THE Singapore Court of Appeal has granted a stay of execution for Malaysian death row inmate, Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, just hours before his scheduled execution on Thursday, February 20.
The court's decision to delay the execution came after the inmate sought to file a post-appeal application under Singapore’s Post-Appeal Criminal Procedures (PACC) Act.
Justice Woo Bih Li, in his ruling, explained that the stay was granted while awaiting the decision on Pannir Selvam’s request under Section 60(G) of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act (SCAJ) of 1969.
This request allows him to file an application under the PACC framework without requiring a set hearing date.
The PACC provision allows death row inmates to submit post-appeal applications after all other legal avenues have been exhausted. Pannir Selvam, who is representing himself in the case, had argued that his request should be considered due to unresolved complaints against his former lawyer, Ong Ying Ping, to the Singapore Law Society, and an ongoing constitutional challenge to Singapore's drug laws.
In his decision, Justice Woo took into account the affidavit and written submissions made by Pannir Selvam on February 17, as well as additional written arguments on February 18.
He also reviewed the submissions of the Attorney General (AG) and an affidavit from Sanjay Nanwani, Senior Director of the Policy Development Division at Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs, submitted on February 18.
Pannir Selvam was convicted by the Singapore High Court on May 2, 2017, for trafficking 51.84 grams of diamorphine into Singapore under Section 7 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1973 (MDA). He was sentenced to the mandatory death penalty after being denied a Certificate of Substantive Assistance (CSA) by the Public Prosecutor.
Since his conviction, Pannir Selvam has exhausted all available legal channels under Singaporean law.
The PACC Act, which came into force on June 28, 2024, allows inmates who are awaiting execution to file post-appeal applications that can only be heard by the Court of Appeal.
However, they must first obtain court approval before filing such applications, which must be submitted within three days of the court’s decision to grant permission.
This development marks a significant moment in the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding Pannir Selvam's case, as he continues his fight against the death sentence in Singapore. - February 20, 2025
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