Public Assemblies and Processions in Singapore

Last updated on May 6, 2022

paper humans protesting

Public assemblies and public processions are activities regulated by the Public Order Act, a law enforced in Singapore by the Singapore Police Force. Generally, police permits are required before these activities may be held.

View this post on Instagram

With the rallies going on in Kuala Lumpur, some might be thinking – is it illegal to be part of a demonstration/protest in Singapore? ? The answer is yes ✔, unless certain conditions are complied with. – Demonstrations and protests would count as “public assemblies” in Singapore. The term refers to an assembly held in a public place, or which members of the public are invited, induced or permitted to attend. An assembly is further defined to have certain purposes: demonstrating support for or opposition to the views or actions of any person, group of persons or any government, to publicise a cause or campaign, or to mark or commemorate any event! ? Examples of other public assemblies include public talks ? and religious assemblies. – Here’s the catch: hosting a public assembly cannot be done without a police permit.?‍♂️ If the organiser does so, they risk being fined up to $5,000! Attendees are not spared either – anyone who attends a public assembly organised without a permit risks being fined up to $3,000. ? – Though such protests/demonstrations aren’t commonplace in Singapore, and that these laws may not necessarily apply overseas, it’s knowledge that’s good to know! Should you have any doubts in the event of wanting to attend a “public assembly”, it’s best to contact the event’s organiser to ask if they’ve already obtained their permit. ?? #SingaporeLegalAdvice

A post shared by SingaporeLegalAdvice.com (@singaporelegaladvice) on

What are Public Assemblies?

A “public assembly” refers to an assembly held or to be held in a public place or to which members of the public in general are invited, induced or permitted to attend.

An assembly is defined as a gathering or meeting of persons the purpose (or one of the purposes) of which is to:

  • Demonstrate support for or opposition to the views or actions of any person, group of persons or any government;
  • Publicise a cause or campaign; or
  • Mark or commemorate any event,

and includes a demonstration by a person alone for any of the three mentioned purposes.

What are Public Processions?

A “public procession” refers to a procession in, to or from a public place.

A procession is defined as a march, parade or other procession (whether or not involving the use of vehicles or other conveyances):

  • Comprising 2 or more persons gathered at a place of assembly to move from that place substantially as a body of persons in succession proceeding by a common route or routes; and
  • The purpose (or one of the purposes) of which is to:
    • Demonstrate support for or opposition to the views or actions of any person, group of persons or any government;
    • Publicise a cause or campaign; or
    • Mark or commemorate any event,

and includes any assembly held in conjunction with such procession, and a march by a person alone for any such mentioned purpose.

What are Public Places?

A “public place” means:

  • Any place to which members of the public have access as of right or by virtue of express or implied permission, whether or not on payment of a fee, whether or not access to the place may be restricted at particular times or for particular purposes, and whether or not it is an “approved place” within the meaning of the Public Entertainments and Meetings Act; or
  • A part of a place that the occupier of the place allows members of the public to enter, but only while the place is ordinarily open to members of the public.

Common Activities That are Public Assemblies and Processions

The following is a list of commonly held activities that require a permit:

  • Religious assembly;
  • Festival procession (e.g., lantern festival foot procession);
  • Religious procession (e.g., chariot procession, foot procession, foot and vehicular procession or vehicular procession);
  • Public talks; and
  • Drinking in a public place:
    • During any prescribed no‑public drinking period applicable to that place
    • At an event, unless a consumption permit is granted to the organiser
    • Within liquor control zones (parts of Little India and Geylang are defined to be liquor control zones as of April 2015).

Exempted Assemblies and Processions

A Police Permit is not required for certain activities if the exemption requirements for those activities found in the First Schedule and the Second Schedule of the Public Order (Exempt Assemblies and Processions) 2009 are met.

Such requirements may state that permits from other authorities must be granted.

Some of the exempted activities are:

  • Weddings;
  • Funerals;
  • Sporting competitions;
  • Seventh Month Festival auctions;
  • Charity events; and
  • Press conferences.

