Statute Details
- Title: Notification under Section 5(1)
- Act Code: RELA1983-N2
- Type: Subsidiary legislation / legislative notification (Singapore)
- Enacting / Authorising Provision: Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Chapter 275, Section 5(1))
- Enacting Formula (substance): The President has specified that the Acts set out in the Schedule may be omitted from the revised edition of Acts
- Document Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Legislative History (as shown in extract): Revised Edition 1990 (25th March 1992); referenced commencement/dated material includes 5th December 1985
- Key Instrument Reference: G.N. No. S 309/1986 (as shown in extract)
- Schedule: “THE SCHEDULE” (the Acts listed in the Schedule are the subject of the omission authority)
- Parts: Not applicable (notification with a Schedule)
- Key Sections: Not separately enumerated in the extract; the operative effect is conferred by Section 5(1) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act
What Is This Legislation About?
This instrument is a Presidential notification made under Section 5(1) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Cap. 275). In plain terms, it is a formal legal mechanism used during the preparation of a revised edition of Singapore’s laws to decide that certain Acts may be omitted from that revised compilation.
The extract indicates that the President “has specified that the Acts set out in the Schedule may be omitted from the revised edition of Acts.” That statement captures the core function of the notification: it does not create new substantive rights or offences; rather, it affects how the law is presented and consolidated in a revised edition.
For practitioners, the practical significance is that omission from a revised edition can affect how quickly and reliably a lawyer can locate the text of older Acts, and how those Acts are treated in the official consolidated legal record. While the omitted Acts may still exist in law (depending on their status, repeal, or expiry), the notification clarifies that they are not to be included in the revised edition compilation.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Operative authority under Section 5(1) of Cap. 275
The notification is authorised by Section 5(1) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act. The operative effect is that the President may specify that Acts listed in the Schedule “may be omitted” from the revised edition of Acts. The wording “may be omitted” indicates a discretionary or permissive power: it authorises omission, rather than mandating inclusion.
2. The Schedule as the controlling element
The extract shows that the notification contains “THE SCHEDULE”. In such instruments, the Schedule is typically where the legal work is done: it lists the specific Acts that are permitted to be omitted. Although the provided extract does not reproduce the Schedule’s contents, the Schedule is the key to determining which Acts are affected.
From a practitioner’s perspective, the Schedule is therefore the document’s “answer.” If you are researching whether a particular Act appears in the revised edition, you would cross-check the Act’s name against the Schedule in this notification (and also consult the legislation timeline/version notes to ensure you are looking at the correct version).
3. Relationship to the revised edition process
The legislative history displayed in the extract indicates that this notification is tied to the Revised Edition 1990 (with a revised edition date of 25 March 1992 and a referenced earlier date of 5 December 1985). This suggests that the notification was part of the administrative-legal workflow for preparing the revised edition of the laws.
In practical terms, the notification helps ensure that the revised edition remains manageable, accurate, and fit for purpose. Some Acts may be omitted because they are spent, obsolete, superseded, or otherwise not intended to appear in the revised compilation. The notification does not itself explain the reasons; those reasons are usually understood from the broader legislative revision policy and the status of the listed Acts.
4. Versioning and “current version” status
The extract states that the notification is the “Current version as at 27 Mar 2026.” This is important for legal research. Even if the notification is historically linked to the 1990 revised edition, the platform’s “current version” label indicates that the document is maintained in the database with its latest consolidated presentation (including any amendment annotations, if applicable).
For lawyers, this means you should not assume that the instrument is “old and irrelevant.” Instead, you should treat it as an authoritative record of what was specified under Section 5(1), and use it to interpret the revised edition’s scope and the availability of certain Acts in the official compilation.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
Structurally, this instrument is relatively simple. It is a notification rather than a full Act with multiple parts. The extract shows three main structural elements:
(a) Enacting formula — the formal statement that the President has specified omission of certain Acts under the authorising provision.
(b) “THE SCHEDULE” — the Schedule is the substantive part that lists the Acts authorised to be omitted from the revised edition.
(c) Legislative history / timeline metadata — the platform display includes a timeline view (e.g., “1990 RevEd” and “25 Mar 1992”) and references to the Gazette notification (e.g., “G.N. No. S 309/1986”). These elements assist researchers in locating the correct historical and consolidated version.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
This notification is not directed at a class of private persons (such as employers, employees, or regulated entities). Instead, it applies to the process of law revision and publication—specifically, to the compilation of the revised edition of Acts.
Accordingly, its “audience” is primarily legal publishers, government legal services, and legal practitioners who rely on the official revised edition for authoritative text. Practically, it affects lawyers and courts by shaping which Acts are included in the revised edition and therefore how those Acts are accessed and cited in legal research workflows.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Although this notification does not regulate conduct, it is important because it influences the legal research infrastructure—the official compilation of statutes. In Singapore practice, the availability and presentation of legislation in revised editions can affect how quickly counsel can identify the correct statutory text, how confidently they can cite it, and how they interpret the continuity of older legal instruments.
For example, if an Act is omitted from the revised edition under a Section 5(1) notification, a practitioner may encounter difficulties locating the Act within the revised compilation. This can lead to time-consuming searches across older editions, Gazette records, or archived versions. Knowing that a notification exists under Cap. 275 Section 5(1) provides a research “map” for why certain Acts may not appear where expected.
From an enforcement and litigation standpoint, the omission from a revised edition does not automatically mean the underlying Act is invalid or repealed. The key legal question is the current status of the omitted Acts (e.g., whether they have been repealed, consolidated, or remain in force). Therefore, this notification is best treated as a publication and compilation instrument—one that must be read alongside the Act’s own commencement, amendment, repeal, and consolidation history.
Finally, the notification’s “current version” status as at 27 Mar 2026 underscores that the legal database maintains it as a continuing reference point. Practitioners should therefore consult it when conducting historical statutory research, especially where citations or references point to the revised edition framework.
Related Legislation
- Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Cap. 275), in particular Section 5(1)
- Gazette notification referenced in the extract: G.N. No. S 309/1986 (as the publication vehicle for the notification)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Notification under Section 5 (1) for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.