Statute Details
- Title: Fees (Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau) Order
- Act Code: FeA1920-OR50
- Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Current status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Revised edition: Revised Edition 2010 (31 May 2010)
- Original citation: G.N. No. S 373/1993
- Authorising Act: Fees Act (Cap. 106), Section 2
- Key provisions: Section 1 (Citation); Section 2 (Fees for permitted copies); Section 3 (Search fee)
- Amendments noted in legislative history: S 4/1994; S 479/1995; S 526/2004; 2010 RevEd
What Is This Legislation About?
The Fees (Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau) Order is a Singapore subsidiary legislation that sets out the specific fees payable to obtain certain materials held by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB). In practical terms, it governs the charges that may be levied when the CPIB Director permits members of the public to receive copies of reports, documents, statements, plans, and photographs.
This Order does not create a general right to access CPIB records. Instead, it operates on the assumption that access may be granted under the relevant legal framework governing CPIB disclosures. Where disclosure is permitted, the Order standardises the amounts that can be charged for supplying copies and for conducting searches for records.
For lawyers, the significance of this instrument lies in its narrow but concrete function: it provides the fee schedule and search fee that apply to CPIB materials. This can affect how requests are made, how costs are assessed, and how parties manage timelines and expenses when seeking copies of CPIB-related materials.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation) is straightforward. It provides the short title by which the Order may be cited: the “Fees (Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau) Order”. This is standard legislative drafting and is mainly relevant for legal referencing.
Section 2 (Fees for permitted copies) is the core provision. It states that the following fees shall be leviable for copies of specified categories of CPIB materials that the Director may permit to be supplied to the public. The categories are broad and include:
- Copies of a report or document: $16
- Copies of a statement recorded from an accused person in accordance with section 122 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Cap. 68): $16
- Copies of a plan: $77
- Copies of a photograph: different fees depending on size and whether black-and-white or colour:
- 20.3 cm x 25.4 cm (black and white): $43
- 18 cm x 12.7 cm (colour): $47
Several practical points follow from Section 2. First, the fee schedule is per copy of the relevant item type. Second, the Order distinguishes between different media types (reports/documents, statements, plans, photographs), reflecting different administrative and reproduction costs. Third, the inclusion of statements “recorded from an accused person” under section 122 of the Criminal Procedure Code indicates that CPIB materials may intersect with criminal procedure and evidence handling. For practitioners, this is a reminder that requests for “statements” may attract the same $16 fee as reports/documents, but the legal basis for the statement’s recording is specifically referenced.
Section 3 (Search fee) provides for an additional charge. It states that a fee of $14 shall be leviable by the Director for every search for any report, document, statement, information, or record in the possession of CPIB.
The search fee is important because it applies even before copies are supplied. In other words, the cost of locating the relevant materials may be separate from the cost of reproducing them. For lawyers advising clients, this means that a request’s scope—how many items are sought, how precisely they are described, and how broad the search needs to be—can materially affect total costs.
Although the Order does not define “every search” or specify how searches are counted (for example, whether multiple items can be found within a single search request), the plain wording suggests that each search activity undertaken by CPIB triggers the $14 fee. Practically, this encourages requesters to provide as much identifying information as possible (dates, file references, document titles, and the nature of the record) to reduce unnecessary searching.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is structured in a compact format with three sections:
- Section 1: Citation (short title).
- Section 2: The fee schedule for copies of CPIB materials that the Director may permit to be supplied to the public. It sets out specific amounts for different categories of documents and images.
- Section 3: A separate search fee of $14 for each search for CPIB-held records.
Notably, the instrument is not divided into “Parts” and contains no long procedural framework. Its function is essentially tariff-setting: it tells the reader what CPIB may charge for copying and searching, rather than prescribing how access decisions are made.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
This Order applies to the Director, Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau in relation to the supply of copies of CPIB materials to the public. The fee liability is triggered when the Director permits the supply of copies and when CPIB conducts searches for relevant records.
For members of the public and legal practitioners, the Order is relevant when making requests for CPIB-held materials. However, it should be understood as fee-related legislation rather than an access-right statute. The ability to obtain copies depends on the underlying legal basis for disclosure or permission to supply records. The Order then governs the charges that may be levied once permission is granted.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Although the Fees (CPIB) Order is short, it is practically significant because it affects the real-world cost and logistics of obtaining CPIB materials. In legal practice, requests for documents can be central to case preparation, compliance, and dispute resolution. When CPIB records are sought, counsel must anticipate both reproduction fees (Section 2) and search fees (Section 3).
From an enforcement and governance perspective, the Order promotes consistency and transparency by fixing specific amounts rather than allowing ad hoc charges. This reduces uncertainty for requesters and helps ensure that CPIB’s fee practices are aligned with a published legal schedule.
For practitioners, the most actionable takeaways are:
- Budget for both copying and searching. Even if the number of copies is small, the search fee may apply for each search conducted.
- Classify the requested material correctly. Reports/documents and section 122 statements are charged at $16 per copy, while plans and photographs have higher, media-specific fees.
- Provide precise identifiers to limit search scope. Better specificity can reduce the number of searches required, thereby limiting the $14 search fee exposure.
Finally, the Order’s reference to section 122 of the Criminal Procedure Code underscores the intersection between CPIB investigations and criminal proceedings. Where statements recorded from an accused person are sought, counsel should be alert to both the fee schedule and the broader legal constraints governing disclosure of such materials.
Related Legislation
- Fees Act (Cap. 106), Section 2 (authorising provision for fee orders)
- Criminal Procedure Code (Cap. 68), Section 122 (referenced for statements recorded from an accused person)
- Criminal Procedure Code (Cap. 68) (general criminal procedure context)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Fees (Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau) Order for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.