Singapore legislation
Clause 42
Clause 42
Non-disclosure of information and identity of informer
(1)
Except as provided in subsection (3) —
no information provided by an informer for an offence punishable under this Act is to 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 punishable under this Act; or
to answer any question if the answer to that question would lead, or would tend to lead, to the discovery of the name or address of the informer.
(2)
If any book, document or paper 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 the informer’s 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 punishable 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
in any other proceedings, 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.