Singapore legislation
Section 182
Section 182
Notice of alibi
(1)
In any summary trial, the accused shall not without the leave of the court adduce evidence in support of an alibi unless, before the end of the prescribed period, he gives notice of particulars of the alibi.
(2)
Without prejudice to subsection (1), on any such trial the accused shall not without the leave of the court call any other person to give such evidence unless —
the notice under subsection (1) includes the name and address of the witness or, if the name or address is not known to the accused at the time he gives the notice, any information in his possession which might be of material assistance in finding the witness;
if the name or the address is not included in that notice, the court is satisfied that the accused, before giving the notice, took and thereafter continued to take all reasonable steps to secure that the name or address would be ascertained;
if the name or the address is not included in that notice, but the accused subsequently discovers the name or address or receives other information which might be of material assistance in finding the witness, he forthwith gives notice of the name, address or other information, as the case may be; and
if the accused is notified by, or on behalf of, the Public Prosecutor that the witness has not been traced by the name or at the address given, he forthwith gives notice of any such information which is then in his possession or, on subsequently receiving any such information, forthwith gives notice of it.
(3)
Any evidence tendered to disprove an alibi may, subject to any directions by the court as to the time it is to be given, be given before or after evidence is given in support of the alibi.
(4)
Any notice purporting to be given under this section on behalf of the accused by his advocate shall, unless the contrary is proved, be deemed to be given with the authority of the accused.
(5)
A notice under subsection (1) shall either be given in court during, or at the end of, the proceedings before the Magistrate on the occasion that the accused is charged in court for the first time with the offence in respect of which he is raising the defence of an alibi, or be given in writing to the Public Prosecutor or to the officer in charge of the prison where the accused is kept for him to forward to the Public Prosecutor, and a notice under subsection (2)(c) or (d) shall be given in writing to the Public Prosecutor.
(6)
A notice required by this section to be given to the Public Prosecutor may be given by delivering it to him, or by leaving it at his office, or by sending it in a registered letter addressed to him at his office.
(7)
If the Public Prosecutor or any investigating officer interviews any witness who is named in a notice given under this section, the accused or his advocate shall be entitled to be present at the interview.
(8)
The court shall not refuse leave under this section if it appears that no advocate has been instructed to act for the accused at any time prior to the trial of the accused and if it is satisfied that the accused was not aware of the provisions of this section.
(9)
In this section —
Definition
“evidence in support of an alibi” means evidence tending to show that by reason of the presence of the accused at a particular place or in a particular area at a particular time he was not, or was unlikely to have been, at the place where the offence is alleged to have been committed at the time of its alleged commission;
Definition
“prescribed period” means the period of 14 days from the end of the proceedings before the Magistrate on the occasion that the accused is charged in court for the first time with the offence in respect of which he is raising the defence of an alibi. [181