Singapore legislation
Section 7
Section 7
Sittings in camera, etc.
(1)
The place in which any State Court is held is deemed an open and public court to which the public generally may have access.
(2)
A State Court has the power to hear any matter or proceeding or any part thereof in camera if the court is satisfied that it is expedient in the interests of justice, public safety, public security or propriety, or for other sufficient reason to do so.
(2A)
A State Court may, in any matter or proceeding or any part thereof tried or held or to be tried or held before it, if satisfied that it is expedient in the interests of justice, public safety, public security or propriety, or for other sufficient reason to do so, order that —
the name, address or photograph of any witness; or
any evidence or any other thing likely to lead to the identification of such witness by a person other than the party to that matter or proceeding,which is contained in any court document intended to be produced before the court, be removed or be sufficiently redacted.
(3)
A State Court may at any time order that no person is to —
publish the name, address or photograph of any witness in any matter or proceeding or any part thereof tried or held or to be tried or held before it, or any evidence or any other thing likely to lead to the identification of any such witness; or
do any other act which is likely to lead to the identification of such a witness.
(4)
Any person who acts in contravention of any order under subsection (2A) or (3) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
(5)
A State Court that hears the whole or any part of any matter or proceeding in camera may, in its discretion, permit any of the following individuals to be present in the courtroom while that matter or proceeding is heard in camera:
any journalist who reports news for a newspaper or a broadcasting service;
any individual whom the court determines has a sufficient interest in that matter or proceeding;
any other individual that the court specifies in any particular case.
(6)
For the purposes of subsection (2), the matters that a State Court may consider, when deciding whether it is expedient in the interests of justice, public safety, public security or propriety, or for other sufficient reason, to hear the whole or any part of any matter or proceeding in camera, include the following matters:
whether the defence of any accused person in that matter or proceeding will be prejudiced by the presence of any member of the public in the courtroom;
whether any accused person or witness in that matter or proceeding has any legitimate interest in privacy that needs to be protected;
whether the object of that matter or proceeding will be defeated by publicity if that matter or proceeding is heard in open court;
whether any accused person or witness in that matter or proceeding has any legitimate interest in protecting the confidentiality of any information that may be disclosed during the hearing of that matter or proceeding;
whether any information that may be disclosed during the hearing of that matter or proceeding will be prejudicial to the interests of Singapore.
(7)
In this section —
Definition
“broadcasting service” has the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Broadcasting Act 1994;
Definition
“newspaper” has the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act 1974.