Regulation 1
Citation and commencement
These Regulations are the Prisons (Release on Licence Review Board) Regulations 2026 and come into operation on 31 July 2026.
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Prisons (Release on Licence Review Board) Regulations 2026 is Singapore Subsidiary Legislation, cited as Subsidiary Legislation S517 2026, currently marked in force and first recorded in 2026.
Part 1
Citation and commencement
These Regulations are the Prisons (Release on Licence Review Board) Regulations 2026 and come into operation on 31 July 2026.
Definitions
In these Regulations —“appointed psychiatrist” means any psychiatrist appointed by the Director‑General of Health for the purposes of section 304B of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010;“Board” means a Release on Licence Review Board referred to in regulation 89A of the Prisons Regulations (Rg 2);“designated office-holder” means an office-holder designated under section 50ZG(9) of the Act;“member” means a member of a Board, and includes the chairperson and the deputy chairperson of the Board.
“appointed psychiatrist” means any psychiatrist appointed by the Director‑General of Health for the purposes of section 304B of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010;
“Board” means a Release on Licence Review Board referred to in regulation 89A of the Prisons Regulations (Rg 2);
“designated office-holder” means an office-holder designated under section 50ZG(9) of the Act;
“member” means a member of a Board, and includes the chairperson and the deputy chairperson of the Board.
Part 2
Constitution of Board
Every Board is to consist of —
a chairperson;
a deputy chairperson; and
between one and 5 other members.
Appointment of members of Board
The Minister is to appoint the members of a Board.
A member is to hold office for 3 years or any shorter period that the Minister may specify in any particular case.
A member is eligible for re‑appointment.
A member may at any time resign his or her office by notice in writing to the Minister.
The Minister may at any time —
revoke the appointment of any member; or
fill any vacancy in the membership of any Board.
Secretary to Board
One or more public officers may be designated, either by name or by office, by the Minister or Commissioner, to be the secretary of a Board.
The secretary must attend all meetings of the Board.
Part 3
Quorum of meeting of Board
A quorum for a meeting of a Board is constituted by —
the presiding member of the Board; and
any 2 other members.
The presiding member of a Board, in relation to a meeting of the Board, is —
where the chairperson of the Board is present — the chairperson;
where the chairperson of the Board is absent — the deputy chairperson; and
where both the chairperson and deputy chairperson are absent — one of the remaining members of the Board as elected by the remaining members.
Procedure of Board
A Board —
must sit in private;
is not required to meet in person;
may hold meetings, or allow its members to take part in meetings, by using the telephone, internet or any other contemporaneous link between members;
is not required to conduct any hearing;
is not required to interview —
any prisoner or person in respect of whom the recommendation of the Board is sought; or
any other person; and
may request from the Commissioner or any other person such information relating to any prisoner or person in respect of whom the recommendation of the Board is sought, as the Board may require.
Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (1), any subsidiary legislation made under the Act, or the Act, a Board may determine its own procedure.
A member who takes part in a meeting in the manner referred to in paragraph (1)(c) is taken to be present at the meeting.
Reports to be provided to Board and prisoner
Where a Board is to provide its recommendation on whether a prisoner subject to an SEPP should be released on licence under section 50ZG(2) or (4) of the Act, the Board is to be provided with the following documents:
the report mentioned in section 304B(4)(a) of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010 prepared in respect of the prisoner, if any;
a report prepared by an appointed psychiatrist in respect of the prisoner, for the purpose of facilitating the Board’s review of whether the prisoner should be released on licence;
any other document that the Commissioner may from time to time determine as relevant to the Board to assist the Board in providing its recommendation.
Subject to paragraph (3), any document provided to the Board under paragraph (1) must also be provided to the prisoner.
Any document mentioned in paragraph (1) the disclosure of which may affect security or good order in prison or the safety of any person (whether in or outside of a prison) or which may otherwise not be in the public interest —
must not be provided to the prisoner under paragraph (2); or
may be provided to the prisoner in a summarised or redacted form.
The determination of whether a document ought to be withheld or provided in a summarised or redacted form under paragraph (3) may be made —
by the Commissioner or any person authorised by the Commissioner; or
by the Minister or any person authorised by the Minister.
Representations by prisoner
A prisoner in respect of whom a Board is to provide its recommendation on whether the prisoner should be released on licence under section 50ZG(2) or (4) of the Act may make representations to the Board.
Any representation under paragraph (1) must be in writing and must be made within 14 days after the documents mentioned in regulation 8(1) are provided to the prisoner mentioned in paragraph (1).
The Board must consider any representations received under paragraph (2).
Board’s power to obtain further information
A Board may, for the purpose of making a recommendation on whether a prisoner should be released on licence under section 50ZG(2) or (4) of the Act, interview any person (including the prisoner) to obtain any further information that the Board considers necessary for it to make its recommendation.
The power to interview any person under paragraph (1) may only be exercised after the Board has received the documents mentioned in regulation 8(1) and any representations made under regulation 9(1), or, where no representations are received, after the period of time mentioned in regulation 9(2) has lapsed.
A person in respect of whom the Board conducts an interview under paragraph (1) must not be represented by an advocate and solicitor or any other person during the interview.
The Board may conduct the interview mentioned in paragraph (1) in person or through any electronic means of communication (including a live video link, a live television link and a live audio link), as the Board thinks fit.
Voting of Board
All questions for the recommendation of a Board must be decided by a majority of votes of the members of the Board.
If there is an equality of votes, the presiding member has a casting vote.
Recommendation how given
Every recommendation of a Board —
must include the Board’s reasons for its recommendation; and
may be accompanied by any dissenting view of a member who voted against the recommendation.
Every recommendation of a Board is secret and must not be disclosed —
to the prisoner in respect of whom the recommendation is made; or
to any other person other than an officer or a member of the Government who is authorised by the Minister, designated office-holder (if any) or the Commissioner to prepare, see or comment on the recommendation.
Minister, etc., to consider recommendation
The Minister, the designated office-holder or the Commissioner (as the case may be) who receives any recommendation given by a Board must consider the recommendation but is not required to follow the recommendation before exercising his or her respective functions under the Act.
Part 4
Guidelines
The Minister may, from time to time, give a Board appointed to make recommendations to the Minister, a designated office-holder or the Commissioner, guidelines on the discharge of its functions.
The Commissioner may, from time to time, give a Board appointed to make recommendations to the Commissioner, guidelines on the discharge of its functions.
The Commissioner must not give any guidelines under paragraph (2) that are contrary to any guidelines given by the Minister under paragraph (1).
All guidelines given under this regulation must be kept confidential and must not be released, without the written permission of the Minister —
to any prisoner; or
to any other person other than —
a Board member;
a prison officer;
a person employed by or seconded to the Singapore Prison Service; or
a public servant acting in the course of his or her duties.
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