Singapore legislation
Regulation 19
Regulation 19
Requests for confidential treatment
Subregulation 1
A request for the confidential treatment of a document or part of a document, or information, submitted in connection with any appeal before the appeal authority must —
be made in writing by the person who submitted the document or information no later than 14 days after the submission of the document or information;
where the request relates to part of a document, state the relevant words, figures or passages for which confidentiality is claimed; and
contain the reasons for the request, and where the request relates to part of a document, the reasons specific to the part.
Subregulation 2
The person making the request must also submit to the appeal authority, if the person considers it possible to summarise or redact the material in the document or part of the document, or information, a non‑confidential version of the document, the part of the document or the information (as the case may be) in a form that can be given to any party to the appeal.
Subregulation 3
A request for confidential treatment must not be considered if the request does not comply with paragraph (1), unless the appeal authority considers that the circumstances are exceptional.
Subregulation 4
The appeal authority may grant confidential treatment in relation to any document or part of the document, or information, on any terms and conditions that the appeal authority thinks fit (including changes to the summary or redacting of material in any non‑confidential version under paragraph (2)), if the appeal authority is satisfied that the document, the part of the document or the information (as the case may be) contains or is, in the appeal authority’s opinion ––
information the disclosure of which would be contrary to the public interest;
commercial information the disclosure of which may significantly harm the legitimate business interests of the undertaking to which it relates; or
information relating to the private affairs of an individual the disclosure of which would or may significantly harm the interests of that individual.
Subregulation 5
In the event of a dispute as to whether confidential treatment should be granted, the appeal authority must decide the matter after considering oral or written submissions from the parties to the appeal, taking into account the matters referred to in paragraph (4).
Subregulation 6
If the appeal authority grants the confidential treatment, the person making the request for the confidential treatment must, no later than 5 days after the appeal authority’s decision —
in the case where the grant is subject to changes to any non‑confidential version submitted under paragraph (2) —
make the necessary changes or redactions; and
send the revised non‑confidential version to the Secretary or the Registrar, as the case may be; and
in any other case, send to the Secretary or the Registrar (as the case may be) the non‑confidential version submitted under paragraph (2), if any,and notify the Secretary or the Registrar (as the case may be) that the document, or part of the document, or information has been summarised or redacted.
Subregulation 7
The appeal authority must not, for the purposes of considering or determining the appeal, rely on any document, or part of a document, or information to which confidential treatment is granted, but may rely on the non‑confidential version filed (if any) under paragraph (2) or (6)(a), as the case may be.