Penal Code (Singapore)

Penal Code 1871
Parliament House, Singapore
Governor of the Straits Settlements with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council
  • An Act to consolidate the law relating to criminal offences.
CitationOrdinance No. 4 of 1871 (Straits Settlements); now Penal Code 1871 (2020 Revised Edition)
Enacted byGovernor of the Straits Settlements with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council
Enacted1871 Indian Penal Code
Commenced16 September 1872
Amended by
Penal Code (Amendment) Act 2007 (No. 51 of 2007)
Penal Code (Amendment) Act 2012 (No. 32 of 2012)
Criminal Law Reform Act 2019 (No. 15 of 2019)

The Penal Code 1871 sets out general principles[1] of the criminal law of Singapore, as well as the elements and penalties of general criminal offences such as assault, criminal intimidation, mischief, grievous hurt, theft, extortion, sex crimes and cheating.[2] The Penal Code does not define and list exhaustively all the criminal offences applicable in Singapore – a large number of these are created by other statutes such as the Arms Offences Act,[3] Kidnapping Act,[4] Misuse of Drugs Act[5] and Vandalism Act.[6]

  1. ^ Woon, Walter (29 September 2017). "The public prosecutor, politics and the rule of law | the Straits Times". The Straits Times.
  2. ^ Cap. 224, 2008 Rev. Ed..
  3. ^ Cap. 14, 2008 Rev. Ed..
  4. ^ Cap. 151, 1999 Rev. Ed..
  5. ^ Cap. 185, 2008 Rev. Ed..
  6. ^ Cap. 341, 2014 Rev. Ed..