Law Commons^™

More than thirty years have passed since the United States Supreme Court made these observations in the landmark case of Mapp v. Ohio." The Court, no doubt, thought it was putting an end to the wrenching problems that developed since it laid the groundwork for the exclusionary rule in Boyd v. United States in 1886. Although the merits of the exclusionary rule have been debated for many years and will be debated for years to come, the advent of the exclusionary rule raised important issues of federalism that were not resolved easily.

Although medical examinations and samples taken from suspects' bodies in the course of police inquiries often lead to the discovery of important evidence, Singapore criminal procedure does not appear to empower the police to carry out such medical investigations. Neither does it safeguard the interests of suspects. It is submitted that the Criminal Procedure Code and other statutes should be brought up to date with modern science.