Edwin Tong on Extradition (Amendment) Bill

Singapore will update and modernise its statutory extradition regime to align it with other leading common law jurisdictions and cement its role as a responsible global citizen in the fight against crime. Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong outlined the proposed changes during the second reading of the Extradition (Amendment) Bill in Parliament on Monday (Apr 4). He said the Bill seeks to strike the right balance between international cooperation and individual liberty. It will use the threshold approach for determining extradition offences, expand the restrictions on the surrender of persons, update evidential procedures for extradition proceedings, centralise review procedures for extradition proceedings and introduce a mechanism for fugitives to consent to their extradition. Mr Tong said the Bill forms a comprehensive update to the law that takes into account developments in international practice.