hand, fracturing her finger, during an altercation at Samim's home. Rehana maintained her innocence, suggesting the injury could have occurred when the door slammed shut during a tussle. Yong Pung How CJ allowed the appeal, finding reasonable doubt as to whether Rehana inflicted the injury and whether she possessed the requisite intent. The court acquitted Rehana of the charge.

1. Case Overview

1.1 Court

High Court

1.2 Outcome

Appeal Allowed

1.3 Case Type

Criminal

1.4 Judgment Type

Grounds of Decision

1.5 Jurisdiction

Singapore

1.6 Description

Rehana Perveen appealed her conviction for voluntarily causing grievous hurt. The High Court allowed the appeal, finding reasonable doubt regarding her guilt.

1.7 Decision Date

2. Parties and Outcomes

Party NameRoleTypeOutcomeOutcome TypeCounsels
Rehana PerveenAppellantIndividualAppeal AllowedWonWee Pan Lee
Public ProsecutorRespondentGovernment AgencyAppeal DismissedLostRavneet Kaur

3. Judges

Judge NameTitleDelivered Judgment
Yong Pung HowChief JusticeYes

4. Counsels

Counsel NameOrganization
Wee Pan LeeWee Tay & Lim
Ravneet KaurDeputy Public Prosecutor

4. Facts

  1. Rehana was charged under s 325 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing grievous hurt to her mother-in-law.
  2. The incident occurred at Samim's home during an altercation.
  3. Samim alleged that Rehana forcefully hit her left hand, fracturing her left little finger.
  4. Rehana claimed she remained behind Ishtiaq and Tahir and could not have hit Samim.
  5. The trial judge convicted Rehana based on the evidence of Samim and Munawar.
  6. The High Court allowed Rehana's appeal, citing doubts about her ability to inflict the injury and her intent.

5. Formal Citations

  1. Rehana Perveen v Public Prosecutor, MA 142/2001, [2002] SGHC 3

6. Timeline

DateEvent
Tahir and Parveen get married
Tahir accompanies Ishtiaq, Rehana and their child on a trip to Jakarta
Tahir returns from Jakarta
Parveen goes to Ishtiaq's house, whereupon a quarrel ensued between the couple
Incident at Samim's home
Samim applied for personal protection orders against Tahir and Ishtiaq
Judgment issued

7. Legal Issues

  1. Voluntarily Causing Grievous Hurt
    • Outcome: The court found that it was extremely unlikely that Rehana intended or knew that by her actions, she was likely to cause grievous hurt, as laid down in s 322 of the Penal Code.
    • Category: Substantive
    • Sub-Issues:
      • Intention to cause grievous hurt
      • Likelihood of causing grievous hurt

8. Remedies Sought

  1. Appeal against Conviction
  2. Acquittal

9. Cause of Actions

  • Voluntarily Causing Grievous Hurt

10. Practice Areas

  • Criminal Appeals

11. Industries

  • No industries specified

12. Cited Cases

Case NameCourtAffirmedCitationJurisdictionSignificance
No cited cases

13. Applicable Rules

Rule Name
No applicable rules

14. Applicable Statutes

Statute NameJurisdiction
Penal Code (Cap 224) s 325Singapore
Penal Code s 322Singapore
Penal Code s 323Singapore

15. Key Terms and Keywords

15.1 Key Terms

  • Grievous Hurt
  • Penal Code
  • Voluntarily Causing Hurt
  • Reasonable Doubt
  • Mens Rea
  • Fractured Finger

15.2 Keywords

  • grievous hurt
  • penal code
  • criminal law
  • singapore
  • appeal
  • acquittal

16. Subjects

  • Criminal Law
  • Evidence
  • Appeals

17. Areas of Law

  • Criminal Law
  • Penal Code
  • Voluntarily Causing Grievous Hurt