CLAS Training Programme Modules

Criminal defence lawyers walk a fine line—fierce advocates for their clients, yet bound by duties to the Court. This seminar explores the ethical tightrope defence counsel must navigate: taking instructions effectively, managing real-world challenges, and meeting evolving professional obligations. Are the standards rising? Are expectations shifting?

• Key ethical and professional obligations (and relevant provisions including the PCR)
• Taking instructions effectively, rendering advice, and managing clients
• Balancing duties to the Court and to the client
• Recent developments, including recent judgments on the duty of Counsel

Join us for a candid discussion on what ethical defence practice looks like today—and what happens when the line is crossed.

The arrest and investigation of a suspect kickstart the criminal justice process, often restricting an accused person’s freedom. But what are the legal boundaries and rights at this critical stage?

This seminar explores key aspects of arrest, custody, bail, and investigative procedures—highlighting recent case law, including Mah Kiat Seng v Attorney-General & ors [2023] SGHC 14.

• When and how police can make an arrest
• Rights of the accused during custody, including access to legal advice
• Investigative powers of the authorities
• Understanding bail: its purpose and how it works

Gain essential insights to better advocate for clients at the very start of the criminal justice process.

This module equips defence counsel with practical strategies to draft persuasive representations and engage effectively in CCMS as a tool for early case resolution, pre-trial discovery, and plea negotiations.

• Preparing strategically for CCMS
• Crafting compelling letters of representation
• Insights into effective CCMS engagement, from both Defence and Prosecution perspectives
• Sharpen your advocacy where it often starts: before the trial even begins

A guilty plea is more than a procedural step—it carries serious consequences for the client’s future. How can defence counsel ensure the plea is made knowingly, voluntarily, and with full understanding?

This seminar will equip criminal defence lawyers with the tools to navigate the legal and ethical landscape of guilty pleas. Learn when and how to advise clients, what they must understand before pleading, and how to support them even after sentencing.

• The legal framework: Statements of Facts and what clients are agreeing to
• Ensuring truly informed client decisions
• Post-sentencing support: the role of counsel after sentencing
• Common risks and pitfalls for defence lawyers

Essential for any counsel aiming to provide holistic, client-centered defence.

Not every mental condition changes the legal outcome and some may do so in surprising ways. This module equips lawyers to better identify psychiatric and psychological conditions in clients and understand their legal implications.

Learn how to work with forensic psychiatrists, interpret reports, and support vulnerable witnesses. We’ll also explore the growing role of social workers and intermediaries in enhancing justice outcomes.

• Recognising relevant mental conditions
• Sentencing, treatment options & Mandatory Treatment Orders
• When mental disorders form a defence
• Commissioning and challenging forensic reports
• Supporting vulnerable witnesses
• Social workers’ roles in court proceedings

Expert witnesses play a crucial role in court, but their duties and standards differ significantly from ordinary witnesses. What are the key expectations for expert evidence to be deemed reliable and useful?

• The duty experts owe to the Court
• Ensuring evidence is cogent, reliable, and usable
• Defence counsel’s role in instructing and presenting expert evidence
• Effective strategies for cross-examining expert witnesses

Learn from experienced professionals to sharpen your skills in handling expert testimony in criminal cases.

How is DNA extracted, analysed, and used in court? In this seminar, forensic experts break down the science behind DNA profiling—from hair, bodily fluids, and beyond—and explain how this evidence can shape legal outcomes.

Gain practical insights into lab processes, interpretation of results, mixture profiles, and probabilistic genotyping. Learn how to challenge DNA evidence and spot weaknesses in the forensic process.

• The basics of DNA profiling: extraction, analysis, and results
• Understanding HSA DNA reports
• Mixture profiles and probabilistic genotyping
• How to challenge DNA evidence effectively

Digital evidence is now central to many criminal cases—and AI is rapidly changing how legal work is done. This seminar explores the practical tools, ethical responsibilities, and strategic opportunities that technology presents for criminal defence counsel.

