Whoever intentionally obstructs, prevents, perverts or defeats the course of justice shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, or with fine, or with both.
Section history
Section 204A — Obstructing, preventing, perverting or defeating course of justice
Consolidated view is experimental and may be broken for certain provisions.
Amendments
Section 204A — 1 February 2008 to 1 January 2020superseded
Explanation.—A mere warning to a witness that he may be prosecuted for perjury if he gives false evidence is insufficient to constitute an offence.
Explanation 1.—A mere warning to a witness that he may be prosecuted for perjury if he gives false evidence is insufficient to constitute an offence.
Section 204A — From 1 January 2020 (current)rewritten by Criminal Law Reform Act 2019
Whoever does an act that has a tendency to obstruct, prevent, pervert or defeat the course of justice —
(a)knowing that the act is likely to obstruct, prevent, pervert or defeat the course of justice; or
(b)intending to obstruct, prevent, pervert or defeat the course of justice,
shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, or with fine, or with both.
Explanation 1.—A mere warning to a witness that he may be prosecuted for perjury if he gives false evidence is insufficient to constitute an offence.
Explanation 2.—A person sentenced to imprisonment who leaves or attempts to leave Singapore unlawfully to avoid serving that person’s sentence has done an act which has a tendency to obstruct and defeat the course of justice.