Civil Service Investigation: COURTROOM TESTIMONIES
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Trainer

Mr. Steven Lam is currently a partner of an international law firm.  Before this, he was a senior lawyer handling complex international dispute resolution and corporate matters specialising in shipping, international trade, reinsurance and insurance disputes & cross-borders mergers & acquisitions.

Mr. Lam’s wealth of experience in investigation and interrogation was acquired while working in an investigative agency. He was extensively involved in witness interviews and interrogation processes.

His corporate experience includes being a General Counsel of a multinational oil & gas & shipping company, and as Chief Legal Officer of a medical healthcare provider.  During his tenure, he was directly involved in several due-diligence processes for complex and multi-million cross border mergers-and-acquisitions, and internal audits and risk management investigations.

In 2006, he was awarded the Book Prize in Drafting and Award Writing by the President of London’s Chartered Institute of Arbitrator.

His other current Involvements include acting as:

  • Independent Director of the Singapore Heart Stroke and Cancer Centre.
  • Independent Director of the Prestige Healthcare Investments Pte Ltd.
  • Partner-Associate and Consultant of the Legal Aid Bureau of the Ministry of Law for complex commercial cases.
  • Panel Arbitrator, Law Society Arbitration Scheme.
  • Panel Arbitrator, Singapore Institute of Arbitrators.
  • PRACMENTOR, Law Society (Arbitration and International Business Transactions).
  • Associate Mediator, Subordinate Courts of the Republic Of Singapore.
  • Mediator, Consumer Associate of Singapore.
  • Town Councillor for Punggol Town Council.

For his community and other contributions to society he was awarded the Public Service Medal (PBM) by the President of Singapore in 2005.

Program

This workshop is designed to assist you in developing skills needed to excel as a witness in the court of law.  Presenting evidence or as witness in court is the culmination of the work carried out in your role as an investigator.

Besides gaining greater knowledge of the Singapore court processes, you will be given insights of techniques used by senior defence lawyers, who are very familiar with the Singapore legal system and the prosecution processes to undermine testimonies, discredit witnesses and “poke holes” in your investigation processes.  You will leave the workshop better prepared and approach your next court appearance with greater confidence.

General court room testimony procedures will be covered in addition to testifying as a witness, investigative testimony, crime scene testimony and diagrams, and expert testimony.  A practice mock trial for participants to apply new knowledge will be included.

  • The Court Process
  • Order of Proceedings, Time frames, Objectives of Court
  • Hearings
  • Rules of Evidence
  • Preparing for Trial
  • Resume & Expert Testimony
  • Communication Skills in the Courtroom
  • Channeling Nervous Energy
  • Using Eye Contact, voice, and gestures
  • Communication and Personality Styles
  • Questioning by Attorneys
  • Mock Trial

Overview

Many civil service investigators, professionals and expert witnesses are inadequately prepared for the rigors of the courtroom and have no formal training in providing effective courtroom testimony.  With increasing cases of criminal offences, investigators find themselves at a greater likelihood than ever of having to provide courtroom testimonies.

“One of the most difficult challenges investigators and witnesses must confront comes not in the investigation process of interviewing, interrogating, evidence gathering or investigation report writing, but in the rigourous tests of the courtroom.”
…Jeffrey Hum, Program Director, Maitre Allianz Pte Ltd

The goal of the Courtroom Testimonies workshop is to improve the skills of those involved, in the area of court preparation and testimony.  This workshop will provide you with a key understanding of the components of criminal trials with special focus on the knowledge, skills and attitudes that contribute to your credibility as a witness.  We will discuss the types of questions asked of witnesses, strategies and tactics of the prosecution and the defense and recommend effective methods for improving your skills and how to deal with cross examination in the witness box.

The witness box is an unfamiliar, feared and lonely place.  Witnesses feel that they are on trial, standing in the dock rather than giving testimony to assist the court.  A poor performance can undermine confidence and credibility.

As an investigator or law enforcement officer, you may be called to testify as a witness for the court from time to time.  You might feel capable, comfortable and in control in the confines of your own working environment but these same feelings suddenly gave way in the courtroom.  These feelings may give way to other sensations as we operate within the structured environment of litigation.

You will acquire knowledge of terms and procedures used by the legal profession, including the concepts of fact and witness, what constitutes evidence and what is not admissible and the significance of a subpoena.  Trial procedures will be explained – from being qualified as a witness, expert, to the proper display of demonstrative evidence and the presentation of testimonial evidence.

Included will be a demonstration on how to respond to an Ad Hominem attack by the defence lawyer, where the defence lawyer directly and personally attacks the witness to diminish the impact and credibility of the testimony.

BENEFITS:

  • Develop testifying skills of a confident and competent  witness.
  • Respond succinctly and appropriately and know when to elaborate.
  • Articulate your opinion based on the foundation of fact and/or truth.
  • Differentiate between scientific and legal truth.
  • Harness and channel nervous energy into a positive presentation.
  • Maintain congruence in thoughts, feelings and behavior.
  • Work your communication style to your benefit.
  • Acquire knowledge of the adversarial system .
  • Appreciate the roles of the various players in court.
  • Gain insights on techniques lawyers use in cross-examination.
  • Manage difficult and stressful cross-examination with finesse.
  • Overcome apprehension about the cross-examination process.

DATE: 25 October 2010

TIME: 9am – 5pm

VENUE: Holiday Inn Singapore, Orchard City Centre

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