How to Apply For a Police Permit

You can apply for a police permit for assembly or procession here via the GoBusiness Licensing platform. Supporting documents such as relating to the floorplan, programme and road map with route must be submitted.

If the proposed event requires a partial or full closure of any road, a separate road closure permit application has to be made here. Supporting documents, including a map showing the roads affected, traffic advisory signs and traffic management deployment, must be submitted.

The estimated processing time for the assembly or procession permit is 14 days, and at least 21 days for the road closure permit application.

Arrest and Investigation
  1. Singapore’s Extraterritorial Jurisdiction: What Does It Mean?
  2. Your Right to a Lawyer After Being Arrested in Singapore
  3. What to Do If Your Loved One is Under Police Investigation
  4. How to Write a Letter of Representation to AGC in Singapore
  5. What is Entrapment and is It Legal in Singapore?
  6. What Happens When You Voluntarily Surrender to the Police
  7. Juvenile Crime: What If Your Child is Arrested in Singapore?
  8. Tasers, Batons, Shields & Firearms: When Do the Police Use Them?
  9. Stopped by the Singapore Police For Spot Checks, Etc: What to Do
  10. What is the Appropriate Adult Scheme in Singapore?
  11. Police Investigation Process for Crimes in Singapore (4 Steps)
  12. Arrest Warrant Issued Against You in Singapore: What to Do
  13. Police Arrest Procedure in Singapore
  14. Arrestable and Non-Arrestable Offences in Singapore
  15. What Should You Do If You Witness a Crime in Singapore?
  16. Can the Public Make a Citizen's Arrest in Singapore?
  17. What to Do If You’re Being Investigated for a Criminal Offence in Singapore
  18. "Right to Remain Silent" to Singapore Police: Does It Exist?
  19. Police Custody in Singapore: What You Should Know
  20. Search Warrant: The Issuance and Execution of It in Singapore
  21. Penalties for Lying to the Authorities in Singapore
  22. Can You Say No to a Lie Detector Test in Singapore? And Other FAQs
  23. Surrender of Passport to the Police and How to Get It Back
  24. Extradition: What If I Flee After Committing Crime in Singapore
Bail
  1. The Essential Guide to Bail and Personal Bonds in Singapore
Prosecution
  1. What is Private Prosecution?
  2. Magistrate’s Complaints, Private Summons and Private Prosecutions in Singapore
  3. Prosecutorial Discretion in Singapore
  4. Composition Offers and Fines for Criminal Offences in Singapore
  5. Plea Bargaining in Singapore: All You Need to Know
During Criminal Proceedings
  1. Making Objections at Trial in the Singapore Courts
  2. When is a Witness Testimony Unreliable in Singapore?
  3. Burden of Proof in Criminal and Civil Cases in Singapore
  4. Falsely Accused of a Crime in Singapore: Your Next Steps
  5. What is Acquittal & How Can One Be Acquitted in Singapore?
  6. Using the Defence of Diminished Responsibility in Singapore
  7. Death of a Party in a Legal Case in Singapore: What Happens?
  8. The "Unusually Convincing" Test in "He Said, She Said" Cases
  9. How to Adjourn or Postpone a Criminal Court Hearing
  10. TIC: Guide to Charges Taken Into Consideration in Singapore
  11. Can I Use the Defence of Intoxication in Singapore?
  12. When Can I Raise the Defence of Provocation in Singapore?
  13. Writing Character References For Court: What’s Their Purpose?
  14. Giving False vs. Wrong Evidence: What’s the Difference?
  15. Can I Represent Myself in a Criminal Court Case in Singapore and How?
  16. Claiming Trial as an Accused
  17. Pleading Guilty in Singapore: Consequences & Withdrawal of Plea
  18. The Defence of Unsound Mind in Singapore: What is It?
  19. Gag Orders in Singapore: Whose Identity Can be Protected?
