AGC – Our Divisions – Criminal Justice Division

The Attorney-General’s Chambers is Singapore’s Central Authority for Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters. The Criminal Justice Division of the Attorney-General’s Chambers handles and processes all formal requests for assistance in accordance with the provisions of the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act (Chapter 190A) and any applicable Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty.

Types of assistance

Singapore may provide mutual legal assistance in respect of criminal matters including the following:

Taking of evidence;
Obtaining a production order;
Request for the attendance of a person;
Request for custody of persons in transit;
Enforcement of a foreign confiscation order
Search and seizure;
Identifying or locating persons; and
Service of process.

Countries with which Singapore has existing Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties are gazetted as “prescribed foreign countries” under the Act. Such countries may be rendered assistance in accordance with the terms of the relevant Treaty and the Act.
Countries which are not gazetted as prescribed foreign countries under the Act may also be rendered assistance upon providing an appropriate undertaking of reciprocity in accordance with section 16(2) of the Act stating that that country will comply with a future request by Singapore to that country for similar assistance in a criminal matter involving an offence that corresponds to the foreign offence for which assistance is sought.

Form of requests

Countries that do not have an existing Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with Singapore may send a request for assistance containing the appropriate undertaking of reciprocity to the Attorney-General’s Chambers. The sample forms for such formal requests are as follows:

Countries that have signed and ratified the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters among Like-minded ASEAN Member Countries should make requests for mutual legal assistance to Singapore using the form provided on the website of the Secretariat for this Treaty.
Prescribed foreign countries may also use the above forms in making requests for assistance, with the necessary modifications to comply with the terms of the relevant Treaty.

Transmission of requests

Completed requests may be sent by the Central Authority of the country making the request to the following address:

Criminal Justice Division
The Attorney-General’s Chambers
1 Coleman Street
#10-00, The Adelphi
Singapore 179803
REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE

In cases of urgent requests, a copy of the request may also be sent by fax to +(65) 6332 5934.

Countries with which Singapore has a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty should also comply with any relevant provisions of the Treaty as regards transmission of requests.

Queries in relation to Mutual Legal Assistance

Queries in relation to the making of Mutual Legal Assistance requests or Mutual Legal Assistance in general may be sent to the correspondence address and fax number above, or sent by email to agc@agc.gov.sg.

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Last updated on 10 April, 2008

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