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Newton hearing
As stated in R v Robert John Newton:* [w]here there is a plea of guilty, but it exists a conflict of facts** between the prosecution and defence, the trial judge [will] approach the sentencing task in one of three ways: (I) a plea of not guilty can be entered to enable the jury*** to determine the issue; (II) the judge himself may hear evidence and come to his own conclusions; (III) or the judge may hear no evidence and listen to the submissions of counsel, but if that course is taken and there is a substantial conflict between the two sides, the version of the defendant must so far as possible be accepted.
*(1983) 77 Cr. App. R. 13. **Examples provided by the Singapore Criminal Justice Division in their publication: Guidebook For Accused In Person - A Guide To Representing Yourself In Court include conflicting medical reports on whether the accused was suffering from a mental illness during the commission of the offence(s) which would lower his/her culpability (i.e. blameworthiness), the truth of a fact or statement relied upon by the accused in his mitigation plea or where the accused disputes the record of his/her antecedents. (Source: https://www.statecourts.gov.sg/cws/CriminalCase/Documents/Guidebook%20for%20Accused%20in%20Person.pdf, accessed 25 October 2019) ***There is no jury system in Singapore.
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