MICHAEL MA ZHEN HU v PUBLIC PROSECUTOR

[2023] SGHC 251 High Court (General Division) 7 September 2023 HC/MA 9038/2023/01

2 cases cited

Key facts

Court	High Court (General Division)
Decided	7 September 2023
Judge	Vincent Hoong
Charges / claim	Road Traffic, Criminal Procedure and Sentencing
Counsel	Attorney-General's Chambers, RLC Law Corporation, Claire Poh, Edwin Ho, Jeyabal Athavan, Kanthosamy Rajendran

Source: [2023] SGHC 251, High Court (General Division), decided 7 September 2023 — eLitigation. Updated 10 July 2026.

Catchwords

Road Traffic — Offences — Dangerous driving Criminal Procedure and Sentencing — Sentencing — Principles

Practice Areas

Road Traffic Criminal Procedure and Sentencing

Judges (1)

Vincent Hoong Delivered

Counsel (6)

Attorney-General's Chambers Firm RLC Law Corporation Firm Claire Poh Counsel for the respondent

Edwin Ho Counsel for the respondent

Jeyabal Athavan Counsel for the appellant Kanthosamy Rajendran Counsel for the appellant

Parties (2)

Public Prosecutor Respondent

Michael Ma Zhen Hu Appellant

Case Significance

Ma Zhen Hu Michael v Public Prosecutor [2023] SGHC 251 is an ex tempore judgment of Vincent Hoong J in the General Division of the High Court, delivered on 7 September 2023 in Magistrate's Appeal No 9038 of 2023. The appellant, Michael Ma Zhen Hu, had pleaded guilty to and was convicted on a charge of dangerous driving under s 64(1) punishable under s 64(2C)(a) of the Road Traffic Act, arising from an incident on 16 April 2021 when he reversed his car against the flow of traffic for about 50 metres to avoid a Traffic Police roadblock at Clemenceau Avenue. The District Judge fined him $3,500 and disqualified him from all classes of driving licences for 15 months; the appeal concerns his challenge to the length of the disqualification order.

Summary

Michael Ma Zhen Hu pleaded guilty to dangerous driving under s 64(1) and punishable under s 64(2C)(a) of the Road Traffic Act after reversing his car about 50 metres against traffic to evade a police roadblock, forcing another driver to swerve. He appealed only against the 15-month disqualification imposed by the District Judge. The High Court found the disqualification was not manifestly excessive and dismissed the appeal.

What was Ma Zhen Hu Michael v Public Prosecutor [2023] SGHC 251 about?

It was Michael Ma Zhen Hu's appeal before Vincent Hoong J against the 15-month disqualification imposed for dangerous driving under the Road Traffic Act, after he reversed against traffic to avoid a roadblock on 16 April 2021, heard on 7 September 2023.

What sentence did the District Judge impose in [2023] SGHC 251?

The District Judge fined Michael Ma Zhen Hu $3,500 for dangerous driving under s 64(1) and s 64(2C)(a) of the Road Traffic Act and disqualified him from all classes of driving licences for 15 months from 23 February 2023; he appealed the disqualification length.