Statute Details
- Title: Protected Places (No. 3) Order 2006
- Act Code: IPA2017-S42-2006
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Protected Areas and Protected Places Act (Cap. 256)
- Enacting Authority: Minister for Home Affairs
- Key Provisions: Section 1 (citation and commencement); Section 2 (declaration of protected places)
- Commencement: 25 January 2006
- Current Status (as provided): Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Schedule: Identifies specific premises and the authority that issues the required pass-card/permit
What Is This Legislation About?
The Protected Places (No. 3) Order 2006 is a Singapore subsidiary instrument made under the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act (Cap. 256). Its practical function is straightforward: it designates particular premises as “protected places” for the purposes of the Act. Once premises are declared protected places, access is restricted and controlled through an authorisation system.
In plain terms, the Order creates a legal boundary around certain sensitive or security-relevant locations. People cannot simply enter or remain there. Instead, entry is permitted only if the person holds the appropriate pass-card or permit issued by the relevant authority (as specified in the Schedule), or if the person has obtained permission from an authorised officer on duty at the premises.
Although the extract provided contains only the enacting formula, the two operative sections, and the existence of a Schedule, the legal effect is significant. Orders like this typically operate as “site-specific” access control measures. They do not merely regulate conduct generally; they impose a condition on physical presence in named premises, thereby enabling enforcement under the parent Act.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation and commencement) provides the formal identity of the instrument and when it takes effect. The Order may be cited as the Protected Places (No. 3) Order 2006 and comes into operation on 25 January 2006. For practitioners, this matters when assessing whether conduct occurred after the Order’s commencement and whether the premises were legally designated as protected places at the relevant time.
Section 2 (Premises declared to be protected places) is the core operative provision. It states that the premises described in the second column of the Schedule are declared to be “protected places” for the purposes of the Act. The section then attaches a strict access rule: no person shall be in those premises unless the person meets one of two conditions.
First, the person must be in possession of a pass-card or permit issued by the authority specified in the first column of the Schedule. This indicates that the Schedule is not merely descriptive; it also links each premises listing to the relevant issuing authority. For legal analysis, this linkage is important because it defines what counts as a valid authorisation for entry—both the type of document (pass-card/permit) and the issuing authority are relevant.
Second, entry is permitted if the person has received permission of an authorised officer on duty at the premises to enter the premises. This creates a discretionary but legally bounded access pathway. Practically, it means that even without a pass-card/permit, a person may lawfully enter if an authorised officer grants permission while on duty. For enforcement and evidential issues, the existence of “authorised officer” status and the fact that permission was granted “on duty at the premises” are likely to be central facts.
The Schedule (referred to but not reproduced in the extract) is therefore essential. It is the mechanism by which the Order identifies the specific premises and the corresponding authority. In most cases, the Schedule will list multiple premises, each tied to an authority. A practitioner should treat the Schedule as integral to the validity and scope of the access restriction: without the Schedule’s premises descriptions and authority designations, the legal reach of Section 2 cannot be mapped.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is structured in a compact, two-section format, supported by a Schedule.
Section 1 deals with citation and commencement. Section 2 contains the substantive declaration and the access restriction. The Schedule operates as the factual matrix: it identifies the premises and the authority that issues the relevant pass-card or permit.
From a drafting and legal interpretation perspective, this structure is typical of “protected place” orders. The operative law is short, but the Schedule does the heavy lifting by specifying the exact locations and the authorising bodies. Accordingly, legal practitioners should always begin by extracting and reviewing the Schedule entries relevant to the premises in question.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Order applies to “no person”—that is, it is not limited to employees, contractors, or residents. The language in Section 2 is broad: it prohibits any person from being in the designated premises unless the person satisfies one of the two authorisation routes (possession of the specified pass-card/permit, or permission from an authorised officer on duty).
In practice, the Order will affect a wide range of individuals who may need access to the premises, including staff, authorised visitors, service providers, and emergency personnel. It also affects members of the public who may otherwise have no reason to enter such locations. For legal compliance, the key question is not the person’s purpose for being there, but whether the person has the required authorisation under the Order.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Orders like the Protected Places (No. 3) Order 2006 are important because they translate the general security framework of the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act into concrete, location-specific restrictions. The parent Act provides the legal architecture for protected areas and protected places; the Order identifies which particular premises fall within that architecture.
From an enforcement standpoint, the Order supports a clear compliance test: if a person is in the premises and does not hold the relevant pass-card/permit or have permission from an authorised officer on duty, the person is not legally authorised to be there. This clarity can be significant in investigations and prosecutions, where the prosecution may need to show (i) that the premises were declared protected places by the relevant order, (ii) that the accused was present in those premises, and (iii) that the accused lacked the required authorisation.
For practitioners advising clients—whether corporate security teams, contractors, or individuals—the Order underscores the need for robust access control procedures. Organisations that operate in or around protected premises should ensure that staff and authorised visitors understand the documentary requirements (pass-card/permit) and the operational process for obtaining permission from authorised officers on duty. It may also be prudent to maintain records of permissions granted, particularly where access is granted on an ad hoc basis.
Finally, because the Order specifies a commencement date (25 January 2006), it can matter in temporal disputes. If conduct occurred before the Order took effect, the premises may not yet have been legally designated as protected places under this instrument. Conversely, conduct after commencement would fall within the Order’s restrictions, subject to the parent Act’s enforcement provisions.
Related Legislation
- Protected Areas and Protected Places Act (Cap. 256)
- Protected Places (No. 3) Order 2006 (this Order; SL 42/2006)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Protected Places (No. 3) Order 2006 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.