  20. Mitigation Plea: How to Plead for Leniency in Court in Singapore
After Criminal Proceedings
  1. Recidivism: What Happens If You Reoffend in Singapore?
  2. Guide to Filing a Criminal Appeal in Singapore
  3. Criminal Motion: What is It and How to File One in Singapore
  4. Guide to Filing a Criminal Revision in Singapore
  5. Presidential Clemency in Singapore
  6. Repatriation or Deportation from Singapore: How Does It Work?
  7. Criminal Records in Singapore
  8. Visiting a Loved One in Prison or On Death Row in Singapore
  9. Getting Parole (Early Prison Release) in Singapore
Types of Sentences After Committing an Offence
  1. Fined for an Offence: What to Do If I Can't Afford to Pay Them?
  2. How Long Is Life Imprisonment in Singapore? And Other FAQs
  3. Corrective Training and Its Consequences in Singapore
  4. Consequences of Receiving a Stern Warning in Singapore
  5. Probation: Eligibility and Whether It Leaves a Criminal Record
  6. How Can Adult Offenders Get Probation in Singapore?
  7. Reformative Training in Singapore: When Will It be Ordered?
  8. Are You Eligible for a Mandatory Treatment Order (MTO)?
  9. Caning in Singapore: Judicial, School & Parental Corporal Punishment
  10. 7 Detention Orders in Singapore: When Will They be Ordered?
  11. Day Reporting Order: Eligibility and Offender's Obligations
Being a Victim
  1. Ragging and Bullying: Their Penalties and What Victims Can Do
  2. Laws Protecting Informers/Whistleblowers in Singapore
  3. Counterfeit Medicine/Health Products: Redress for Victims in Singapore
  4. Breach of Protection Orders: What Can Victims Do?
  5. Using Your Right to Self-Defence When Attacked in Singapore
  6. Compensation for Crime Victims in Singapore: How to Obtain
Offences Against the Human Body
  1. Voluntarily Causing Hurt Penalties in Singapore (Non-Arrestable)
  2. Murder vs Culpable Homicide in Singapore (and Penalties)
  3. Is Suicide Illegal in Singapore? Will I Be Punished for Trying?
  4. Kidnapping Scam: Penalties & Responding to a ‘Kidnap Call/Text'
Sexual Offences
  1. Rape Laws in Singapore and How Offenders Can Be Punished
  2. Sexual Misconduct in Singapore: Offences and What Victims Can Do
  3. Falsely Accused of Rape in Singapore: What to Do
  4. Incest and Family Sexual Abuse: Penalties and Victim Protection
  5. How are Sexual Offenders with Special Needs Penalised?
  6. Cybersexual Crimes in Singapore and Their Penalties
  7. Legal Age for Sex in Singapore and Common Sexual Offences
  8. Consent in Sexual Offences in Singapore and What Victims Can Do
  9. Accused of Molest: Outrage of Modesty in Singapore
  10. What Can Victims of Sexual Harassment in Singapore Do?
  11. What is the Law on Sexting in Singapore?
  12. Revenge Porn: What If Your Nudes are Leaked in Singapore?
  13. Crime of Voyeurism in Singapore (Penalties and Defences)
  14. Date Rape: What to Do If Your Drink Has Been Unlawfully Spiked?
  15. STDs: Can I Go to the Police If a Partner Infected Me in Singapore?
Vice-Related Offences
  1. Alcohol Breathalyser Test in Singapore: Can You Refuse it?
  2. Are Sex Toys and Sex Dolls Legal in Singapore?
  3. Singapore's Legal Smoking Age & Common Smoking Offences
  4. Is Vaping Illegal in Singapore?
  5. Legal Drinking Age and Drinking-Related Laws in Singapore
  6. Is Watching, Downloading or Filming Porn Illegal in Singapore?
  7. Child Pornography in Singapore: Offences and Penalties
  8. Laws on Procuring Sex Workers & Sexual Services in Singapore
  9. Singapore's Drug Laws: Possession, Consumption and Trafficking
  10. Gambling Legally (at Home, in Public or Online) in Singapore
  11. The Offence of Human Trafficking in Singapore and Its Penalties
Property Offences
  1. Penalties For Buying Stolen Goods in Singapore
  2. Penalties for Committing Theft in Singapore
  3. Committing Robbery in Singapore: What are the Penalties?
