Penal Code (Amendment) Act (Commencement) Notification 2008 was published on 28 January 2008. The President has given his assent to the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill which was passed by Parliament on 23 Oct 2007 . The Penal Code Amendments will come into force on 1 Feb 2008.

From 1 November 2007 onwards, persons who move into or out of Singapore physical currency [1] or bearer negotiable instruments [2] (CBNI) the total value of which exceeds SGD 30,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) will be required to give a report by filling up a form and submitting it to the authorities.

The text of the Second Reading Speech for the Terrorism (Suppression of Bombings) Bill 2007 by DPM and Minister for Home Affairs Mr Wong Kan Seng, 23 October 2007 is below.

Police would like to alert the public of a phone scam where callers impersonate themselves as police officers or staff from the Supreme Court. The impersonators would direct them to attend court or request for transfer of monies and attempt to induce their victims into parting with money, presumably to exonerate them from involvement in criminal cases or for failure to attend court hearings. In reality, the victims were not involved in any such criminal or court proceedings.

A new law to regulate secondhand goods dealers, which is known as the Secondhand Goods Dealers Act (SHGDA) will come into effect on 1 Dec 2007 . With the introduction of this new law, the existing Secondhand Dealers Act, Cap 288, will be repealed on the same date.

The text of the Second Reading Speech for the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act by Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs n Parliament is below.

Law Minister S Jayakumar told Parliament that the Chief Justice expressed deep concern over the recent case where a prisoner was mistakenly given extra strokes of the cane. The Chief Justice feels such mistakes may affect Singapore's excellent reputation and standing of the judicial system. The Courts are also considering automating processes with built-in checks to ensure such errors do not recur.

The Singapore Government is planning to up-date the Penal Code to: (i) keep abreast of technological changes; (ii) address crimes that are of concern in Singapore like credit card fraud and matters relating to race and religion; and(iii) remove arcane crimes.

The last major review of the Penal Code was made in 1984 when mandatory minimum sentences were imposed for certain serious offences.

Parliament has introduced the Arms and Explosives (Amendment) Bill that will give authorities greater power to deal with potential terrorist activities.

The Home Affairs Ministry is planning (a) to introduce legislation on 19 new offences and expand the scope of 19 existing offences in the Penal Code; (b) to review the penalties under the Penal Code and give judges more flexibility in sentencing ; (c) to introduce laws to protect minors and the mentally handicapped; and (d) to amend the Arms and Explosives Act that will likely give authorities more teeth to deal with potential terrorist activities. Details will be set out in future news items at our website.

Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong said that sentencing guidelines for major offences carrying jail terms are being reviewed in order to strike a new balance between punishing and rehabilitating offenders.

Following a review of the use of Subutex (or buprenorphine hydrochloride) as a drug to treat opiate dependence, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) have decided to impose stringent measures to curb the abuse of Subutex.

On 10 May this year, an electronic portal will be launched by the Police to allow ex-offenders round-the-clock convenience to check whether their personal criminal records have been marked as spent. The electronic portal may be accessed via the internet websites: http://www.spf.gov.sg or http://www.ecitizen.gov.sg . A person who wishes to log in to the e-portal will have to key in his NRIC number as the login ID and SingPass (Singapore Personal Access) as the authentication password. More information on SingPass can be found on the SingPass website at http://www.ecitizen.gov.sg/singpass/index.htm .

Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, 2 March 2006, Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs Ho Peng Kee says the government is also making it an offence to purchase sexual services from anyone who is under 18, even if it takes place overseas.

This Bill, introduced to Parliament on 16 January 2006, seeks to amend the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act (Cap.190A) principally to enable Singapore to provide assistance under any provision of Part III of the Act to any foreign country, even though that country has not entered into any treaty with Singapore for the provision of assistance in criminal matters.

The Intoxicating Substances (Amendment) Bill 2006 was read for the second time in Parliament and passed on 16 January 2006.

The Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2006 was read for a second time in Parliament and passed on 16 January 2006.

CLAS has reviewed its means test upwards from 1 September 2005. A single person with a net monthly income of $1,000 (previously $850), a married applicant with a net combined income of $1,300 (previously $1,050) and $160 for each dependant will qualify to apply for aid for offences covered by CLAS.

A British businessman accused of two murders faces a trial in Singapore after judges in Australia dismissed his appeal against extradition. Michael McCrea is accused of murdering his chauffeur, Kho Nai Guan, and the driver's girlfriend, Lan Ya Ming, in January 2002 following a dispute.

Singapore and India will be signing an Agreement concerning Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters in New Delhi today.

Singapore's Parliament on 16 May 2005 amended the Registration of Criminals Act to allow for convictions of certain offences to be 'spent' if the person remains crime-free for 5 years.