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Potential challenges in a witness protection programme in Malaysia

Witness protection is a programme which protects crucial witnesses whose testimony may put them or their family members in jeopardy. Many countries including Malaysia have included the witness protection programme into the federal legislation. The United States, which has implemented witness protect...

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Main Author: Sandhu, Sarvinder Kaur
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universiti Putra Malaysia Press 2011
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/40651/1/7.pdf
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/40651/
http://pertanika.upm.edu.my/Pertanika%20PAPERS/JSSH%20Vol.%2019%20%282%29%20Sept.%202011/7.pdf
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spelling my.upm.eprints.406512015-10-08T02:02:03Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/40651/ Potential challenges in a witness protection programme in Malaysia Sandhu, Sarvinder Kaur Witness protection is a programme which protects crucial witnesses whose testimony may put them or their family members in jeopardy. Many countries including Malaysia have included the witness protection programme into the federal legislation. The United States, which has implemented witness protection programme since the 1970s, has reported a high rate of convictions as compared to countries without such a programme. Malaysia has recently passed the Witness Protection Act and therefore it is relatively new in matters pertaining to witness protection programmes. Lessons can be learnt from countries which have long implemented such programmes. Common issues which Malaysia may face include matters such as finances and resources, the ambiguity of certain terms in the legislation and problems when witnesses are relocated or change of identity. Other problems include the maintaining of participants in the programme and the termination of it. There is also the issue of whether the programme is rebirthing and rewarding criminals. This happens when the participant is a criminal herself/himself, i.e. whose punishment is reduced or relocated to another neighbourhood in lieu of her/his testimony to convict a 'bigger' criminal. These participants sometimes continue their 'criminal' activities in the new community they are relocated to, and thus, pose a risk to the residents in the new community. It is undeniable that problems will exist and with experience, they can be ironed out periodically. This article briefly views these problems. Universiti Putra Malaysia Press 2011-09 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/40651/1/7.pdf Sandhu, Sarvinder Kaur (2011) Potential challenges in a witness protection programme in Malaysia. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 19 (2). pp. 363-368. ISSN 0128-7702; ESSN: 2231-8534 http://pertanika.upm.edu.my/Pertanika%20PAPERS/JSSH%20Vol.%2019%20%282%29%20Sept.%202011/7.pdf
institution Universiti Putra Malaysia
building UPM Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider Universiti Putra Malaysia
content_source UPM Institutional Repository
url_provider http://psasir.upm.edu.my/
language English
description Witness protection is a programme which protects crucial witnesses whose testimony may put them or their family members in jeopardy. Many countries including Malaysia have included the witness protection programme into the federal legislation. The United States, which has implemented witness protection programme since the 1970s, has reported a high rate of convictions as compared to countries without such a programme. Malaysia has recently passed the Witness Protection Act and therefore it is relatively new in matters pertaining to witness protection programmes. Lessons can be learnt from countries which have long implemented such programmes. Common issues which Malaysia may face include matters such as finances and resources, the ambiguity of certain terms in the legislation and problems when witnesses are relocated or change of identity. Other problems include the maintaining of participants in the programme and the termination of it. There is also the issue of whether the programme is rebirthing and rewarding criminals. This happens when the participant is a criminal herself/himself, i.e. whose punishment is reduced or relocated to another neighbourhood in lieu of her/his testimony to convict a 'bigger' criminal. These participants sometimes continue their 'criminal' activities in the new community they are relocated to, and thus, pose a risk to the residents in the new community. It is undeniable that problems will exist and with experience, they can be ironed out periodically. This article briefly views these problems.
format Article
author Sandhu, Sarvinder Kaur
spellingShingle Sandhu, Sarvinder Kaur
Potential challenges in a witness protection programme in Malaysia
author_facet Sandhu, Sarvinder Kaur
author_sort Sandhu, Sarvinder Kaur
title Potential challenges in a witness protection programme in Malaysia
title_short Potential challenges in a witness protection programme in Malaysia
title_full Potential challenges in a witness protection programme in Malaysia
title_fullStr Potential challenges in a witness protection programme in Malaysia
title_full_unstemmed Potential challenges in a witness protection programme in Malaysia
title_sort potential challenges in a witness protection programme in malaysia
publisher Universiti Putra Malaysia Press
publishDate 2011
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/40651/1/7.pdf
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/40651/
http://pertanika.upm.edu.my/Pertanika%20PAPERS/JSSH%20Vol.%2019%20%282%29%20Sept.%202011/7.pdf
_version_ 1643832777761619968
score 13.211869

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