A Personal Protection Order (PPO) is a court order made under the Women’s Charter that stops a family member from using family violence against you. You can apply if you have suffered — or are at risk of — family violence from a family member, which includes a spouse or former spouse, a child, a parent, a sibling, or certain relatives. You apply at the Family Justice Courts (or a Protection Specialist Centre), by completing a complaint that sets out what happened. If you are in immediate danger, you can ask the court for an Expedited Order — a temporary protection order granted quickly, before the full hearing. Breaching a PPO is a criminal offence. If you are in immediate physical danger, call the Police on 999 first; the PPO is the longer-term legal protection.
This is general information, not legal advice. If you are experiencing family violence, your safety comes first — the legal process below is how you obtain lasting protection once you are safe.
What a Personal Protection Order Is
A Personal Protection Order is a court order made under the Women’s Charter 1961 that restrains a person from committing family violence against a family member. It is a family-law protection, not a criminal charge in itself — but once granted, breaching it becomes a criminal offence, which is what gives it force.
“Family violence” is defined broadly. It is not limited to physical assault. It includes:
- Wilfully or knowingly placing, or attempting to place, a family member in fear of hurt.
- Causing hurt to a family member.
- Wrongfully confining or restraining a family member against their will.
- Continual harassment with intent to cause, or knowing it is likely to cause, anguish to a family member.
Reasonable force used to protect a person or property, and lawful discipline of a child, are excluded. But the definition deliberately reaches beyond bruises — sustained harassment and threats can be family violence too.
Who Can Apply
A PPO protects against violence by a family member. The relationship is central — a PPO is for family violence, not for disputes between strangers or non-family parties. Family members include:
- A spouse or former spouse.
- A child, including an adopted or step-child.
- A parent, including an adoptive or step-parent.
- A sibling.
- A father-in-law, mother-in-law, and certain other relatives the court regards as members of the family.
An adult can apply on their own behalf. Where the person needing protection is a child, an incapacitated person, or otherwise unable to apply themselves, another person — such as a guardian or an appointed protector — can apply on their behalf.
If your situation involves harassment by someone who is not a family member — a neighbour, a colleague, an online harasser — a PPO is not the right tool. Those situations are dealt with under separate harassment legislation, and the route is different.
How to Apply, Step by Step
- Prepare your account. Write down what happened — dates, what was said and done, and any injuries. Gather supporting evidence: medical reports, photographs of injuries, messages, and the names of any witnesses.
- Make the complaint. You apply at the Family Justice Courts. You can complete the complaint at the court’s Family Protection Centre, or with the help of a Protection Specialist Centre, which supports people through the process. You will set out the family violence you have suffered and who you are seeking protection from.
- The summons is issued. The court issues a summons to the person you are complaining against (the respondent), requiring them to attend court.
- Attend court. The matter may first go to counselling or mediation where appropriate. If the respondent disputes the complaint, the court holds a hearing where both sides give their account and evidence.
- The court decides. If the court is satisfied that family violence has been committed or is likely to be committed, and that a PPO is necessary for protection, it grants the order.
Alongside a PPO, the court can grant related orders — for example a Domestic Exclusion Order, which can exclude the respondent from the shared home or part of it, and a Counselling Order requiring the parties to attend counselling.
Urgent Cases: The Expedited Order
A full PPO hearing takes time, and family violence can be immediate. For urgent situations, the court can grant an Expedited Order (EO) — a temporary protection order made quickly, before the respondent has been heard, where there is an imminent danger of family violence.
An Expedited Order gives interim protection while the main application is pending. It is temporary and time-limited, and it is confirmed, varied, or discharged when the full application is heard. If you are in real and immediate danger, the Expedited Order is the mechanism designed for exactly that — but if the danger is physical and happening now, the Police (999) come first, and the court process follows.
What Happens If a PPO Is Breached
This is where the order has teeth. Breaching a Personal Protection Order — committing further family violence in defiance of the order — is a criminal offence. A person who breaches a PPO can be arrested, and on conviction faces penalties that can include a fine, imprisonment, or both, with harsher penalties for repeat breaches. If a PPO against you is breached by the protected person’s account, report it to the Police, keep evidence of the breach, and the criminal process can follow.
How DLLC Handles Protection Order Applications
Applying for protection when you are frightened and exhausted is hard, and the process can feel intimidating. Our family practice acts for people applying for Personal Protection Orders and Expedited Orders, and for those responding to an application against them. We help you set out your account clearly and with the right evidence, guide you through the court steps, and where the danger is immediate we move for an Expedited Order. Our approach in these matters is calm and practical — the priority is your safety and a protection order that holds.
If you need protection from family violence, or you have been served with a PPO application and need to respond, contact us at (65) 6557 0215 or explore our family practice. You can also schedule a consultation. If you are in immediate danger, call the Police on 999 first.
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Who can apply for a Personal Protection Order in Singapore?
Anyone who has suffered, or is at risk of, family violence from a family member can apply. Family members include a spouse or former spouse, a child, a parent, a sibling, and certain in-laws and relatives. An adult can apply on their own behalf; where the person needing protection is a child or is unable to apply themselves, another person can apply on their behalf.
How long does it take to get a PPO?
A full PPO application involves issuing a summons, possible counselling or mediation, and a hearing if the complaint is disputed, so it can take some weeks. Where there is imminent danger, the court can grant an Expedited Order — a temporary protection order made quickly, before the full hearing — to protect you in the meantime.
What counts as family violence?
Family violence under the Women’s Charter includes causing hurt to a family member, placing or attempting to place them in fear of hurt, wrongful confinement or restraint, and continual harassment that causes anguish. It is not limited to physical assault. Reasonable force to protect a person or property, and lawful discipline of a child, are excluded.
What happens if someone breaches a PPO?
Breaching a Personal Protection Order is a criminal offence. The person who breaches it can be arrested and, on conviction, faces penalties that may include a fine, imprisonment, or both, with harsher penalties for repeat breaches. Report any breach to the Police and keep evidence of it.
Can I get a PPO against someone who is not a family member?
No. A Personal Protection Order is specifically for family violence committed by a family member. Harassment by someone who is not a family member — such as a neighbour, colleague, or online harasser — is dealt with under separate harassment legislation, which provides a different route to protection.
Do I need a lawyer to apply for a PPO?
You can apply for a PPO yourself at the Family Justice Courts, and support is available through the courts and Protection Specialist Centres. A lawyer can help where the matter is contested, where evidence needs to be presented carefully, where an Expedited Order is needed urgently, or where the PPO is tied to a wider family dispute such as a divorce.