Public Entertainments and Meetings (Speakers’ Corner) (Exemption) Order

Status:

Not current version
(version history — see timeline)

Public Entertainments and Meetings Act

(Chapter 257, Section 16)

Public Entertainments and Meetings (Speakers’ Corner) (Exemption) Order

O 3

G.N. No. S 364/2000

REVISED EDITION 2002

(31st January 2002)

[1st September 2000]

Citation

1. This Order may be cited as the Public Entertainments and Meetings (Speakers’ Corner) (Exemption) Order.

Definitions

2. In this Order, unless the context otherwise requires —

“designated place” means the Kreta Ayer Neighbourhood Police Post;

“public speaking” means any play-reading, recital, lecture, talk, address, debate or discussion, for which a licence is required under the Act;

“registration officer” means any police officer on duty at the designated place;

“Speakers’ Corner” means the area in Hong Lim Park and delineated in the Schedule.

Exemption

3.—(1) Public speaking at the Speakers’ Corner by any person who is a citizen of Singapore is exempted from the provisions of the Act if the following conditions are complied with:

(a)

the person has been registered at the designated place in accordance with paragraph 4;

(b)

the public speaking takes place —

(i)	only on the date that is registered by the person under paragraph 4; and
(ii)	only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.;

(c)

the person does not deal with any matter —

(i)	which relates, directly or indirectly, to any religious belief or to religion generally; or
(ii)	which may cause feelings of enmity, hatred, ill-will or hostility between different racial or religious groups in Singapore;

(d)

the person speaks only in any of the 4 official languages in Singapore, or any related dialect; and

(e)

no sound amplification device is used during the public speaking.

[S 524/2004 wef 01/09/2004]

(2) A performance or an exhibition at the Speakers’ Corner organised by any person who is a citizen of Singapore is exempted from the provisions of the Act if the following conditions are complied with:

(a)

there are only citizens of Singapore participating in the performance or exhibition;

(b)

the organiser and participants have been registered at the designated place in accordance with paragraph 4;

(c)

the organiser, or an authorised agent of the organiser, is present at all times during the performance or exhibition, as the case may be;

(d)

the performance or exhibition takes place —

(i)	only on the date that is registered by the organiser under paragraph 4; and
(ii)	only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.;

(e)

the performance or exhibition does not deal with any matter —

(i)	which relates, directly or indirectly, to any religious belief or to religion generally;
(ii)	which may cause feelings of enmity, hatred, ill-will or hostility between different racial or religious groups in Singapore; or
(iii)	which carries violent, lewd or obscene messages;

(f)

no sound amplification device is used during the performance or exhibition;

(g)

no placards or banners are carried by persons participating in the performance or exhibition; and

(h)

the performance or exhibition is not an assembly or a procession for which a permit is required under rule 4 of the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) (Assemblies and Processions) Rules (Cap. 184, R 1).

[S 524/2004 wef 01/09/2004]

Registration

4.—(1) A citizen of Singapore —

(a)	who desires to be exempted under this Order for public speaking at the Speakers’ Corner; or
(b)	who organises any performance or exhibition at the Speakers’ Corner and who desires such performance or exhibition to be exempted under this Order,

shall provide in person to a registration officer at the designated place, not earlier than 30 days before the public speaking, performance or exhibition (as the case may be) at the Speakers’ Corner —

(i)	the date of the public speaking, performance or exhibition;
(ii)	his identity card or passport, or any other valid documentary proof of his Singapore citizenship; and
(iii)	in the case of an exhibition or a performance, the names, addresses, identity card or passport numbers and such other particulars as the registration officer may require of each person participating in the exhibition or performance.

(2) The registration officer shall register —

(a)	the person referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(a) or (b); and
(b)	in the case of an exhibition or a performance, each person referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(iii),

unless such person has been served with a notice of suspension or prohibition under paragraph 5 and the suspension or prohibition remains in force.

[S 524/2004 wef 01/09/2004]

Suspension

5.—(1) Where any person being the organiser of or a participant in any public speaking, performance or exhibition at the Speakers’ Corner fails to comply with any of the conditions of exemption specified in paragraph 3 or contravenes any other written law during any such public speaking, performance or exhibition (as the case may be), the Licensing Officer may serve a notice on him for all or any of the following purposes, as the Licensing Officer thinks appropriate:

(a)	to suspend him from registration under paragraph 4;
(b)	to prohibit him from participating in any public speaking, performance or exhibition exempted under this Order,

for a period not exceeding 30 days from such date as may be specified in the notice.

[S 524/2004 wef 01/09/2004]

(2) A notice of suspension under sub-paragraph (1) may be served on the person concerned by registered post or such other means as the Licensing Officer may determine.

(3) The person concerned may, within 14 days of being served with the notice of suspension, appeal in writing to the Minister whose decision shall be final.

(4) If the person concerned appeals to the Minister within the period specified in sub-paragraph (3), the suspension shall not take effect or continue in effect, as the case may be, unless it is confirmed by the Minister or the appeal is for any reason dismissed by the Minister.

Savings

6. Nothing in this Order shall be construed to limit or in any way affect the operation of any other written law.

Search within Legislation