Statute Details
- Title: COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Extension of Prescribed Period) (No. 3) Order 2020
- Act Code: COVID19TMA2020-S1112-2020
- Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 (Act 14 of 2020)
- Key Enabling Provision: Section 3(2) of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020
- Enacting Formula (Power Source): Minister for Law makes the Order in exercise of powers under section 3(2)
- Citation: SL 1112/2020
- Date Made: 30 December 2020
- Commencement/Effect Period (as specified): Extension runs from 1 January 2021 to 31 January 2021
- Current Version Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026 (per legislation portal status)
What Is This Legislation About?
The COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Extension of Prescribed Period) (No. 3) Order 2020 is a short but practically significant legal instrument. It does not create new substantive obligations by itself; instead, it modifies how an existing framework in the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 operates for a defined class of contracts during a defined period.
In plain terms, the Order extends a “prescribed period” that determines when certain COVID-19-related contractual protections apply. Those protections are located in Part 2 of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020. By extending the prescribed period, the Order ensures that the statutory relief regime continues to cover specified contract types for an additional month—covering the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 January 2021.
The Order is therefore best understood as a time-extension mechanism. It reflects the legislative and policy approach taken during the pandemic: as public health conditions and economic disruption evolved, the Government adjusted the duration of contractual relief to match the continuing impact on affected sectors.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation) provides the formal name of the instrument: the “COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Extension of Prescribed Period) (No. 3) Order 2020”. This is standard drafting and is mainly relevant for referencing and legal citation.
Section 2 (Extension of prescribed period for Part 2 of Act) is the operative provision. It states that the “prescribed period” as it applies to certain descriptions of scheduled contracts in Part 2 of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 is extended by a period starting on 1 January 2021 and ending on 31 January 2021.
The Order specifies that the extension applies to two categories of scheduled contracts:
(a) an event contract, and
(b) a tourism-related contract.
Although the extract provided does not reproduce the definitions, the legal effect is clear: for the specified one-month extension window, the statutory regime in Part 2 continues to apply to these contract types. In practice, this means that parties to such contracts—typically event organisers, venues, ticketing arrangements, and tourism operators—remain within the scope of the Act’s temporary measures during that period.
Made on 30 December 2020 indicates the Order was enacted shortly before the extension period began. This timing is important for practitioners because it supports the interpretation that the extension was intended to operate prospectively from 1 January 2021, rather than being a retroactive adjustment after the fact.
Finally, the enacting formula and the reference to section 3(2) of the Act confirm that the Minister for Law has a delegated power to extend the prescribed period. This is a common legislative technique: Parliament sets the framework and confers flexibility to the executive to adjust timing as circumstances change.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
This Order is extremely concise and consists of:
1. A citation provision; and
2. A single substantive provision extending the prescribed period for specified contract categories under Part 2 of the Act.
There are no separate Parts or schedules in the extract. The structure is typical of subsidiary legislation that performs a targeted adjustment to a defined statutory mechanism. The “real” substantive content—what relief is available, what triggers it, and what consequences follow—resides in the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020, particularly Part 2. This Order functions as a “time switch” for that Part.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Order applies to parties to scheduled contracts falling within Part 2 of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020, specifically those that are either:
event contracts, or
tourism-related contracts.
In practical terms, this likely includes businesses and counterparties engaged in organising events and providing tourism services, as well as consumers or other contracting parties depending on how “scheduled contracts” and the relevant contract categories are defined in the Act. The key point for lawyers is that applicability is not determined by the identity of the party alone, but by the characterisation of the contract and whether it falls within the statutory definitions and the relevant “prescribed period”.
Because the Order extends the prescribed period for one month, it affects how contractual disputes and relief claims are assessed for that timeframe. If a contract falls within the relevant category and the relevant events or obligations are assessed against the prescribed period, the extension can be decisive for whether the statutory temporary measures are available.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Even though the Order is brief, it is important because it directly influences the availability of pandemic-era contractual relief. In contract disputes, timing often determines whether a statutory regime applies. By extending the prescribed period from 1 January 2021 to 31 January 2021, the Order helps ensure continuity of protection for affected sectors during a period when restrictions and uncertainty were still present.
From a practitioner’s perspective, the Order matters in at least three ways:
(1) Scope and eligibility: It extends the window during which the Act’s Part 2 measures apply to event and tourism-related contracts. This can affect whether parties can rely on statutory mechanisms rather than being confined to ordinary contract law principles.
(2) Dispute resolution strategy: In claims involving cancellation, postponement, refunds, or performance issues, counsel must assess whether the relevant contractual period falls within the prescribed period. An extension can strengthen or weaken a party’s position depending on the facts.
(3) Compliance and risk management: Businesses in the event and tourism sectors needed legal certainty on how obligations would be treated. Knowing that the prescribed period was extended for a defined month informs operational decisions and communications with counterparties.
Additionally, the Order illustrates the broader legislative approach during COVID-19: Parliament created a flexible statutory framework, and subsidiary legislation was used to adjust timing without requiring a full amendment to the Act each time. This approach is legally significant because it demonstrates how delegated powers can be used to keep relief measures responsive to evolving conditions.
Finally, the Order’s status as “current version as at 27 Mar 2026” indicates that it remains part of the legal record and may still be relevant for interpreting rights and obligations that arose during the extended period. Even after the pandemic measures ended, historical instruments can remain relevant in litigation and in the interpretation of contractual performance and remedies.
Related Legislation
- COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 (Act 14 of 2020) — in particular Part 2 and section 3(2)
- COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Extension of Prescribed Period) (No. 3) Order 2020 — this Order (SL 1112/2020)
- Timeline / other extension orders (as applicable) — practitioners should check the legislation timeline to identify the full sequence of prescribed period extensions
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Extension of Prescribed Period) (No. 3) Order 2020 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.