Singapore legislation
Section 154
Section 154
Restrictions on reports of preliminary inquiries
(1)
Except as provided by subsections (2) and (3), it shall not be lawful to publish in Singapore a written report, or to broadcast in Singapore a report, of any preliminary inquiry in Singapore containing any matter other than that permitted by subsection (4).
(2)
A Magistrate’s Court shall, on an application for the purpose made with reference to any preliminary inquiry by the accused person or one of the accused persons, as the case may be, order that subsection (1) shall not apply to reports of those proceedings.
(3)
It shall not be unlawful under this section to publish or broadcast a report of any preliminary inquiry containing any matter other than that permitted by subsection (4) —
where the examining Magistrate determines not to commit the accused person or the accused persons for trial, after it so determines;
where an examining Magistrate commits the accused person or any of the accused persons for trial, after the conclusion of his trial or, as the case may be, the trial of the last to be tried,and where at any time during the inquiry, an examining Magistrate proceeds to try summarily the case of one or more of the accused persons under section 142(2), while committing the other accused person or one or more of the other accused persons for trial, it shall not be unlawful under this section to publish or broadcast as part of a report of the summary trial, after the court determines to proceed as aforesaid, a report of so much of the preliminary inquiry proceedings containing any such matter as takes place before the determination.
(4)
The following matters may be contained in a report of preliminary inquiries published or broadcast without an order under subsection (2) before the time authorised by subsection (3):
the identity of the court and the name of the examining Magistrate;
the names, addresses and occupations of the parties and witnesses and the ages of the accused person or persons and witnesses;
the offence or offences, or a summary of them, with which the accused person or persons is or are charged;
the names of advocates and solicitors engaged in the proceedings;
any decision of the court to commit the accused person or any of the accused persons for trial, and any decision of the court on the disposal of the case of any accused persons not committed;
where the court commits the accused person or any of the accused persons for trial, the charge or charges, or a summary of them, on which he is committed;
where the preliminary inquiry is adjourned, the date to which it is adjourned;
any arrangements as to bail on committal or adjournment.
(5)
If a report is published or broadcast in contravention of this section, the following persons, that is to say:
in the case of a publication of a written report as part of a newspaper or periodical, any proprietor, editor or publisher of the newspaper or periodical;
in the case of a publication of a written report otherwise than as part of a newspaper or periodical, the person who publishes it;
in the case of a broadcast of a report, any body corporate which transmits or provides the programme in which the report is broadcast and any person having functions in relation to the programme corresponding to those of the editor of a newspaper or periodical,shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.
(6)
Proceedings for an offence under this section shall not be instituted otherwise than by or with the consent of the Public Prosecutor.
(7)
Subsection (1) shall be in addition to, and not in derogation of, the provisions of any other written law with respect to the publication of reports and proceedings of Magistrates’ and other courts.
(8)
In this section —
Definition
“broadcast” means broadcast by wireless telegraphy sounds or visual images intended for general reception;
Definition
“publish”, in relation to a report, means publish the report, either by itself or as part of a newspaper or periodical, for distribution to the public. [153