Criminal Procedure Code - Singapore Statutes Online

Community service orders

346.—(1) Subject to subsection (2), where an offender who is 16 years of age or above is convicted of an offence, and if the court by or before which he is convicted is satisfied that it is expedient with a view to his reformation that he makes amends to the community for the offence by performing such work as is specified in the Fifth Schedule, the court may make a community service order requiring him to perform any unpaid community service under the supervision of a community service officer.

(2) A court shall not make a community service order in respect of an offender unless the court is satisfied that —

(a)	based on the mental and physical condition of the offender, he is a suitable person to perform community service under such an order; and
(b)	suitable arrangements can be made for him to perform community service under such order.

(3) A court must, before making a community service order, call for a report from a community service officer regarding the suitability of an offender to perform community service under that order.

(4) For the avoidance of doubt, a court may make a community service order notwithstanding that the report from the community service officer states that the offender in respect of whom the community service order is to be made is not suitable to perform community service under that order.

(5) The number of hours which an offender has to perform community service under a community service order shall be specified in the order and shall not exceed the prescribed maximum hours of community service which the offender may be required to perform under that order.

(6) A court may impose such conditions as it thinks fit when making a community service order.

(7) Before making a community service order, the court shall explain to the offender in ordinary language —

(a)	the purpose and effect of the order (and in particular the obligations of the offender as specified in section 347);
(b)	the consequences which may follow if he fails to comply with any of those obligations, or any conditions imposed by the court under subsection (6); and
(c)	that the court has the power, under section 351, to vary or revoke the order on the application of the community service officer.

(8) Where a court makes community service orders in respect of 2 or more offences of which the offender has been convicted by or before the court, the court may direct that the hours of community service specified in any of those orders shall be concurrent with or additional to the hours specified in any of those orders, but so that the total number of hours which are not concurrent shall not exceed the maximum hours of community service which the offender may be required to perform under any one of those orders.

(9) The Minister charged with the responsibility for the probation of offenders may —

(a)	appoint any person to be a community service officer for the purposes of this section;
(b)	prescribe the minimum and maximum hours of community service which an offender is required to perform under a community service order; and
(c)	make regulations, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Part, to make further provisions for the manner in which a community service order may be performed including the imposition of additional requirements and the service of any instructions or notice on an offender in respect of whom such an order has been made. [Act 25 of 2012 wef 28/03/2013]

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