2024年4月3日，盛港集選區議員林志蔚在國會上，向內政部長兼律政部長尚穆根提問關於《認罪減刑指導原則》相關問題。
以下內容為新加坡眼根據國會英文資料翻譯整理：
林志蔚（盛港集選區）提問律政部長
（a）在發布《認罪減刑指導原則》後，認罪協議是否繼續有效；
（b）如果有效，是在什麼情況下；
（c）是否會在達成認罪協議的情況下，建議進一步減刑。
尚穆根（內政部長兼律政部長）：《認罪減刑指導原則》（《PG原則》）由判刑諮詢團簽發，目的在於鼓勵被告儘早認罪。
《認罪減刑指導原則》根據被告認罪的不同訴訟階段，明確了法庭可以給與的減刑範圍。該原則中提出的建議減刑範圍是寬泛的，目的是為法庭提供靈活性和自由裁量權，根據案件事實不同進而調整判決。如果理由足夠充分，法庭還保留在特定案件中不適用《認罪減刑指導原則》的自由裁量權。
《認罪減刑指導原則》與認罪協議是不同的，也不會影響認罪協議。認罪協議是指在被告決定是否認罪前，控方與辯方之間進行的協商過程。控方可基於多種因素行使自由裁量權，向辯方提出認罪協議，包括通過認罪節省的資源、被告與調查的合作以及其他個人減刑情節。
如果被告接受認罪協議並選擇認罪，法院在行使司法自由裁量權時，可以適用《認罪減刑指導原則》給予適當的減刑。
以下是英文質詢內容：
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Law (a) whether plea bargains continue to be offered following the publishing of the Guidelines on Reduction in Sentences for Guilty Pleas; (b) if so, under what circumstances; and (c) whether the Guidelines will recommend a further reduction in sentences where a plea bargain has been offered and agreed upon in exchange for a guilty plea.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Guidelines on Reduction in Sentences for Guilty Pleas (PG Guidelines) issued by the Sentencing Advisory Panel are intended to encourage accused persons, who wish to plead guilty, to do so early.
The PG Guidelines set out the ranges of reduction in sentence that a Court may consider granting, based on the stage of proceedings at which an accused person pleads guilty. The recommended ranges of reduction set out in the PG Guidelines are set out in broad terms to provide the Court with flexibility and discretion, to calibrate the sentence according to the facts of the case. The Court also retains the discretion to not apply the PG Guidelines in specific cases, if there are good reasons not to do so.
The PG Guidelines are distinct from, and do not affect, the plea bargaining process, which is the process of negotiation that may take place between the Prosecution and the Defence before the accused decides whether to plead guilty.
The Prosecution may extend a plea offer to the Defence as a matter of prosecutorial discretion based on various factors, including the resources which would be saved through a guilty plea, the accused person's co-operation with the investigation and other personal mitigating circumstances.
If the accused person accepts the plea offer and elects to plead guilty, then the Court, in the exercise of its judicial discretion, may apply the PG Guidelines and grant an appropriate reduction in sentence.
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