Statute Details
- Title: Notice under Section 17(5)
- Act Code: RELA1983-N14
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL) notice
- Authorising Act: Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Chapter 275), Section 17(5)
- Enacting Formula (summary): A notification by the Law Revision Commissioners appointing the commencement date for a revised edition of subsidiary legislation
- Primary Instrument: G.N. No. S 333/1998
- Key Subject Matter: Appointment of the date the 1998 Revised Edition of Subsidiary Legislation comes into force
- Current Version Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Relevant Historical Versions: 15 Jun 1998 (SL 333/1998); 31 Jan 2000 (2000 RevEd)
What Is This Legislation About?
This instrument is a formal commencement notice issued under section 17(5) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Cap. 275). In plain terms, it tells the public and legal practitioners when a particular revised edition of subsidiary legislation becomes effective.
Unlike substantive regulatory statutes that create new legal duties or offences, this notice primarily performs an administrative and legal-technical function: it confirms the date on which the 1998 Revised Edition of Subsidiary Legislation (published in loose-leaf form) is treated as being in force. This matters because revised editions consolidate and reorganise subsidiary legislation, and practitioners need to know which version is legally operative.
The notice is anchored in the legislative process for law revision in Singapore. The Law Revision Commissioners publish revised editions containing “all new and extensively amended subsidiary legislation” issued during a specified period. The notice then appoints the date the revised edition is to come into force, ensuring legal certainty and continuity for courts, agencies, and regulated parties.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Statutory basis and purpose (section 17(5) of Cap. 275)
The notice is expressly made “pursuant to section 17(5)” of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act. Section 17(5) provides the mechanism by which the Law Revision Commissioners’ publication of a revised edition is converted into a legally effective instrument. The notice therefore does not merely announce an editorial event; it triggers the legal commencement of the revised subsidiary legislation edition.
2. The “Whereas” statement: publication of the revised edition
The enacting formula explains that, pursuant to section 17(5), the Law Revision Commissioners have published in loose-leaf form the 1998 Revised Edition of Subsidiary Legislation. The notice specifies the scope of what that revised edition contains: it includes “all new and extensively amended subsidiary legislation” published under the Acts listed in the Schedule during the period 1 January 1997 to 15 May 1998.
This “scope” language is important for practitioners. It signals that the revised edition is not a random compilation; it is a curated consolidation of new and extensively amended subsidiary legislation within a defined timeframe. As a result, when the revised edition comes into force, it effectively becomes the authoritative reference point for those instruments within the revision’s coverage.
3. The operative notification: appointment of the commencement date
The operative part of the notice states that the Law Revision Commissioners have appointed 15 June 1998 as the date the 1998 Revised Edition of Subsidiary Legislation “shall come into force.” This is the core legal effect of the instrument: it fixes the commencement date for the revised edition.
From a practitioner’s perspective, this means that legal citations, compliance advice, and litigation references should align with the revised edition once it is in force. Where there are differences between earlier versions and the revised edition (including renumbering, reformatting, or consolidation), the revised edition becomes the correct starting point for determining the applicable subsidiary legislation.
4. The schedule and legislative history context
The notice refers to a Schedule (as indicated in the document structure) and includes a legislative history section showing versions and amendments. While the extract provided does not reproduce the full schedule content, the structure indicates that the schedule identifies the Acts set out in the Schedule under which the subsidiary legislation was published during the relevant period.
In practice, the schedule helps determine which legislative domains are covered by the revision. For lawyers working in specific regulatory areas (e.g., licensing, enforcement, administrative procedures), the schedule can be used to confirm whether the revised edition affects the relevant subsidiary legislation regime.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
This instrument is structured in a typical Singapore legislative format for notices under the Revised Edition of the Laws Act. It contains:
(a) A heading and status information indicating that it is a current version as at 27 Mar 2026, with printing options and version selection tools.
(b) An enacting formula that sets out the statutory basis and the factual/legal background: the Law Revision Commissioners’ publication of the revised edition in loose-leaf form.
(c) A “THE SCHEDULE” section referenced in the enacting formula. The schedule is used to identify the Acts whose subsidiary legislation is captured within the revision.
(d) Legislative history and versioning information, including the original publication as SL 333/1998 dated 15 Jun 1998, and later incorporation into the Revised Edition 2000 (31 Jan 2000). This is crucial for legal research because the “current version” may reflect consolidation or editorial updates, even where the operative commencement date remains historically fixed.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
Although the notice is addressed to the public “for general information,” its practical effect is on legal interpretation and referencing. It applies to:
(i) Legal practitioners who must cite the correct version of subsidiary legislation; (ii) courts and tribunals determining the applicable law at relevant times; and (iii) government agencies and regulated entities that rely on consolidated subsidiary legislation for compliance and enforcement.
Importantly, the notice does not create new substantive obligations by itself. Instead, it determines when a consolidated revised edition becomes the authoritative legal reference. Therefore, its “applicability” is best understood as applying to the legal status of the revised edition from the commencement date (15 June 1998) onward.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This notice is important because it underpins legal certainty in the administration of subsidiary legislation. Singapore’s law revision process aims to keep the legal corpus accessible and up to date. But consolidation and revision can affect numbering, formatting, and the presentation of amendments. Without a commencement notice, there would be ambiguity about when the revised edition should be treated as operative.
For practitioners, the key value of this instrument lies in its role in accurate legal research and citation. When advising clients or preparing pleadings, lawyers must ensure that the subsidiary legislation relied upon corresponds to the correct legal version for the relevant period. The commencement date fixed by this notice (15 June 1998) is therefore a critical anchor point in determining which consolidated text should be used.
Additionally, the notice demonstrates how Singapore’s legislative framework handles the transition from earlier subsidiary legislation publications to revised editions. Even though the instrument is brief, it reflects a broader statutory architecture: the Revised Edition of the Laws Act authorises the Law Revision Commissioners to publish revised editions, and section 17(5) provides the mechanism to bring those editions into force. This structure helps maintain continuity while enabling periodic updating of the legal corpus.
Related Legislation
- Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Cap. 275), Section 17(5)
- Subsidiary Legislation included within the 1998 Revised Edition of Subsidiary Legislation (as identified in the Schedule to this notice)
- Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Chapter 275) — general framework for law revision and publication of revised editions
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Notice under Section 17 (5) for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.