Contempts of the lawful authority
of public servants |
| Absconding to avoid arrest on warrant or service of summons, etc., proceeding from a public servant |
| 172. Whoever absconds in order to avoid being arrested on a warrant, or to avoid being served with a summons, a notice, or an order proceeding from any public servant, legally competent, as such public servant, to issue such warrant, summons, notice or order, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to $1,500, or with both; or, if the summons, notice or order is to attend in person or by agent, or to produce a document or an electronic record before a court of justice, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months, or with fine which may extend to $5,000, or with both. [15/2019] |
| Preventing service of summons, etc., or preventing publication thereof |
173.—(1) A person who in any manner —| (a) | intentionally prevents the serving on himself, or on any other person, of any summons, notice or order, proceeding from any public servant legally competent, as such public servant, to issue such summons, notice or order; | | (b) | intentionally prevents the lawful affixing to any place of any such summons, notice or order, or intentionally removes any such summons, notice or order from any place to which it is lawfully affixed; or | | (c) | intentionally prevents the lawful making of any proclamation, under the authority of any public servant legally competent, as such public servant, to direct such proclamation to be made, |
| (d) | in the case of an individual, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to $1,500, or with both; or | | (e) | in any other case, be punished with fine which may extend to $10,000. [15/2019] |
(2) If the summons, notice, order, or proclamation is to attend in person or by agent before a court, or to produce a document or an electronic record before a court, any person who is guilty of an offence under subsection (1) shall —| (a) | in the case of an individual, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months, or with fine which may extend to $5,000, or with both; or | | (b) | in any other case, be punished with fine which may extend to $10,000. [15/2019] |
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| Failure to attend in obedience to order from public servant |
174.—(1) A person who, being legally bound to attend in person or by an agent at a certain place and time in obedience to a summons, a notice, an order or a proclamation, proceeding from any public servant legally competent, as such public servant, to issue the same, intentionally omits to attend at the place or time, or departs from the place where the person is bound to attend before the time at which it is lawful for the person to depart, shall —| (a) | in the case of an individual, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to $1,500, or with both; or | | (b) | in any other case, be punished with fine which may extend to $10,000. [15/2019] |
(2) If the summons, notice, order or proclamation is to attend in person or by agent before a court, any person who is guilty of an offence under subsection (1) shall —| (a) | in the case of an individual, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months, or with fine which may extend to $5,000, or with both; or | | (b) | in any other case, be punished with fine which may extend to $10,000. | | (a) A, being legally bound to appear before the General Division of the High Court, in obedience to an order to attend court issuing from the General Division of the High Court, intentionally omits to appear. A has committed the offence defined in this section. |
| | (b) A, being legally bound to appear before a Magistrate as a witness, in obedience to a summons issued by that Magistrate, intentionally omits to appear. A has committed the offence defined in this section. |
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[15/2019; 40/2019] [Act 25 of 2021 wef 01/04/2022] |
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| Omission to produce document or electronic record to public servant by person legally bound to produce such document or electronic record |
175. A person who, being legally bound to produce or deliver up any document or electronic record to any public servant, as such, intentionally omits so to produce or deliver up the same, shall —| (a) | in the case of an individual, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to $1,500, or with both; or | | (b) | in any other case, be punished with fine which may extend to $10,000. [15/2019] |
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| Omission to give notice or information to public servant by person legally bound to give such notice or information |
176.—(1) A person who, being legally bound to give any notice or to furnish information on any subject to any public servant, as such, intentionally omits to give such notice or to furnish such information in the manner and at the time required by law, shall —| (a) | in the case of an individual, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to $1,500, or with both; or | | (b) | in any other case, be punished with fine which may extend to $10,000. [15/2019] |
(2) If the notice or information required to be given respects the commission of an offence, or is required for the purpose of preventing the commission of an offence or in order to the apprehension of an offender, any person who is guilty of an offence under subsection (1) shall —| (a) | in the case of an individual, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months, or with fine which may extend to $5,000, or with both; or | | (b) | in any other case, be punished with fine which may extend to $10,000. [15/2019] |
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| Furnishing false information |
177.—(1) A person who, being legally bound to furnish information on any subject to any public servant, as such, furnishes, as true, information on the subject which the person knows or has reason to believe to be false, shall —| (a) | in the case of an individual, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months, or with fine which may extend to $5,000, or with both; or | | (b) | in any other case, be punished with fine which may extend to $10,000. [15/2019] |
