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Protected Areas and Protected Places Act

(CHAPTER 256)

(Original Enactment: M Ordinance 33 of 1959)

REVISED EDITION 2013

(31st December 2013)

An Act to provide for protected areas and protected places.

[16th September 1963]

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act.

Interpretation

2. In this Act —

“authorised officer” means —

(a)	any police officer;
(b)	any person holding a commission in the Singapore Armed Forces or in any visiting forces lawfully present in Singapore;
(c)	any member of the Singapore Armed Forces or of any visiting forces lawfully present in Singapore performing the duties of a guard or sentry in any protected area or protected place in accordance with orders issued by a person holding a commission in the Singapore Armed Forces or of any visiting forces lawfully present in Singapore; or
(d)	any person performing the duties of a guard or watchman in a protected area or a protected place and specially authorised in that behalf under section 3;

“divisional police officer” means the police officer in charge of a police division;

“protected area” means any area declared to be a protected area by virtue of section 4;

“protected place” means any premises declared to be a protected place by virtue of section 5.

Authorisation of guards and watchmen

3. The Commissioner of Police, any divisional police officer and any police officer of or above the rank of assistant superintendent empowered in that behalf by the Commissioner of Police or a divisional police officer, may authorise any person performing the duties of a guard or watchman in a protected area or a protected place to exercise the powers of an authorised officer under this Act.

Protected areas

4.—(1) If as respects any area it appears to the Minister to be necessary or expedient that special measures should be taken to control the movements and conduct of persons in the area, he may by order declare that area to be a protected area for the purposes of this Act.

(2) Any person who is in any protected area shall comply with such directions for regulating his movement and conduct as may be given by an authorised officer, and an authorised officer may search any person entering, or seeking to enter, or being in, a protected area, and may detain any such person for the purpose of searching him.

(3) If any person while in a protected area fails to comply with any direction given under subsection (2), then, without prejudice to any proceedings which may be taken against him, he may be removed from the area by an authorised officer.

Protected places

5.—(1) If as respects any premises it appears to the Minister to be necessary or expedient that special precautions should be taken to prevent the entry into the premises of unauthorised persons, he may by order declare those premises to be a protected place for the purposes of this Act; and so long as the order is in force, no person shall be in those premises unless he is in possession of a pass-card or permit issued by such authority or person as may be specified in the order, or has received the permission of an authorised officer on duty at those premises to enter those premises.

(2) Where, in pursuance of this section, any person is granted permission to be in a protected place, that person shall, while acting under such permission, comply with such directions for regulating his conduct as may be given by the authority or person granting the permission; and an authorised officer, or any person authorised in that behalf by the occupier of the premises, may search any person entering, or seeking to enter, or being in, a protected place, and may detain any such person for the purpose of searching him.

(3) If any person is in a protected place in contravention of this section, or while in such a place the person fails to comply with any direction given under this section, then, without prejudice to any proceedings which may be taken against him, he may be removed from the place by an authorised officer or any person authorised in that behalf by the occupier of the premises.

(4) Pass-cards or permits issued under subsection (1) shall be in such form as may be specified in the order made under that subsection, or in such form as the authority or other person specified in the order may determine.

Notice of orders under sections 4 and 5

6. When any order is made under section 4(1) or 5(1), the Minister shall cause notice of the effect of the order to be given in such a manner as he thinks necessary for bringing it to the notice of all persons who in his opinion ought to have notice of the order; and that order shall, notwithstanding the provisions of the Interpretation Act (Cap. 1), have effect as soon as the notice has been given, without publication in the Gazette.

Penalty

7. If any person contravenes or fails to comply with any of the provisions of section 4 or 5 or any order made under those provisions or any direction given or requirement imposed under those provisions, he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term of 2 years or to both.

Offences arrestable and non-bailable

8. Every offence under the provisions of this Act shall be arrestable and non-bailable for the purposes of the law for the time being in force relating to criminal procedure.

Special powers in protected areas and protected places

9. Any person who attempts to enter or who is in a protected area or a protected place and who fails to stop after being challenged 3 times by an authorised officer to do so may be arrested by force, which force may, if necessary to effect the arrest, extend to the voluntary causing of death.

Defensive measures at protected areas and protected places

10.—(1) It shall be lawful for the Minister to authorise the taking of such steps as he may consider necessary for the protection of any protected area or protected place, and such steps may extend to the taking of defensive measures which involve or may involve danger to the life of any person entering or attempting to enter a protected area or protected place.

(2) Where any measures such as are referred to in subsection (1) are adopted, the Commissioner of Police or any person so authorised by the Minister in that behalf shall cause such precautions to be taken, including the prominent display of warning notices, as he considers reasonably necessary to prevent inadvertent or accidental entry into any such protected area or protected place; and where such precautions have been duly taken, no person shall be entitled to compensation or damages in respect of any injuries received or death caused as a result of any unauthorised entry into any such protected area or protected place.