TOKYO CONVENTION BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

6.04 p.m.

The Minister for Communications (Mr Yong Nyuk Lin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The purpose of this Bill is to enable Singapore to implement the Tokyo Convention which deals with offences committed on board aircraft. Singapore accepted the Convention in March 1971.

Briefly, the Tokyo Convention covers acts which jeopardize the safety of an aircraft or of persons or property therein or which jeopardize good order and discipline on board. The Convention requires any member State in which a hijacked aircraft lands to, firstly, take appropriate measures to return control of the aircraft, crew and passengers to the aircraft commander, and, secondly, permit onward movement of the aircraft, crew and passengers as soon as practicable. Under the Convention the State iii which the aircraft is registered can exercise jurisdiction over offences and acts committed on board the aircraft.

As a civil aviation centre and with a view to deterring aircraft hijacking, it is obvious that Singapore should take appropriate measures against all kinds of unlawful acts over civil aircraft in flight. Accession to the Convention, while not a complete solution to hijacking, will help reduce some of the risks which result from such acts.

The essential features of the Bill may be summarised as follows. The criminal law of Singapore is extended to acts and omissions taking place on board Singapore-controlled aircraft while in flight outside Singapore. Courts in Singapore will have power to try offences committed on board a Singapore-controlled aircraft in flight outside Singapore.

The Bill gives wide powers to the commander of an aircraft to deal with persons who commit or are about to commit offences on board the aircraft. There are provisions which deal with the taking of evidence in connection with offences committed on board an aircraft. The Minister is empowered to make regulations for carrying out the provisions of the Tokyo Convention.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill.--[Mr Yong Nyuk Lin].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.