Task force to review support for those with special needs within legal system

It will examine entire criminal justice process and identify areas for improvement

- Christine Tan

A new task force will review how the Government can better support people with mental health conditions and special needs within the criminal justice system.

This includes accused persons and victims of crime, who may have conditions such as psychosis, schizophrenia, autism and intellectual disabilities, among others.

On Jan 8, the Ministry of Law said the Inclusive Justice Taskforce will examine the entire criminal justice process, from the pre-offending stage and criminal investigations to court processes, sentencing and post-sentencing support measures.

It will also review existing measures, identify areas for improvement and propose potential reforms for the Government's consideration.

Minister for Law Edwin Tong first agreed to the task force at the inaugural Access to Justice (A2J) Symposium in March 2025, which addressed legal challenges faced by people with invisible disabilities.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development and Law Eric Chua and veteran lawyer Peggy Yee, a vocal advocate for people with such disabilities, are co-chairing the 20-member task force.

Mr Chua said they have assembled a "strong collaborative team", adding: "Work will be done to review current practices, identify gaps and develop recommendations to address them."