Hijacking and Protection of Aircraft (Amendment) Bill

Bill No. 20/1996

Read the first time on 12th July 1996.

An Act to amend the Hijacking and Protection of Aircraft Act (Chapter 124 of the 1985 Revised Edition) and to make a consequential amendment to the Extradition Act (Chapter 103 of the 1985 Revised Edition).

Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows:

Short title and commencement

1. This Act may be cited as the Hijacking and Protection of Aircraft (Amendment) Act 1996 and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

Amendment of long title

2. The long title of the Hijacking and Protection of Aircraft Act (referred to in this Act as the principal Act) is amended by inserting, immediately after the words “23rd September 1971,” the words “and to the Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports Serving International Civil Aviation signed at Montreal on 24th February 1988,”.

Amendment of section 1

3. Section 1 of the principal Act is amended by deleting the words “Hijacking and Protection of Aircraft Act” and substituting the words “Hijacking of Aircraft and Protection of Aircraft and International Airports Act”.

Amendment of section 2

4. Section 2(1) of the principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after the definition of “act of violence”, the following definition:

“ “aerodrome” has the same meaning as in the Air Navigation Act [Cap. 6];”.

New section 6A

5. The principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after section 6, the following section:

“Endangering safety at aerodromes

6A.—(1) Any person who by means of any device, substance or weapon intentionally commits at an aerodrome serving international civil aviation any act of violence which —

(a)	causes or is likely to cause death or serious personal injury; and
(b)	endangers or is likely to endanger the safe operation of the aerodrome or the safety of persons at the aerodrome,

shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) Subject to subsection (4), any person who by means of any device, substance or weapon unlawfully and intentionally —

(a)

destroys or seriously damages —

(i)	property used for the provision of any facilities at an aerodrome serving international civil aviation (including any apparatus or equipment so used); or
(ii)	any aircraft which is at such an aerodrome but is not in service; or

(b)

disrupts the services of such an aerodrome,

in such a way as to endanger or be likely to endanger the safe operation of the aerodrome or the safety of persons at the aerodrome, shall be guilty of an offence.

(3) Except as provided in subsection (4), subsections (1) and (2) shall apply whether any such act as is referred to in those subsections is committed in Singapore or elsewhere and whatever the nationality of the person committing the act.

(4) Subsection (2)(a)(ii) shall not apply to any act committed in relation to an aircraft used in military, customs or police service unless —

(a)	the act is committed in Singapore; or
(b)	where the act is committed outside Singapore, the person committing it is a citizen of Singapore.”.

Amendment of section 7

6. Section 7 of the principal Act is amended —

(a)

by deleting the word “or” at the end of paragraph (b); and

(b)

by deleting the comma at the end of paragraph (c) and substituting the word “; or”, and by inserting immediately thereafter the following paragraph:

“(d)	would, but for subsection (4) of section 6A, be an offence under that section,”.

Amendment of section 10

7. Section 10(4) of the principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after the words “September 1971” in the last line, the words “or the Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports Serving International Civil Aviation signed at Montreal on 24th February 1988”.

Consequential amendment to Extradition Act

8. Paragraph A of the First Schedule to the Extradition Act [Cap. 103] is amended by deleting item 29 and substituting the following item:

“29. Hijacking and other acts endangering safety of aircraft and acts endangering safety of an international airport.”.

Search within Legislation