Arms Offences (Amendment) Bill

Bill No. 21/1993

Read the first time on 30th July 1993.

An Act to amend the Arms Offences Act (Chapter 14 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 Arms Offences (Amendment) Act 1993 and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

Amendment of section 4

2. Section 4 of the Arms Offences Act (referred to in this Act as the principal Act) is amended —

(a)

by inserting, immediately after the word “applicable”, the words “(other than section 95)”; and

(b)

by renumbering the existing section as subsection (1) of that section, and by inserting immediately thereafter the following subsection:

“(2) In any proceedings for an offence under this section, any person who uses or attempts to use any arm shall, until the contrary is proved, be presumed to have used or attempted to use the arm with the intention to cause physical injury to any person or property.”.

New section 4A

3. The principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after section 4, the following section:

“Using or attempting to use arms to commit scheduled offence

4A. Subject to any exception referred to in Chapter IV of the Penal Code [Cap. 224] which may be applicable (other than section 95), any person who uses or attempts to use any arm at the time of his committing or attempting to commit any scheduled offence shall, whether or not he has any intention to cause physical injury to any person or property, be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be punished with death.”.

Repeal and re-enactment of section 5

4. Section 5 of the principal Act is repealed and the following section substituted therefor:

“Punishment for accomplices

5. Where any arm is used by any person in committing or in attempting to commit any offence or where an offence under section 4A has been committed by any person, each of his accomplices present at the scene of the offence who may reasonably be presumed to have known that that person was carrying or had in his possession or under his control such arm, shall, unless he proves that he had taken all reasonable steps to prevent the use of such arm, be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be punished with death.”.

Amendment of section 12

5. Section 12 of the principal Act is amended by deleting the word “President” and substituting the word “Minister”.

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