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[2017] 6 MLJ A B Letitia Bosman v Public Prosecutor (Tengku Maimun JCA) 103 Prosecutor [1981] 1 MLJ 64 and Public Prosecutor v Lau Kee Hoo [1983] 1 MLJ 157. Fourthly, it was trite that the function of the court was to apply the law and if at all the present law was disproportionate, cruel, inhuman, or degrading the initiative to change should come from the Legislature. Thus, the mandatory death sentence provided under s 39B(2) of the Act was not unconstitutional (see paras 41 & 44). [Bahasa Malaysia summary C D E F G H I Perayu dituduh dengan kesalahan mengedar dadah berbahaya di bawah s 39B(1)(a) Akta Dadah Berbahaya 1952 (‘Akta’) boleh dihukum di bawah s 39B(2) Akta yang sama. Kes pihak pendakwaan adalah bahawa, semasa pemeriksaan oleh pegawai-pegawai kastam di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Senai, pegawai-pegawai kastam menjumpai dadah di dalam beg troli berwarna coklat (‘P13A’) mempunyai nama perayu. Dalam pembelaan, perayu berhujah bahawa dia mencari destinasi untuk bulan madu semasa dia melancong ke New Delhi. Perayu mendakwa bahawa P13A diberi oleh seorang lelaki Afrika yang bernama George semasa dia di New Delhi. Perayu kemudiannya balik ke Johor daripada New Delhi. Perayu menafikan apa-apa pengetahuan mengenai dadah yag disembunyikan di dalam P13A. Pembelaannya adalah pembawa tidak bersalah. Pada akhir perbicaraan, hakim perbicaraan menolak pembelaan perayu dan mendapati bahawa pihak pendakwaan telah berjaya dalam membuktikan kesnya terhadap perayu melampaui keraguan munasabah. Perayu oleh itu disabitkan dan dijatuhkan hukuman mati. Tidak berpuas hati, perayu memfailkan rayuan ini. Perayu berhujah bahawa: (a) tidak terdapat dapatan oleh hakim perbicaraan yang bijaksana di akhir kes pendakwaan terhadap sama ada beliau bergantung ke atas anggapan milikan di bawah s 37(d) Akta atau anggapan pengedaran di bawah s 37(da) Akta sementara pada akhir kes pembelaan, Yang Arif gagal untuk membuat dapatan terhadap anggapan yang telah atau tidak dipatahkan atas imbangan kebarangkalian; (b) telah gagal untuk menilai keterangan atas George dan walaupun notis Alcontara diberikan, pihak pendakwaan gagal untuk menyiasat George; dan (c) hukuman mati mandatori untuk pengedaran dadah berbahaya diperuntukkan oleh s 39B(2) Akta adalah tidak berperlembagaan kerana ia mencabuli perkara 5(1) dan 8 Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan ia adalah sewenang-wenang, tidak seimbang dan gagal untuk mengambil kira keadaan peringanan individu perayu. Berkenaan hujahan ini, perayu bergantung ke atas keputusan Privy Council dalam kes Reyes v The Queen [2002] UKPC 11 (‘kes Reyes’). Diputuskan, menolak rayuan dan mengesahkan sabitan dan hukuman Mahkamah Tinggi: (1) Hakim perbicaraan yang bijaksana tidak salah arah dirinya dalam mengendalikan anggapan di bawah Akta. Pada akhir kes pendakwaan, hakim perbicaraan yang bijaksana membuat dapatan milikan mens rea dan pengedaran dadah di bawah s 37(da) Akta. Pendekatan ini tidak

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Letitia Bosman

案件摘要

司法管轄

馬來西亞

國籍

南非人

案件標題: Letitia Bosman (f) (Federal Court Criminal Appeal No. 05-76-04/2017(J))

性别: 女性

犯罪時的宗教信仰: 未知

弱勢 / 邊緣群體身份

外國國籍
少數群體: 性別

司法轄區 - 地理定位

緯度: 4.2105

經度: 101.9758

司法轄區 - 地理定位 (已連結案件摘要): 馬來西亞

瑞慈合作機構

Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (馬來西亞)

該國最新死刑狀態

保留死刑

案件現狀: 已結案: 減刑

判處死刑年份: 2010s: 2015

涉嫌侵犯的權利

公正審判與正當程序權利: 處罰過重或不成比例

死刑所涉罪名的性質

毒品犯罪

案件背景 (最多300字): In Letitia Bosman v Public Prosecutor, on 29 March 2017, Letitia Bosman, a South African, was convicted for drug trafficking under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and sentenced to death. She was caught at Senai International Airport with methamphetamine hidden in her luggage. Bosman claimed she was an innocent carrier, alleging that a man named George had given her the bag in New Delhi.

The issues are thus (1) whether the mandatory death sentence under Section 39B(2) was unconstitutional; and (2) whether the trial judge had erred in handling presumptions of possession and trafficking.

The Court of Appeal upheld her conviction and sentence, rejecting the argument that the mandatory death penalty was unconstitutional. The Court of Appeal affirmed the trial judge’s decision, as there was no miscarriage of justice in handling the evidence or presumptions under the Dangerous Drugs Act. The court found Bosman’s defense about the bag and George’s involvement to be inconsistent and an afterthought.