  4. Penalties for Dishonest Misappropriation of Property in Singapore
  5. Vandalism Laws: Penalties for Damaging Property in Singapore
  6. Criminal Trespass in Singapore: What Happens If You’re Caught?
  7. Penalties for Littering Offences in Singapore
Cybercrime
  1. What is a POFMA Correction Direction and How to Appeal
  2. Penalties for Cheating/Scamming and What Victims Can Do
  3. Penalties for Impersonating Someone and Victim Redress
  4. Singapore Fake News Laws: Guide to POFMA (Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act)
  5. Laws and Penalties for Doxxing in Singapore (With Examples)
White-Collar Crimes
  1. Tax Evasion in Singapore: Penalties and Examples
  2. Criminal Breach of Trust (CBT) in Singapore: What is It?
  3. All You Need to Know About Corruption in Singapore
  4. Anti-Money Laundering Laws and You
  5. 5 Things You Need to Know about Insider Trading
  6. Dishonest Assistance and Knowing Receipt: The Case of David Rasif
Road Offences
  1. Charged with a Traffic Offence in Singapore: What to Do
  2. DUI: Here are the Penalties for Drink-Driving in Singapore
  3. What Happens If You’re Caught Speeding in Singapore?
  4. Road Rage: What is It and How are Offenders Sentenced in Singapore
  5. Penalties for Dangerous Driving for Singapore Drivers
  6. Fatal Traffic Accidents: Are Drivers Always Punished?
  7. Guide to E-Scooter and PMD Laws for Singapore Riders
  8. Is it Legal for Drivers to Carpool in Singapore?
Animal-Related Offences
  1. Taxidermy of Animals in Singapore: Is It Legal?
  2. Legal and Illegal Pets in Singapore (HDB/Private Property)
  3. Is It Illegal to Feed Stray Animals in Singapore?
  4. Singapore Animal Abuse Offences, Penalties & How to Report
Offences Relating to Public Peace and Good Order
  1. Radicalisation and Terror Attack-Related Penalties in Singapore
  2. Causing a Public Nuisance in Singapore: What are the Penalties?
  3. Causing Public Alarm in Singapore: Examples & Penalties
  4. Public Assemblies and Processions in Singapore
  5. Misbehaving in Public: 5 Things You Need to Know
  6. Racial Enmity: Sections 298 and 298A Penal Code Explained
  7. Religious Cults in Singapore: Are they Illegal? Penalties & More
  8. Penalties for Financing Terrorist Operations in Singapore
Gang and Riot-related Offences
  1. Penalties for Unlawful Assembly and Rioting in Singapore
  2. Is Joining a Gang Illegal in Singapore?: Being Recruited and Penalties
  3. Organised Crimes: Penalties/Orders Syndicates Face in Singapore
Marriage-Related Offences
  1. Bigamy: Is It Legal to Marry a Married Person in Singapore?
  2. Marriage Offences in Singapore Involving Minors, Same-Sex, Etc.
  3. What are Sham Marriages and Are They Illegal in Singapore?
Certificate of Clearance
  1. How Do You Apply for a Certificate of Clearance in Singapore?
Other Criminal Offences
  1. Penalties for Abetting Minors or Committing Crimes Against Them
  2. Misusing the Singapore Flag and Other National Symbols
  3. Here are the Penalties for Committing Forgery in Singapore
  4. Arson and Fire-Related Offences and Their Penalties in Singapore
  5. Offences Against the Dead and What Family Members Can Do
  6. Laws on Prohibited, Replica and Self-Defence Weapons
  7. Laws to Tackle High-Rise Littering in Singapore
  8. Penalties for Attempting to Commit a Crime in Singapore
  9. Penalties for Assaulting a Person in Singapore
  10. Expats Charged With Offences in Singapore: What to Expect
  11. What are the Penalties for Hiring Phantom Workers in Singapore?
  12. What Are Ponzi Schemes? Are They Illegal in Singapore?
  13. Modification of Cars, Motorcycles, Etc: Is It Legal in Singapore?
  14. Penalties for Illegal Immigration and Overstaying in Singapore
  15. Criminal Intimidation: Penalties for Making Threats in Singapore