Another example is Singapore’s laws on drug trafficking.
When drugs are found in someone’s possession, in many other legal systems, the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused knew he or she was carrying drugs, he said.
“But proving what someone knew is often extremely difficult,” said Mr Wong, as people can claim ignorance.
“That makes enforcement extremely difficult, and drug traffickers know how to exploit this,” he said.
Mr Wong said this is why Singapore takes a different approach.
“If drugs are found in your possession, the law in Singapore presumes you knew they were there. The burden shifts to you to prove otherwise. This reflects a practical reality: you are best placed to account for what is in your possession.”
