Cattle Act - Singapore Statutes Online

Cattle Act

(CHAPTER 34)

(Original Enactment: Ordinance 15 of 1964)

REVISED EDITION 2002

(31st December 2002)

An Act to provide for the licensing of places used for the keeping of cattle, the control of the movement and transport of cattle and matters incidental thereto for the purpose of the preservation of public health.

[1st January 1965]

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Cattle Act.

Interpretation

2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“Agency” means the National Environment Agency established under the National Environment Agency Act 2002 (Act 4 of 2002);

“authorised officer” means any public officer or officer of any statutory board or body authorised by the Director-General under section 6;

“cattle” includes horses, cows, oxen, sheep, goats and swine;

“Director-General” means the Director-General of Public Health appointed under section 3(1) of the Environmental Public Health Act (Cap. 95);

“restricted area” means such part of Singapore as may have been specified in a notification under section 3 within which any category, class or kind of cattle named in the notification shall not be kept.

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Keeping cattle within restricted area prohibited

3.—(1) Where the Agency considers it necessary for the purpose of preserving public health, the Agency may, with the approval of the Minister, by notification in the Gazette, declare that such category, class or kind of cattle as may be named therein shall not be kept within such part of Singapore as may be specified therein.

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(2) Any cattle, which have been prohibited from being kept in a restricted area and which are found within that area, may be seized by the Director-General or any authorised officer and taken immediately to a slaughter-house specified by the Director-General to be slaughtered therein or disposed of in such manner as the Director-General may determine.

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(3) The carcase of any cattle slaughtered under subsection (2) shall be disposed of in such manner as the Director-General may determine.

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(4) No compensation shall be payable for any cattle which have been slaughtered or disposed of under subsection (2).

(5) Any owner or person in charge of any cattle found within a restricted area shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.

Licence required for keeping cattle

4.—(1) The Director-General may license any place for the purpose of keeping cattle.

(2) A licence shall be subject to such conditions as may be prescribed and such other conditions as the Director-General may in his discretion impose.

(3) The Director-General may, in his discretion, at any time revoke or suspend a licence.

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(4) No place shall be used by any person for the purpose of keeping cattle without a licence issued by the Director-General.

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(5) Any person who without a licence uses any place or permits it to be used for the purpose of keeping cattle shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.

(6) Any cattle found outside such place as may be specified in the licence may be seized by the Director-General or any authorised officer and taken immediately to a slaughter-house specified by the Director-General to be slaughtered therein or disposed of in such manner as the Director-General may determine.

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(7) The carcase of any cattle slaughtered under subsection (6) shall be disposed of in such manner as the Director-General may determine.

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(8) No compensation shall be payable for any cattle which have been slaughtered or disposed of under subsection (6).

(9) Any owner, or person in charge, of any cattle which are found outside such place as may be specified in any licence shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.

Movement and transport of cattle

5.—(1) Where the Agency considers it necessary for the purpose of preserving public health, the Agency may, with the approval of the Minister, by notification in the Gazette, declare that as from a date specified therein such category, class or kind of cattle as may be named therein shall not be moved or transported from one place to another within Singapore or any part thereof as may be specified therein without a licence issued in that behalf by the Director-General.

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(2) Any owner or person in charge of any cattle which are moved or transported in contravention of subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.

(3) Any cattle which are moved or transported from one place to another without a licence issued under subsection (1) may be seized immediately by the Director-General or any authorised officer and taken immediately to a slaughter-house specified by the Director-General to be slaughtered therein or disposed of in such manner as the Director-General may determine.

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(4) No compensation shall be payable for any cattle which have been slaughtered or disposed of under subsection (3).

Authorisation of public officers, etc.

6. Any public officer authorised by the Director-General in writing in that behalf and any officer of any statutory board or body who is, with the approval of the Minister, so authorised may exercise such powers under this Act as the Director-General may empower him to exercise, subject to such conditions or limitations as the Director-General may specify.

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Fees, etc., payable to Agency

7. All fees, charges, composition fines and moneys collected under this Act shall be paid to the Agency.

[6A

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Regulations

8.—(1) The Agency may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations for or with respect to every purpose which is considered by him necessary for carrying out the provisions of this Act and for the prescribing of any matter which is authorised or required under this Act to be prescribed.

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(2) Regulations made under subsection (1) may prescribe the fees and charges for the purposes of this Act.

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(3) The Director-General may design and utilise such forms as he may think fit for any of the purposes of this Act, and may require any person to complete any of the forms for any such purpose.

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(4) All such regulations shall be published in the Gazette and shall be presented to Parliament as soon as possible after publication.

Transitional provision

9. Any licence, permit, document, application, approval, permission, order, direction, ruling or notice issued, made, given or approved by the Commissioner of Public Health under any provision of this Act immediately before 1st July 2002¹ shall be deemed to have been issued, made, given or approved under the same provision by the Director-General.

¹Date of commencement of the National Environment Agency Act 2002 (Act 4 of 2002).

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