THE LAW IN SINGAPORE ON CHILD ABDUCTION

This article analyses the approach taken by Singapore's criminal and family laws when a child is taken away by one parent without consent of the other parent to another jurisdiction. International efforts to ameliorate the difficulties faced by the left-behind parent in tracing the whereabouts of the child and obtaining his or her return come in the form of the Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Although Singapore is not a party to the Convention, signs of its acceptance in spirit can be seen in a recently decided case. It is argued, however, that accepting the Convention is not enough on its own, and a thorough review of Singapore's criminal and family laws, which have hitherto developed separately, is needed to ensure that they speak with one voice and accord children the protection that they deserve.