Cattle Act
(CHAPTER 34)

(Original Enactment: Ordinance 15 of 1964)

REVISED EDITION 1985
(30th March 1987)
An Act to provide for the licensing of places used for the keeping of cattle, the control of the transport and movement 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 —
“authorised officer” means any public officer or officer of any statutory board or body authorised by the Commissioner as provided in section 6;
“cattle” includes horses, cows, oxen, sheep, goats and swine;
“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Public Health appointed under section 3 of the Environmental Public Health Act [Cap. 95] and includes a Deputy Commissioner of Public Health and an Assistant Commissioner of Public Health appointed under that section;
“public health auxiliary” has the same meaning as is assigned to that expression in section 2 of the Environmental Public Health Act;
“retricted 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.
Keeping cattle within restricted area prohibited
3.—(1)  The Minister may, if he considers it necessary for the purpose of preserving public health, 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.
(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 Commissioner, a public health auxiliary or any authorised officer and taken forthwith to a Government slaughter-house to be slaughtered therein or disposed of in such manner as the Commissioner may determine.
(3)  The carcase of any cattle slaughtered under subsection (2) shall be disposed of in such manner as the Commissioner may determine.
(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 Commissioner may license any place for the purpose of keeping cattle. A licence shall be subject to such conditions as may be prescribed and such other conditions as the Commissioner may in his discretion impose. The Commissioner may, in his discretion, at any time revoke or suspend a licence.
(2)  No place shall be used by any person for the purpose of keeping cattle without a licence issued by the Commissioner .
(3)  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.
(4)  Any cattle found outside such place as may be specified in the licence may be seized by the Commissioner, a public health auxiliary or any authorised officer and taken forthwith to a Government slaughter-house to be slaughtered therein or disposed of in such manner as the Commissioner may determine.
(5)  The carcase of any cattle slaughtered under subsection (4) shall be disposed of in such manner as the Commissioner may determine.
(6)  No compensation shall be payable for any cattle slaughtered or disposed of under subsection (4).
(7)  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)  The Minister may, if he considers it necessary to preserve public health, 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 Commissioner.
(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 from one place to another without a licence issued under subsection (1) may be seized immediately by the Comissioner, a public health auxiliary or any authorised officer and taken forthwith to a Government slaughter-house to be slaughtered therein or disposed of in such manner as the Commissioner may determine.
(4)  No compensation shall be payable for any cattle slaughtered or disposed of under subsection (3).
Authorisation of public officers, etc.
6.  Any public officer authorised by the Commissioner 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 or any regulations made thereunder as the Commissioner may empower him to exercise, subject to such conditions or limitations as the Commissioner may specify.
Regulations
7.—(1)  The Minister may 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.
(2)  Regulations made under subsection (1) may prescribe the forms for licences and other purposes and the fees and charges for the purposes of this Act.
(3)  The Minister may, instead of making regulations prescribing the forms which by this Act are required to be or may be prescribed, authorise the Commissioner to prescribe such forms as the Commissioner thinks fit.
(4)  All such regulations shall be published in the Gazette and shall be presented to Parliament as soon as possible after publication.
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