• Navigating digital evidence: phones, metadata, social media, and CCTV
• Using AI for legal research, drafting, and case preparation
• Understanding the capabilities and limits of AI in legal practice
• Navigate the ethical risks of using AI responsibly
• Use digital forensics to support and strengthen defence strategies

Stay ahead of the curve and discover how tech can empower, not replace, the human judgment behind great legal advocacy.

Understanding how drugs metabolise in the body can make or break a defence. This seminar equips criminal defence lawyers with essential knowledge on drug pathways, forensic testing, and interpreting HSA reports. Gain clarity on how drugs are analysed, how results are used in court, and how to challenge them effectively.

• How drugs metabolise: pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
• Interpreting HSA drug analysis reports
• Common challenges to drug forensic evidence
• Strategies for cross-examining forensic witnesses

Effective sentencing advocacy goes beyond mitigation—it requires a deep understanding of the frameworks courts use to arrive at a sentence. Through this seminar, counsel will understand the various factors that are considered by the Courts in the selection and calibration of the appropriate individual and global sentences.

This seminar equips criminal defence counsel with practical insights into sentencing objectives, frameworks, and how recent jurisprudence has shaped their application.

• Sentencing objectives and frameworks
• The Harm-Culpability matrix and key factors
• Aggravating, mitigating, and neutral considerations
• Proportionality in concurrent vs. consecutive sentencing
• Alternatives to imprisonment: fines, caning, in-default/in-lieu options
• The impact of criminal records

Perfect for defence counsels looking to refine their sentencing strategy with both theory and real-world trends.

Cross-examination is one of the most powerful tools in a litigator’s arsenal—but also one of the most challenging to execute well. This module explores advanced techniques for conducting effective cross-examinations and managing difficult or hostile witnesses with confidence and strategy.

• Planning and structuring an effective cross-examination
• Techniques for controlling and challenging witnesses
• Handling uncooperative, evasive, or hostile witnesses
• Leveraging prior inconsistent statements
• Managing expert witnesses and technical testimony

A strong case is built before the trial begins. This module is designed for criminal defence lawyers who want to develop more rigorous pre-trial preparation habits—from investigating the facts to marshalling the law and building a coherent case theory.

• Developing a case theory and identifying key issues
• Investigating facts and gathering defence evidence
• Applicable statutory notices and their strategic use
• Disclosure obligations and prosecution evidence
• Drafting effective ancillary applications and remedies
• How to draft an effective Case for the Defence?
• Dealing with weaknesses and imperfect information
• Other issues relating to pre-trial preparation – dispensation of witnesses, SOAFs, interviewing witnesses, s 231 notices, etc

Perfect for anyone ready to sharpen their trial prep game.

Advocacy is where preparation meets persuasion. In this session, experienced speakers share practical strategies for crafting compelling oral arguments and navigating courtroom dynamics with confidence and professionalism.

• Preparing effectively for court hearings
• Structuring persuasive oral arguments
• Handling tough questions from the bench
• Navigating courtroom etiquette with poise

Whether you’re sharpening your advocacy or stepping into court for the first time, this module offers essential tools for impactful courtroom performance.

Justice doesn’t always end in incarceration, but in meaningful alternatives that support transformation.

Join us for a focused seminar where our expert speakers will unpack Singapore’s rehabilitative and community-based sentencing options. Discover how the justice system can balance accountability with compassion—particularly for those who may benefit more from support than punishment.

• Reformative Training and Short Detention Orders
• Rehabilitation through incarceration: what prison life offers
• Community Court: its role and process
• Sentencing options for youth offenders, including community-based alternatives
• Probation: suitability assessments, officer roles, and supervision
• Court-Directed Pre-Sentencing Protocol: purpose and application

Whether you’re a legal professional, social service practitioner, or policy thinker, this seminar offers valuable insights into a justice system that fosters second chances.

The last decade has seen a rise in sexual crime cases in Singapore. Join us for an in-depth discussion on how legislative changes, sentencing frameworks, and institutional responses are shaping the prosecution and defence of sexual assault cases.

• Overview of different types of sexual offences
• Sentencing frameworks: Exploring mitigation opportunities
• Effective cross-examination of complainants: Key guidelines for defence counsel

Gain valuable insights on navigating these complex cases and refine your approach in the courtroom.