Tee Kok Boon v Public Prosecutor: Extension of Time to Appeal Criminal Conviction
Tee Kok Boon applied to the Court of Appeal of Singapore on April 11, 2006, for an extension of time to seek leave from the High Court to refer questions of law of public interest to the Court of Appeal, following his conviction in the District Court for giving false evidence and the dismissal of his appeal by the High Court. The Court of Appeal, comprising Choo Han Teck J, Andrew Phang Boon Leong JA, and Tan Lee Meng J, dismissed his application, finding that the issues raised were not questions of law of public interest and that no good reasons were provided for the delay in filing the application.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
Court of Appeal1.2 Outcome
Application dismissed.
1.3 Case Type
Criminal
1.4 Judgment Type
Grounds of Decision
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
The Court of Appeal dismissed Tee Kok Boon's application for an extension of time to appeal his conviction for giving false evidence.
1.7 Decision Date
2. Parties and Outcomes
| Party Name | Role | Type | Outcome | Outcome Type | Counsels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Prosecutor | Respondent | Government Agency | Application dismissed | Won | Hay Hung Chun of Deputy Public Prosecutor |
| Tee Kok Boon | Applicant | Individual | Application dismissed | Lost |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Choo Han Teck | Judge | Yes |
| Andrew Phang Boon Leong | Justice of the Court of Appeal | No |
| Tan Lee Meng | Judge | No |
4. Counsels
| Counsel Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Hay Hung Chun | Deputy Public Prosecutor |
4. Facts
- Tee Kok Boon was convicted of giving false evidence in the District Court.
- Tee Kok Boon was sentenced to ten months’ imprisonment on 1 December 2004.
- Tee Kok Boon's appeal to the High Court was dismissed on 28 June 2005.
- Tee Kok Boon did not apply for leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal within one month of the High Court’s decision.
- Tee Kok Boon claimed he relied on his solicitor to apply for leave, but the solicitor declined due to unpaid fees.
- Tee Kok Boon was released from prison under the Home Detention Scheme in October 2005 and fully released on 21 January 2006.
- Tee Kok Boon sought to have the Attorney-General file the request for leave to appeal, but the request was rejected.
5. Formal Citations
- Tee Kok Boon v Public Prosecutor, Cr M 5/2006, [2006] SGCA 16
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Tee Kok Boon sentenced to ten months’ imprisonment in the District Court for giving false evidence. | |
| Tee Kok Boon's appeal dismissed by Yong Pung How CJ in the High Court. | |
| Solicitor advised Tee Kok Boon that an application under s 60(1) was not likely to succeed. | |
| Tee Kok Boon released from prison under the Home Detention Scheme. | |
| Tee Kok Boon fully released from prison. | |
| Tee Kok Boon filed motion for extension of time. | |
| Court of Appeal dismissed Tee Kok Boon's application. |
7. Legal Issues
- Extension of time to apply for leave to refer questions of law
- Outcome: The Court held that there were no grounds to grant the applicant leave to apply out of time.
- Category: Procedural
- Sub-Issues:
- Failure to apply for leave in time
- Reliance on solicitor
- Questions of law of public interest
- Outcome: The Court held that none of the questions raised by the applicant could be of public interest.
- Category: Substantive
8. Remedies Sought
- Extension of time to apply for leave to refer questions of law to the Court of Appeal
9. Cause of Actions
- No cause of actions
10. Practice Areas
- Criminal Appeals
11. Industries
- No industries specified
12. Cited Cases
| Case Name | Court | Affirmed | Citation | Jurisdiction | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No cited cases | |||||
13. Applicable Rules
| Rule Name |
|---|
| No applicable rules |
14. Applicable Statutes
| Statute Name | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| Supreme Court of Judicature Act (Cap 322, 1999 Rev Ed) | Singapore |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Extension of time
- Leave to appeal
- Questions of law of public interest
- False evidence
- Criminal conviction
15.2 Keywords
- Criminal procedure
- Sentencing
- Criminal references
- Extension of time
- Public interest
- Court of Appeal
17. Areas of Law
| Area Name | Relevance Score |
|---|---|
| Criminal Law | 75 |
| Sentencing | 75 |
| Criminal Procedure | 75 |
| Administrative Law | 25 |
| Civil Procedure | 25 |
16. Subjects
- Criminal Law
- Appeals
- Criminal Procedure