Abstract:
This article looks at some of the most important issues surrounding the requirement of mens rea in Singapore criminal law today. The purpose is to measure the state of its health. It concludes that, although not all developments in recent years have been in that direction, the doctrine appears to be in general retreat. It makes a plea that the need for a strong mens rea ought to be respected in practice as it is in rhetoric, and argues that this can be done without any significant adverse impact on crime control.