Proposed amendments to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act will grant authorized officers domestic arrest powers and permit courts to proceed with trials in the absence of accused parties under strict notice conditions. Authorities will also be empowered to act preemptively when a credible risk of haze pollution emerges, rather than waiting for smoke to drift into national territory. These measures were drafted after forest and peatland fires in Indonesia forced Singapore's air quality into unhealthy or very unhealthy ranges for 38 days between September and October.
Key points
Authorized officers will have the authority to execute domestic arrests to compel the coo…: Authorized officers will have the authority to execute domestic arrests to compel the cooperation of relevant persons of interest.
Singaporean courts will be empowered to try and rule on cases involving absent defendants…: Singaporean courts will be empowered to try and rule on cases involving absent defendants who have been properly notified of proceedings.
Enforcement agencies will be legally authorized to initiate preventative actions upon det…: Enforcement agencies will be legally authorized to initiate preventative actions upon detecting a credible risk of inbound haze pollution.
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Under the proposed amendments, a trial can proceed even when parties suspected to be responsible for the haze are absent.
SINGAPORE: Singapore may soon be able to arrest individuals suspected of committing haze-related offences and conduct trials in the absence of accused entities under proposed amendments to strengthen its haze law.
The changes aim to prevent entities from frustrating enforcement by remaining outside Singapore, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Wednesday (Nov 4).
The Transboundary Haze Pollution (Amendment) Bill was introduced and read a second time on Wednesday (Nov 4) under a Certificate of Urgency signed by the president, following Singapore's worst haze episode in more than a decade.
The certificate allows a proposed Bill to be introduced, debated and passed through all three readings in a single parliamentary sitting. More than 20 Members of Parliament (MPs) are set to speak at the debate on Wednesday.
In a press release, NEA said the amendments to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) will strengthen Singapore's ability to investigate irresponsible burning, establish accountability, and strengthen enforcement against errant entities.
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