Singapore legislation
Section 8
Section 8
Restraining orders against officials or members of religious group or institution
(1)
The Minister may make a restraining order against any priest, monk, pastor, imam, elder, office-bearer or any other person who is in a position of authority in any religious group or institution or any member thereof for the purposes specified in subsection (2) where the Minister is satisfied that that person has committed or is attempting to commit any of the following acts:
causing feelings of enmity, hatred, ill will or hostility between different religious groups;
carrying out activities to promote a political cause, or a cause of any political party while, or under the guise of, propagating or practising any religious belief;
carrying out subversive activities under the guise of propagating or practising any religious belief; or
exciting disaffection against the President or the Government while, or under the guise of, propagating or practising any religious belief.
(2)
An order made under subsection (1) may be made against the person named in the order for the following purposes:
restraining the person from addressing orally or in writing any congregation, parish or group of worshippers or members of any religious group or institution on any subject, topic or theme as may be specified in the order without the prior permission of the Minister;
restraining the person from printing, publishing, editing, distributing or in any way assisting or contributing to any publication produced by any religious group without the prior permission of the Minister;
restraining the person from holding office in an editorial board or a committee of a publication of any religious group without the prior permission of the Minister.
(3)
Any order made under this section shall be for such period, not exceeding 2 years, as may be specified in the order.
(4)
Before making an order under this section, the Minister must give the person against whom the order is proposed to be made and the head or governing body or committee of management of the religious group or institution which is to be named in the proposed order, notice of the Minister’s intention to make the order together with the grounds and allegations of fact in support thereof and of their right to make written representations to the Minister.
(5)
The Minister must have regard to such representations in making the order.
(6)
All written representations under subsection (4) must be made within 14 days of the date of the notice of the Minister’s intention to make an order under this section.