In Letitia Bosman v Public Prosecutor and Other Appeals (No 1), on 13 August 2020, the appellant issued a constitutional challenge to the mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking and murder under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and Section 302 of the Penal Code. Four appellants, including Bosman, argued that the mandatory death penalty was unconstitutional for violating Articles 5(1), 8(1), and 121 of the Federal Constitution.

The issues are thus (1) whether the mandatory death penalty usurps judicial discretion and violates the doctrine of separation of powers; (2) whether the penalty violates the right to a fair trial by denying the opportunity for mitigation; and (3) whether the death penalty is arbitrary, cruel, and disproportionate.

The Federal Court, by a majority of 8-1, dismissed the appeal, ruling that the mandatory death penalty is constitutional. The court emphasized that it is Parliament’s role to decide punishments, not the courts. The dissenting judge argued that the mandatory death penalty is disproportionate and arbitrary, suggesting it should be replaced with a discretionary sentencing framework. The court maintained that Malaysian law does not incorporate international standards on cruel or degrading punishment unless expressly adopted.

The Revision of Sentence of Death and Imprisonment for Natural Life (Temporary Jurisdiction of The Federal Court) Act 2023 was introduced and took effect on 12 September 2023 to confer the Federal Court the jurisdiction to undertake the resentencing of the prisoners who have been sentenced to death or being imprisoned for natural life. An application for resentencing was filed on behalf of Letitia Bosman in the Federal Court.

An application for resentencing was filed in the Federal Court. In this application, the Federal Court took into account amongst others, the individualised mitigating circumstances of the Applicant which include the fact that the Applicant is remorseful, and she has repented. The Federal Court accepts the principle that the Applicant’s remorse as a mitigating factor that might earn her the court’s compassion.

The Applicant’s death sentence was commuted, and she was sentenced to 30 years from the date of arrest.

辯方意見 (最多200字): In the High Court of Malaya, the defence denied any knowledge concealed in the brown trolley bag bearing the appellant's name, claiming the defence of innocent carrier. The defence was rejected.

In the Court of Appeal, the defence submitted that (a) there was no finding by the learned trial judge at the end of the prosecution case as to whether he had relied on the presumption of possession under s 37(d) of the Act or the presumption of ttafficking under s 37(da) of the Act whereas at the end of the defence case, the judge failed to make a finding as to which presumption had or had not been rebutted on the balance of probabilities; (b) the learned trial judge had failed to appreciate the evidence on George and despite good Alcontara notice being given, the prosecution failed to investigate George; and (c) the mandatory death sentence for trafficking in dangerous drugs provided for by s 39B(2) of the Act was unconstitutional as it violated arts 5(1) and 8 of the Federal Constitution and it was arbitrary, disproportionate and failed to take into account the appellant’s individual mitigating circumstances. In relation to this submission, the appellant relied on the Privy Council’s decision in the case of Reyes v The Queen [2002] UKPC 11 (‘Reyes’s case’).

The appellants mounted their challenge on four fronts: (a) that it was part of judicial power to determine the measure of punishment and that by prescribing a mandatory death sentence and removing the court’s discretion to impose any other sentence appropriate for a given case, Parliament had usurped judicial power under Art 121 of the Federal Constitution thereby violating the doctrine of separation of powers; (b) the mandatory death penalty violated an accused’s right to a fair trial under Art 5(1) of the Federal Constitution by effectively denying him of the opportunity to make a plea in mitigation for an appropriate sentence to be imposed; and (c) the mandatory death penalty was arbitrary, cruel and barbaric and violated the proportionality principle housed in the ‘equal protection’ limb of Art 8(1) of the Federal Constitution.

判决摘要 (最多200字): The Court of Appeal upheld her conviction and sentence, rejecting the argument that the mandatory death penalty was unconstitutional. The Court of Appeal affirmed the trial judge’s decision, as there was no miscarriage of justice in handling the evidence or presumptions under the Dangerous Drugs Act. The court found Bosman’s defense about the bag and George’s involvement to be inconsistent and an afterthought. The Federal Court, by a majority of 8-1, dismissed the appeal, ruling that the mandatory death penalty is constitutional. The court emphasized that it is Parliament’s role to decide punishments, not the courts. The dissenting judge argued that the mandatory death penalty is disproportionate and arbitrary, suggesting it should be replaced with a discretionary sentencing framework. The court maintained that Malaysian law does not incorporate international standards on cruel or degrading punishment unless expressly adopted. An application for resentencing was filed in the Federal Court. In this application, the Federal Court took into account amongst others, the individualised mitigating circumstances of the Applicant which include the fact that the Applicant is remorseful, and she has repented. The Federal Court accepts the principle that the Applicant’s remorse as a mitigating factor that might earn her the court’s compassion.

獲得法律代理的情況

偵查前階段: 未知
審判階段: 未知
上訴階段: 未知
第二次上訴階段: 未知

與罪名相關的立法: Section 39(B) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952

案件摘要錄入狀態: 進行中

案件材料語言

英語
馬來語

該案例摘要是否已收錄？: No

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Letitia Bosman

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