"Have you ever been convicted in a court of law?"

[windingworm]

Hi all,

 

I was wondering how to answer this (very broad) question usually asked by employers and institutional entities, more specifically regarding traffic offences sentenced in court.

I'm not talking about DUI here, or even accidents causing injuries, but rather about non-criminal offences sentenced in court like speeding >41km/h above limit.

 

The reason why I am asking is that non-criminal offences are not 'registrable', which means you're not marked as a 'criminal' after such offence, as explained in the Register of Criminal Acts of Singapore. In other words, my criminal record is clear.

 

Don't get me wrong, far be it from me not to take responsibility for this thing, I paid for it and recognized my mistake entirely.

But we all know that ticking some boxes in a form could have a negative impact, so why ticking them if we legally don't have to?

 

Looking forward to reading you guys.

 

W.

[mechwira]

if you have never turned up in court in front of a judge, then technically all your various offences that was settled by paying the summons or fine do not count as being 'convicted'. those offences were 'compounded' with your payment. i dont fully understand the legal jargon, i only understand that to be convicted you would have had an actual court declaring you guilty. LTA and TP and NEA and HDB summons etc are not court.

[guangwei]

dont ever freaking do it again on sg road =.=

[Jehuty]

Personally I think going to court for speeding or illegal exhaust related offences are a way of paying ministers their salary because they are rich beggars. Personally.

[buttbutt8]

if you have never turned up in court in front of a judge, then technically all your various offences that was settled by paying the summons or fine do not count as being 'convicted'. those offences were 'compounded' with your payment. i dont fully understand the legal jargon, i only understand that to be convicted you would have had an actual court declaring you guilty. LTA and TP and NEA and HDB summons etc are not court.

 

Agreed with mechwira. In fact, some companies will even ask more specifically on whether you have on any occasions been fined more than $2000 for traffic related offences.

[kang88]

Being convicted means that you have actually been found guilty of an offence. That means that the facts have been considered, a judge has applied the law to the facts of your case, and he/she has decided that you committed the offence.

 

When you pay a fine, you compound your offence. Compounding means that you have neither been found guilty, nor have you been found not-guilty. It is an administrative process to deal with your case so that it does not go to court and take up valuable State resources. Once you pay your fine, the State agrees not to pursue the case any further.

 

To answer the original question, if you have never heard the words "I hereby convict you of the charge of [x] pursuant to section [x] of [x] Act" directly from the mouth of a judge in court, then you have not been convicted in a court of law.

[Wahoo]

"I hereby convict you of the charge of [x] pursuant to section [x] of [x] Act"

Steady!!!