Singapore legislation
Section 47
Section 47
Information and identity of informers not to be disclosed
(1)
Except as provided in subsection (3) —
no information disclosed by an informer for an offence under this Act may be admitted in evidence in any civil or criminal proceedings; and
no witness in any civil or criminal proceedings is obliged —
to disclose the name and address of any informer who has given information with respect to an offence under this Act; or
to answer any question if the answer to the question would lead, or would tend to lead, to the discovery of the name or address of the informer.
(2)
If any document, record or thing which is in evidence or liable to inspection in any civil or criminal proceedings contains any entry in which any informer is named or described or which may lead to his or her discovery, the court must cause those entries to be concealed from view or to be obliterated so far as may be necessary to protect the informer from discovery.
(3)
If in any proceedings —
before a court for an offence under this Act, the court, after full inquiry into the case, is satisfied that an informer wilfully made a material statement which the informer knew or believed to be false or did not believe to be true; or
other than that referred to in paragraph (a), the court is of the opinion that justice cannot be fully done between the parties to the proceedings without the disclosure of the name of an informer,the court may permit inquiry and require full disclosure concerning the informer.