Tee Kok Boon v Public Prosecutor: Criminal Revision of District Court Decision
Tee Kok Boon applied to the High Court of Singapore on 30 March 2006 for criminal revision of his conviction in the District Court for giving false evidence. The High Court, presided over by Tay Yong Kwang J, dismissed the application on 25 August 2006, holding that it lacked the jurisdiction to exercise revisionary powers over a decision of the subordinate court which had already been upheld on appeal by the High Court. The applicant's allegations concerning the competence of his counsel were also noted but not addressed in the context of the revision application.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
High Court1.2 Outcome
Application dismissed.
1.3 Case Type
Criminal
1.4 Judgment Type
Grounds of Decision
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
Criminal revision application by Tee Kok Boon against his conviction. The High Court held it lacked jurisdiction to review a decision already upheld on appeal.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tay Yong Kwang | Judge | Yes |
4. Counsels
| Counsel Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Hay Hung Chun | Deputy Public Prosecutor |
4. Facts
- The applicant was convicted of giving false evidence in a judicial proceeding before the Small Claims Tribunal.
- The applicant testified that he witnessed Heng Siew Ang sign a Letter of Undertaking.
- Heng Siew Ang denied signing the Letter of Undertaking.
- The applicant later stated he believed the letter of undertaking was not signed in his presence.
- The applicant appealed his conviction and sentence, but the appeal was dismissed by the High Court.
- The applicant filed a criminal motion to the Court of Appeal for an extension of time to refer questions of law, which was dismissed.
- The applicant then filed the present application for criminal revision.
5. Formal Citations
- Tee Kok Boon v Public Prosecutor, Cr Rev 8/2006, [2006] SGHC 157
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| False evidence given at Small Claims Tribunal | |
| False evidence given at Small Claims Tribunal | |
| Applicant convicted by District Judge Abdul Rahim bin Jalil | |
| High Court hearing of Magistrate’s Appeal No 167 of 2005 | |
| Criminal Motion No 5 of 2006 filed | |
| Application for criminal revision filed | |
| First appearance of applicant before High Court | |
| Resumed hearing; application dismissed | |
| Decision Date |
7. Legal Issues
- Jurisdiction of High Court to exercise revisionary powers
- Outcome: The High Court held that it lacked jurisdiction to exercise revisionary powers over a decision of the subordinate court which had already been upheld on appeal by the High Court.
- Category: Jurisdictional
8. Remedies Sought
- Criminal Revision of Conviction
9. Cause of Actions
- Criminal Revision
10. Practice Areas
- Criminal Law
- Appeals
11. Industries
- No industries specified
12. Cited Cases
| Case Name | Court | Affirmed | Citation | Jurisdiction | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bright Impex v PP | High Court | Yes | [1998] 3 SLR 405 | Singapore | Cited for the principle that the High Court does not have the power to exercise its powers of criminal revision over a decision of the subordinate court which had already been upheld on appeal by the High Court. |
| Wong Hong Toy v PP | Court of Criminal Appeal | Yes | [1994] 2 SLR 396 | Singapore | Cited for the principle that the Court of Appeal does not have powers of judicial review over the High Court. |
| Koh Zhan Quan Tony v PP | Court of Appeal | Yes | [2006] 2 SLR 830 | Singapore | Cited for the principle that the Court of Appeal cannot reopen or review the merits of a case already decided by it. |
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 |
| Criminal Procedure Code (Cap 68, 1985 Rev Ed) | Singapore |
| Penal Code, Chapter 224 | Singapore |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Criminal revision
- Judicial review
- Subordinate court
- High Court
- Jurisdiction
- Functus officio
15.2 Keywords
- Criminal revision
- Jurisdiction
- High Court
- Singapore
- False evidence
17. Areas of Law
| Area Name | Relevance Score |
|---|---|
| Criminal Revision | 90 |
| Criminal Procedure | 70 |
| Evidence Law | 60 |
| Small Claims Tribunal | 40 |
| Administrative Law | 30 |
| Property Law | 10 |
| Asset Recovery | 10 |
| Contract Law | 10 |
16. Subjects
- Criminal Law
- Civil Procedure