Oral answer by Senior Minister of State for Law, Indranee Rajah, to Parliamentary Question on Extradition Treaties

13 SEP 2016

13 Sep 2016 Posted in Parliamentary speeches and responses

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Member of Parliament for Nee Soon GRC)

Question:
To ask the Minister for Law (a) how many countries have signed bilateral extradition treaties with Singapore; (b) why there is no extradition treaty with Thailand; and (c) what are the considerations before Singapore seeks an extradition treaty with another country.

Answer:

  1. Singapore has bilateral extradition treaties with the United States, Hong Kong and Germany, and extradition arrangements with 40 declared Commonwealth countries, including Canada, under the London Scheme for extradition within the Commonwealth. We also have special extradition arrangements with Malaysia and Brunei based on the endorsement of arrest warrants. We have signed an Extradition Treaty and a Defence Cooperation Agreement as a package with Indonesia, which is pending ratification by Indonesia. Singapore is also a party to a number of multilateral instruments which provide for extradition. These include the International Convention against the Taking of Hostages and the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings.

  2. As a responsible and effective member of the international community, we are committed to facilitating greater international cooperation to combat transnational crime, in accordance with our domestic laws and international obligations.

  3. For Singapore to have an extradition treaty with another country, for example, Thailand, there must first be a common desire from both countries to have an arrangement for the reciprocal handing over of fugitives in the interest of law and order. Both countries must find it mutually beneficial to enter into such an arrangement. The next step is then to examine each other’s legal systems and procedures to determine compatibility. Sometimes these arrangements are easier to conclude when countries come from the same legal traditions and have very similar legal systems and procedures. Where there is greater divergence in the respective legal systems and procedures, the differences will need to be rationalized or a consensus be reached as to the legal procedures to be applied before an arrangement can be concluded.

Last updated on 13 Sep 2016