POLICE FORCE (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

6.30 p.m.

The Minister for Health and Home Affairs (Mr Chua Sian Chin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

There are two authorities which exercise disciplinary control over Police Officers. They are the Public Service Commission and the Commissioner of Police. The Singapore Constitution (Amendment) Act, 1970, empowers the Public Service Commission to exercise disciplinary control over Senior Officers down to and including those of the rank of Inspector. In practice, the Public Service Commission has delegated the power of disciplinary control over Inspectors to the Commissioner of Police. Under the Police Force Act (Chapter 78) the Commissioner of Police is vested with disciplinary powers over all Junior Officers.

Disciplinary proceedings against Inspectors and Junior Officers are dealt with by the Police Disciplinary Boards formed under the Police Force Act and its Regulations. These Police Disciplinary Boards are made up entirely of Police Officers and this enables the Commissioner of Police to deal with ordinary breaches of discipline expeditiously. However, for some cases of breaches of discipline such as those involving allegations of corrupt practices it is important that the Disciplinary Board formed to deal with them is not only in fact impartial, but also seen in the eyes of the public to be so. Thus to deal with such cases the Police Disciplinary Boards consisting entirely of Police Officers are not the best arrangement.

It is therefore proposed that the Police Force Act be amended to enable the Commissioner of Police, if he thinks fit, to refer any disciplinary case involving an Inspector or a Junior Officer to the Public Service Commission to be dealt with in accordance with disciplinary regulations for public officers. It is further proposed that this amendment be effected by adding a section 28A to the Police Force Act.

Section 28 of the Police Force Act empowers the President to dismiss or retire an Inspector. This is inconsistent with the provisions in the Singapore Constitution (Amendment) Act, 1970, and with the terms of delegation of powers by the Public Service Commission to the Commissioner. Therefore, it is necessary to amend section 28 of the Police Force Act to empower the Commissioner of Police to dismiss, retire, reduce in rank or mete out other punishment to an Inspector who is found guilty of an offence specified in section 27 (1) of the Act. Any Inspector who is aggrieved by the decision of the Commissioner may apply to the Public Service Commission to have the decision reviewed.

Sir, I beg to move.

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 Chuo Sian Chin].

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