(2) If the information which the person mentioned in subsection (1) is legally bound to furnish respects the commission of an offence, or is required for the purpose of preventing the commission of an offence, or in order to the apprehension of an offender, the person who is guilty of an offence under that subsection shall —| (a) | in the case of an individual, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, or with fine, or with both; or | | (b) | in any other case, be punished with fine. | | A, a landholder, knowing of the commission of a murder, within the limits of his commercial property, intentionally misinforms the police that the death has occurred by accident in consequence of the bite of a snake. A is guilty of the offence defined in this section. |
| | Explanation.—In this section and section 176, “offence” includes any act committed at any place out of Singapore, which if committed in Singapore would be punishable under any of the following sections, namely, 302, 304, 382, 392, 393, 394, 395, 396, 397, 399, 402, 435, 436, 449, 450, 459 and 460, and “offender” includes any person who is alleged to have been guilty of any such act. |
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[15/2019] |
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| Refusing oath when duly required to take oath by a public servant |
| 178. Whoever refuses to bind himself by an oath to state the truth, when required so to bind himself by a public servant legally competent to require that he shall so bind himself, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months, or with fine which may extend to $5,000, or with both. [15/2019] |
| Refusing to answer public servant authorised to question |
179. A person who, being legally bound to state the truth on any subject to any public servant, refuses to answer any question demanded of the person touching that subject by that public servant, in the exercise of the legal powers of such public servant, shall —| (a) | in the case of an individual, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months, or with fine which may extend to $5,000, or with both; or | | (b) | in any other case, be punished with fine which may extend to $10,000. [15/2019] |
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| Refusing to sign statement |
| 180. Whoever refuses to sign any statement made by him, when required to sign that statement by a public servant legally competent to require that he shall sign that statement, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 months, or with fine which may extend to $2,500, or with both. |
| False statement on oath to public servant or person authorised to administer an oath |
| 181. Whoever, being legally bound by an oath to state the truth on any subject to any public servant or other person authorised by law to administer such oaths, makes to such public servant or other person as aforesaid, touching that subject, any statement which is false, and which he either knows or believes to be false or does not believe to be true, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, and shall also be liable to fine. |
| False information, with intent to cause a public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person |
182. Whoever gives to any public servant any information which he knows or believes to be false, intending thereby to cause, or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby cause, such public servant to use the lawful power of such public servant to the injury or annoyance of any person, or to do or omit anything which such public servant ought not to, or would not, do or omit if the true state of facts respecting which such information is given were known by him, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine, or with both. | | (a) A informs a superintendent of police that Z, a police officer subordinate to such superintendent, has been guilty of neglect of duty or misconduct, knowing such information to be false, and knowing it to be likely that the information will cause the superintendent to dismiss Z. A has committed the offence defined in this section. |
| | (b) A falsely informs a public servant that Z has contraband opium in a secret place, knowing such information to be false, and knowing that it is likely that the consequence of the information will be a search of Z’s premises, attended with annoyance to Z. A has committed the offence defined in this section. |
| | (c) A falsely informs a policeman that he has been assaulted and robbed by a person whose identity he does not know. A also mentions that he often sees that person going in and out of a block of flats, knowing it to be likely that in consequence of this information, the police will make inquiries and institute searches in the block of flats to the annoyance of the flat dwellers or some of them. A has committed an offence under this section. |
| | (d) A informs a policeman that A does not know the identity of the suspect of a criminal offence, knowing such information to be false, and knowing it to be likely that in consequence of this information, the policeman will expend additional time and resources to identify the suspect which will not be so expended if A had informed the policeman that A knew the identity of the suspect. A has committed an offence under this section. |
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[15/2019] [Act 23 of 2021 wef 01/03/2022] |
| Resistance to taking of property by lawful authority of public servant |
183. A person who offers any resistance to the taking of any property by the lawful authority of any public servant, knowing or having reason to believe that the person is such public servant, shall —| (a) | in the case of an individual, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months, or with fine which may extend to $5,000, or with both; or | | (b) | in any other case, be punished with fine which may extend to $10,000. [15/2019] |
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| Obstructing sale of property offered for sale by authority of public servant |
184. A person who intentionally obstructs any sale of property offered for sale by the lawful authority of any public servant as such, shall —| (a) | in the case of an individual, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to $1,500, or with both; or | | (b) | in any other case, be punished with fine which may extend to $10,000. [15/2019] |
