The shadow attorney-general has looked to Singapore for inspiration in reforming the ACT's justice system, but has been quick to stress it is neither the death penalty nor the abolition of jury trials she admires in the country noted for its suppression of free speech and assembly.
Chiaka Barry wrote in a social media post that if the community was serious about evidence-based policy, it should be willing to examine successful models wherever they exist, "even when they don't align with our preconceived views".
"Why is it that people rarely point to Singapore's justice system as an example of a system that could work? (Well aside from the death penalty)," Ms Barry wrote.
"Instead, they look 10,000 miles away to Europe. Understandably we are better aligned but are there things we could borrow perhaps?"
In a subsequent comment, Ms Barry said: "Singapore's success is built on respect for the rule of law, and strong social cohesion. We don't need to copy its entire system, but those principles that build a better society."
The Canberra Times asked whether Ms Barry was interested in changing the jury system and whether she accepted some might find it surprising a Liberal would point to a country noted its suppression of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly as one to learn from.
Amnesty International warned Singapore had continued executions in 2025 at "an alarming rate", used laws to stifle freedom of expression and silence dissent.
Freedom House, the US-based think tank that monitors countries' political freedoms and civil liberties, lists Singapore as "partly free", ranking the country 48 out of 100 on its freedom index.
The think tank said "the electoral and legal framework that the [ruling People's Action Party] has constructed allows for some political pluralism, but it constrains the growth of credible opposition parties and limits freedoms of expression, assembly, and association".
Freedom House ranks Australia as "free" and places it 95 out of 100 on its freedom index.
But Singapore also has a long-running program to help ex-prisoners find jobs after release by providing training and assistance. The Yellow Ribbon program also partners with private firms to establish in-prison training workshops, the program's website says.
Ms Barry had written on social media that the Alexander Maconochie Centre, Canberra's adult jail, needed to function as a rehabilitation centre.
"If judges are not confident people are coming out better than when they went in, they are simply not going to use it the way it's intended," she wrote.
A 2025 review of the Alexander Maconochie Centre revealed widespread boredom among prisoners and concluded they were not able to fill their days with productive, meaningful, rehabilitative activity.
A spokesman for the Canberra Liberals said Ms Barry referenced Singapore's justice system as one example worth studying for ideas on efficiency and outcomes and she had not proposed abolishing the territory's jury system.
"Ms Barry believes it is legitimate to have an open discussion about whether aspects of the Human Rights Act should be able to be set aside in the most serious conviction cases to better balance community safety and victims' rights. She is not currently proposing specific changes to the jury system," the spokesman said.
"The policy of the Canberra Liberals will be formally announced in the lead up to the next election."
In a further comment on social media, Ms Barry had offered a "controversial" view that she thought the ACT needed an honest conversation about setting parts of the Human Rights Act aside to deal with the "most serious convictions".
Sentencing laws needed to be subject to ongoing reviews to reflect community expectations and be fit for purpose, she said.
"My understanding is that judges give more weight to the offenders' rights in sentencing. At the end of the day, the system has to hold a balance in protecting rights, yes, but also protecting the community and backing victims," Ms Barry wrote.
Sentencing laws in the ACT give courts the power to ensure offenders are "adequately punished for the offence in a way that is just and appropriate" and can impose sentences "to prevent crime by deterring the offender and other people from committing the same or similar offences".
Ms Barry's view was met with criticism from the Attorney-General, Tara Cheyne, and the Greens' spokeswoman on justice, Rebecca Vassarotti, who both told Region human rights were an important part of the ACT's legal framework.
"Canberrans should be alarmed that the Liberal Party's go-to when it comes to our justice system is to try and dismantle these kinds of protections," Ms Vassarotti said.
