Scope of Assistance

The Public Defender’s Office provides legal representation to individuals who cannot afford to engage a lawyer and are charged with most types of criminal offences.

You may refer to the video below for a walkthrough of the application process and eligibility criteria for criminal defence aid with the Public Defender's Office.

How can I get help from the Public Defender’s Office?

The Public Defender’s Office will assess applications for criminal defence aid, including conducting a means test to assess the financial circumstances and merits test to assess whether there are reasonable grounds of the case. Eligible applications would be granted criminal defence aid and assigned to a Public Defender, who will then represent the accused person.

Eligible applications may also be referred to the Pro Bono SG, and a volunteer private lawyer would be assigned to represent the accused person.

An eligible accused person will not get to choose between the Public Defender or a volunteer private lawyer.

What type of criminal proceedings are not handled by the Public Defender’s Office?

The Public Defender's Office will not handle criminal proceedings relating to:

a.     Offences punishable by death;

b.     Offences that are regulatory in nature (for e.g., traffic summons) and departmental charges;

c.     Offences under 10 Acts relating to gambling, organised and syndicate crime, and terrorism;

d. Offences prosecuted by private person

The Schedule under the Public Defender’s Act 2022 sets out the (click here ↗ (opens in new tab)) list of excluded offences and excluded class of offences.

Excluded offences that are under 10 Acts relating to gambling, organised and syndicate crime, and terrorism is defined as offences under the following 10 Acts:

• Betting Act 1960

• Casino Control Act 2006

• Common Gaming Houses Act 1961

• Gambling Control Act 2022

• Massage Establishments Act 2017

• Organised Crime Act 2015

• Remote Gambling Act 2014

• Terrorism (Suppression of Bombings) Act 2007

• Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act 2002

• Terrorism (Suppression of Misuse of Radioactive Material) Act 2017

Excluded offences which are regulatory in nature are defined (i) where the individual was served with a Notice to Attend Court, or issued a summons by an officer of a statutory body; or (ii) under any of the following 39 Acts:

• Advance Medical Directive Act 1996

• Child Development Co-Savings Act 2001

• Customs Act 1960

• Employment Act 1968

• Employment Agencies Act 1958

• Employment Claims Act 2016

• Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990

• Enlistment Act 1970

• Fire Safety Act 1993

• Foreign Employee Dormitories Act 2015

• Goods and Services Tax Act 1993

• Health Products Act 2007

• Health Promotion Board Act 2001

• Health Sciences Authority Act 2001

• Immigration Act 1959

• Infectious Diseases Act 1976

• Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018

• Medical and Elderly Care Endowment Schemes Act 2000

• Medicines (Advertisement and Sale) Act 1955

• Medicines Act 1975

• Moneylenders Act 2008

• National Registration Act 1965

• Passports Act 2007

• Personal Data Protection Act 2012

• Poisons Act 1938

• Registration of Births and Deaths Act 2021

• Regulation of Imports and Exports Act 1995

• Retirement and Re-employment Act 1993

• Road Traffic Act 1961

• Sale of Drugs Act 1914

• Singapore Armed Forces Act 1972

• Termination of Pregnancy Act 1974

• Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act 1993

• Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Act 2000

• Work Injury Compensation Act 2019

• Workplace Safety and Health Act 2006

• Town Councils Act 1988

• Bankruptcy Act (Cap 20, 2009 Rev Ed)

• Pawnbrokers Act 2015