A letter of representation can be a letter for the AGC that sets out reasons why they must both not charge you, fall costs versus you or search for a specific sentence within the court docket.
In principle, you'll be able to mail as a lot of letters of representation as you want, but normally an attorney would ship in between one–3, dependant upon the strategic issues that may implement for your circumstance. This type of letter can be despatched at any stage of proceedings with the investigation stage to your sentencing stage.
A letter of illustration is different from the mitigation plea. A letter of representation is resolved towards the AGC and seeks their settlement relating to some element of your situation.
Conversely, a mitigation plea is actually a lawful submission tackled to and submitted using a sentencing court docket with the objective of furnishing the courtroom While using the authorized and factual bases with the sentence you might be trying to get, in circumstances in which you have currently been observed guilty.
What Goes in a very Letter of Representation?
Matter reference
A letter of representation, if composed by an attorney, normally opens that has a reference to the person staying represented within the letter.
If prices have currently been introduced versus that particular person, the letter may very well be captioned by reference to the case range.
Outcome currently being sought
The letter of illustration will then generally open with a short assertion that describes what result to the case the letter will seek out.
The probable outcomes Which may be sought include the costs staying dropped, stern or conditional warnings being administered or distinct sentences remaining suggested to your court inside the celebration of a guilty plea. These letters are occasionally also marked “without prejudiceâ€.
Causes for the result remaining sought
The letter must then established out the points related to the situation that aid the outcome getting sought. Depending upon the strategic concerns with your circumstance, the letter could confer with:
Any proof that supports the details upon which you depend to aid the outcome getting sought. Copies of these proof might even be connected to your letter, but the choice on whether or not to attach any proof into the letter is ultimately a strategic just one to be taken by a lawyer, using into account many of the circumstances of Criminal lawyer singapore one's scenario; or
The existence of witnesses who'll corroborate Those people details. These witnesses could even be determined as part of your letter.
Preferably, the letter of illustration ought to make reference to equivalent previous scenarios which experienced resulted in outcomes similar to Individuals you happen to be trying to find, and demonstrate how those instances are analogous (i.e. factually equivalent) to the scenario.
Your possible next actions
The letter of representation must then briefly established out your probable future steps, based on regardless of whether AGC accedes to the ask for. These techniques may very well be to assert demo, plead responsible or make some relevant submission to court for instance.
Gives (if proper)
The letter can, if acceptable, also include things like presents, with or without the need of an admission of guilt, to carry out other things such as write an apology and/or spend restitution to some victim, or to commit to voluntary Neighborhood programmes like counselling or charitable perform.
Reservation of the rights
The letter, if drafted by a lawyer, must conclude using an acknowledgement that your attorney has suggested you within the authorized effects of getting untruthful inside the letter and a complete reservation of one's rights.
You may also wish to include a reasonable deadline within which you expect to receive a reaction, Whilst there is not any warranty the AGC should have any regard to this.
Ways to Mail the Letter of Illustration and also to Whom
These letters are usually sent in PDF format by way of a generic on the internet type maintained from the AGC for this purpose.
If your circumstance is at a complicated phase of proceedings even so, your attorney can also deliver it to a selected prosecutor(s) (or mail it to only these precise prosecutor(s)).
What exactly are the Achievable Outcomes Upon Sending a Letter of Illustration?
Should the AGC decides to accede on your ask for, They might create back to tell you of the and listing any situations for their agreement.
In some cases, They could send out a counter-supply whereby they provide to suggest a specific sentence into the courtroom, or drop one or more charges, for those who conform to plead guilty to some or all of the charges, and/or agree to A few other ask for including having to pay restitution to the sufferer.
In case the AGC is not able to accede for your ask for, chances are you'll get a extremely short template reaction through the AGC stating that, possessing cautiously considered your representations, These are not able to accede for your ask for.
From time to time, no response is sent, as well as prosecutor will basically mention verbally to the court docket that AGC acquired representations and that they won't accede on the request(s) therein.
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It should be apparent from the above mentioned that the drafting of the letter of illustration isn't a straightforward subject of sending a short letter requesting leniency or expressing you might be sorry.
There are many requests to look at and a number of permutations of all These requests, many of which might or might not be accessible or correct for you based on the points of your respective situation plus your possess profile.
Only a prison attorney is ready to meaningfully suggest you on how to finest advance your pursuits in the criminal investigation or prosecution.
For this reason, In case you are being investigated for against the law in Singapore, you need to normally find legal assistance from a prison attorney within the earliest attainable opportunity.