Who may order unlawful assembly to disperse
57.—(1) A police officer may command an unlawful assembly or an assembly of 5 or more people likely to cause a disturbance of the public peace to disperse, and the members of the assembly must then disperse.(2) Nothing in this Division derogates from the powers conferred on any person under the Public Order Act 2009.
—(1) A police officer may command an unlawful assembly or an assembly of 5 or more people likely to cause a disturbance of the public peace to disperse, and the members of the assembly must then disperse.
(2) Nothing in this Division derogates from the powers conferred on any person under the Public Order Act 2009.
When unlawful assembly may be dispersed by use of civil force
58.—(1) If any such assembly does not disperse as commanded, or shows a determination not to disperse, any police officer may disperse the assembly by force and, if necessary, arrest and confine the participants, and may require any male civilian to help.(2) In this section, “civilian” means any person who is not a regular serviceman, full-time national serviceman or operationally ready national serviceman who has reported for service in the Singapore Armed Forces.
—(1) If any such assembly does not disperse as commanded, or shows a determination not to disperse, any police officer may disperse the assembly by force and, if necessary, arrest and confine the participants, and may require any male civilian to help.
(2) In this section, “civilian” means any person who is not a regular serviceman, full-time national serviceman or operationally ready national serviceman who has reported for service in the Singapore Armed Forces.
Use of military force
59. If any such assembly cannot be otherwise dispersed and it is necessary for the public security that it should be dispersed, the Minister or the Commissioner of Police or a Deputy Commissioner of Police may cause it to be dispersed by military force.
Minister or Commissioner of Police or Deputy Commissioner of Police may require any officer in command of troops to disperse unlawful assembly
60.—(1) When the Minister or the Commissioner of Police or a Deputy Commissioner of Police determines to disperse any such assembly by military force, he or she may require any commissioned or non‑commissioned officer in command of any sailors, soldiers or airmen in the Singapore Armed Forces to disperse the assembly by military force and to arrest and confine the persons forming part of it as the Minister or Commissioner of Police or the Deputy Commissioner of Police directs or as it may be necessary to arrest and confine in order to disperse the assembly or to have them punished according to law.[19/2018]
(2) Every such officer must obey such requisition in such manner as he or she thinks fit, but in so doing he or she must use as little force and do as little injury to person and property as is consistent with dispersing the assembly and arresting and confining those persons.
—(1) When the Minister or the Commissioner of Police or a Deputy Commissioner of Police determines to disperse any such assembly by military force, he or she may require any commissioned or non‑commissioned officer in command of any sailors, soldiers or airmen in the Singapore Armed Forces to disperse the assembly by military force and to arrest and confine the persons forming part of it as the Minister or Commissioner of Police or the Deputy Commissioner of Police directs or as it may be necessary to arrest and confine in order to disperse the assembly or to have them punished according to law.[19/2018]
(2) Every such officer must obey such requisition in such manner as he or she thinks fit, but in so doing he or she must use as little force and do as little injury to person and property as is consistent with dispersing the assembly and arresting and confining those persons.
When commissioned officer may disperse unlawful assembly by military force
61. When the public security is manifestly endangered by any such assembly and when neither the Minister nor the Commissioner of Police nor a Deputy Commissioner of Police can be communicated with, any commissioned officer in the Singapore Armed Forces may disperse such assembly by military force and may arrest and confine the persons forming part of it as it may be necessary to arrest and confine in order to disperse the assembly or to have them punished according to law, but if while he or she is acting under this section it becomes practicable for him or her to communicate with the Minister, the Commissioner of Police or a Deputy Commissioner of Police, he or she must do so and thereafter obey the instructions of the Minister, the Commissioner of Police or the Deputy Commissioner of Police as to whether he or she is to continue the action or not.[19/2018]
Protection against prosecution for acts done under this Division
62. No prosecution against the Minister or any police officer or officer, sailor, soldier or airman in the Singapore Armed Forces for any act purporting to be done under this Division may be instituted in any criminal court except with the sanction of the President, and —(a)
no police officer acting under this Division in good faith;
(b)
no commissioned officer acting under section 61 in good faith;
(c)
no person doing any act in good faith in compliance with a requisition under section 58 or 60; and
(d)
no inferior officer, sailor, soldier or airman or member of the Singapore Armed Forces doing any act in obedience to any order which under naval, military or air force law he or she was bound to obey,
is deemed thereby to have committed an offence.
[19/2018]
Source: Singapore Statutes Online (Attorney-General's Chambers), © Government of Singapore.
