Statute Details
- Title: Fees (Copies of Reports, Statements, Plans and Photographs) Order 2022
- Act Code: FeA1920-S864-2022
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Fees Act 1920
- Enacting Formula (Power Source): Made under section 2 of the Fees Act 1920
- Key Provisions: Section 2 (fees payable to the Commissioner of Police for matters in the Schedule); Section 3 (revocation)
- Citation: No. S 864
- SL Number: SL 864/2022
- Date Made: 26 October 2022
- Status: Current version as at 27 March 2026
- Commencement Date: Not stated in the provided extract (practitioners should confirm in the official document)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Fees (Copies of Reports, Statements, Plans and Photographs) Order 2022 is a Singapore subsidiary law that sets out the fees payable for obtaining copies of certain police-related records—such as reports, statements, plans and photographs. In practical terms, it provides the price list for members of the public (and other requesters) who seek copies of specified police documents.
This Order operates within the broader framework of the Fees Act 1920, which empowers the Minister to prescribe fees for services or matters administered by public authorities. Here, the relevant authority is the Commissioner of Police. The Order specifies that the fees listed in its Schedule must be paid to the Commissioner of Police in respect of the matters described in the Schedule.
Although the extract provided does not reproduce the Schedule’s fee amounts, the legal mechanism is clear: the Schedule is the operative part that lists (i) the categories of documents or matters and (ii) the corresponding fees. For lawyers, the key value of this instrument is that it clarifies the charging basis and the proper recipient of the fees—information that can matter in disputes about administrative charges, requests for disclosure, and procedural compliance.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation) identifies the instrument as the “Fees (Copies of Reports, Statements, Plans and Photographs) Order 2022.” While this is standard drafting, it is important for practitioners when citing the correct subsidiary legislation in correspondence, submissions, or internal legal reviews.
Section 2 (Fees) is the core charging provision. It provides that the fees specified in the second column of the Schedule are payable to the Commissioner of Police for the matters specified in the first column of the Schedule. This structure is significant: the Schedule is effectively a table mapping document categories to fee amounts. The legal effect is that the Commissioner of Police is entitled to collect the prescribed fees only for the matters listed, and the requester’s obligation is to pay the amount corresponding to the relevant category.
From a practitioner’s perspective, Section 2 raises several practical questions that should be addressed by checking the Schedule in the full text: (1) what exact document types are covered (e.g., reports vs. statements vs. plans vs. photographs); (2) whether fees vary by format (for example, printed copies versus other modes); and (3) whether fees vary by quantity, size, or other attributes. Even where the Schedule is not reproduced in the extract, the legal drafting indicates that the fee amounts are tied to the Schedule’s categories.
Section 3 (Revocation) provides that the earlier “Fees (Copies of Reports, Statements, Plans and Photographs) Order (O 25)” is revoked. This means the 2022 Order replaces the previous fee regime. For lawyers dealing with older requests, historical administrative decisions, or transitional issues, revocation is crucial: it indicates that the earlier Order no longer governs going forward (subject to any specific transitional provisions, which are not shown in the extract). In disputes about whether a fee was properly charged, the date of the request and the applicable version of the Order may be determinative.
The Schedule (Operative Fee Table) is not included in the extract, but it is central to the legal operation of the Order. The Schedule’s two-column design—matters in the first column and fees in the second—means that the fee obligation is not open-ended. Instead, it is precisely calibrated to the categories of police records for which copies are requested. Practitioners should treat the Schedule as the “business end” of the instrument and ensure that the correct row is identified for the document type being requested.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is structured in a concise, standard form for fee orders:
(1) Enacting formula and citation: The Minister for Finance makes the Order under the authority of section 2 of the Fees Act 1920.
(2) Section 1: Provides the short title/citation.
(3) Section 2: Establishes the payment obligation by reference to the Schedule and specifies that fees are payable to the Commissioner of Police.
(4) Section 3: Revokes the earlier fee order.
(5) The Schedule: Contains the fee table. The legal obligation to pay is triggered by the requester seeking copies of the matters listed in the first column, with the amount payable determined by the corresponding entry in the second column.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
This Order applies to persons who request copies of the specified police records—namely copies of reports, statements, plans and photographs (as reflected in the title and Schedule categories). The obligation is directed at the requester in the sense that the requester must pay the prescribed fee to obtain the copies.
Operationally, the Order also applies to the Commissioner of Police as the collecting authority. Section 2 specifies that the fees are payable to the Commissioner of Police, meaning the Commissioner (or the police department acting through its administrative processes) must charge and receive the fees in accordance with the Schedule. For lawyers advising clients, the key is to confirm that the requested document falls within the Schedule’s categories and that the fee demanded matches the correct Schedule entry.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Although this is a relatively short fee order, it can be highly consequential in practice. Requests for police documents often arise in contexts such as criminal proceedings, civil claims involving incidents investigated by police, insurance disputes, and personal injury matters. In many such situations, parties seek copies of police records to support litigation, prepare submissions, or verify factual accounts. This Order provides the formal fee basis for obtaining those copies.
From an administrative law and litigation-readiness perspective, the Order helps ensure that police document-copying charges are lawfully prescribed and not arbitrary. Where a fee is disputed, the legal question typically becomes: was the fee charged consistent with the Schedule under the applicable version of the Order? Because Section 3 revokes the earlier order, the date of the request and the version in force at that time can be critical.
For practitioners, the most practical takeaway is to treat the Schedule as a checklist. When advising a client, counsel should: (1) identify the exact type of document requested (report, statement, plan, photograph); (2) determine whether the request is for a category covered by the Schedule; (3) confirm the fee amount corresponding to that category; and (4) ensure that the request is made under the correct administrative process. If the police authority charges a fee that does not align with the Schedule, this Order provides the legal benchmark for challenging the charge.
Finally, this Order’s narrow focus—copies of specific police records—means it should be read alongside other legal instruments governing access to information, disclosure obligations, and procedural rights in criminal and civil matters. Even where a requester has a right to obtain documents, the fee regime may still apply unless a separate legal basis provides otherwise.
Related Legislation
- Fees Act 1920 (authorising act; provides the statutory framework for prescribing fees)
- Fees (Copies of Reports, Statements, Plans and Photographs) Order (O 25) (revoked by Section 3 of this Order)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Fees (Copies of Reports, Statements, Plans and Photographs) Order 2022 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.