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| Illegal purchase or bid for property offered for sale by authority of public servant |
185. A person who, at any sale of property held by the lawful authority of a public servant as such, purchases or bids for any property on account of the person or another person, whom the person knows to be under a legal incapacity to purchase that property at that sale, or bids for such property not intending to perform the obligations under which the person lays himself by such bidding, shall —| (a) | in the case of an individual, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to $1,500, or with both; or | | (b) | in any other case, be punished with fine which may extend to $10,000. [15/2019] |
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| Obstructing public servant in discharge of his public functions |
186.—(1) A person who voluntarily obstructs any public servant in the discharge of the public servant’s public functions, shall —| (a) | in the case of an individual, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months, or with fine which may extend to $2,500, or with both; or [Act 23 of 2021 wef 01/03/2022] | | (b) | in any other case, be punished with fine which may extend to $10,000. [15/2019] [Act 23 of 2021 wef 01/03/2022] |
(2) For the purposes of this section, an obstruction may be caused other than by the use of physical means or threatening language by a person against a public servant. | | A group of paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force intends to take the lift to the 30th storey of a block of flats to reach a person suffering from a heart attack. A decides to play a prank on the paramedics by telling them that the lift has broken down, knowing this to be false. The paramedics took the stairs because of what A told them and reached the person 15 minutes later than if they had taken the lift. A has voluntarily obstructed the paramedics in the discharge of their public function. |
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[Act 23 of 2021 wef 01/03/2022] |
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| Omission to assist public servant when bound by law to give assistance |
187.—(1) A person who, being bound by law to render or furnish assistance to any public servant in the execution of the public servant’s public duty, intentionally omits to give such assistance, shall —| (a) | in the case of an individual, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to $1,500, or with both; or | | (b) | in any other case, be punished with fine which may extend to $10,000. [15/2019] |
(2) If such assistance is demanded of the person mentioned in subsection (1) by a public servant legally competent to make such demand for the purposes of executing any process lawfully issued by a court, or of preventing the commission of an offence, or of suppressing a riot or an affray, or of apprehending a person charged with or guilty of an offence, or of having escaped from lawful custody, the person who is guilty of an offence under that subsection shall —| (a) | in the case of an individual, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months, or with fine which may extend to $5,000, or with both; or | | (b) | in any other case, be punished with fine which may extend to $10,000. [15/2019] |
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| Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant |
188.—(1) A person who, knowing that by an order promulgated by a public servant lawfully empowered to promulgate such order the person is directed to abstain from a certain act, or to take certain order with certain property in the person’s possession or under the person’s management, disobeys such direction, shall, if such disobedience causes or tends to cause obstruction, annoyance or injury, or risk of obstruction, annoyance or injury, to any person lawfully employed —| (a) | in the case of an individual, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to $1,500, or with both; or | | (b) | in any other case, be punished with fine which may extend to $10,000. [15/2019] |
(2) If such disobedience mentioned in subsection (1) causes or tends to cause danger to human life, health or safety, or causes or tends to cause a riot or an affray, the person who is guilty of an offence under that subsection shall —| (a) | in the case of an individual, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months, or with fine which may extend to $5,000, or with both; or | | (b) | in any other case, be punished with fine which may extend to $10,000.| Explanation.—It is not necessary that the offender should intend to produce harm, or contemplate his disobedience as likely to produce harm. It is sufficient that he knows of the order which he disobeys, and that his disobedience produces, or is likely to produce, harm. |
| | | An order is promulgated by a public servant lawfully empowered to promulgate such order, directing that a religious procession must not pass down a certain street. A knowingly disobeys the order, and thereby causes danger of riot. A has committed the offence defined in this section. |
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[15/2019] |
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| Threat of injury to a public servant |
| 189. Whoever holds out any threat of injury to any public servant, or to any person in whom he believes that public servant to be interested, for the purpose of inducing that public servant to do any act, or to forbear or delay to do any act, connected with the exercise of the public functions of such public servant, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine, or with both. |
| Threat of injury to induce any person to refrain from applying for protection to a public servant |
| 190. Whoever holds out any threat of injury to any person for the purpose of inducing that person to refrain or desist from making a legal application, for protection against any injury, to any public servant legally empowered as such to give such protection or to cause such protection to be given, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both. |
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