Statute Details
- Title: Order under Section 11(3)
- Act Code: RELA1983-OR5
- Type: Subsidiary legislation / statutory order
- Enacting Formula (Authorising Act): Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Chapter 275, Section 11(3))
- Legislative Instrument: Order under Section 11(3) (O 5)
- Gazette / Notification: G.N. No. S 78/1992
- Revised Edition Reference: Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Chapter 275, Section 11(3)); Revised Edition 1993 (25th March 1992)
- Commencement / Effective Date: 9 March 1992
- Status: Current version as at 27 March 2026
- Key Schedules: First Schedule and Second Schedule (Acts covered by the Revised Edition booklets)
- Parts / Key Sections: Not specified in the extract (the operative effect is contained in the order)
What Is This Legislation About?
This instrument is an administrative-legal “validation” order made under Singapore’s Revised Edition of the Laws Act. In plain terms, it deals with how certain published law materials become the authoritative law to be applied by courts and used for all legal purposes.
The order is connected to the publication of the Revised Edition of the Laws in the early 1990s. Under the Revised Edition of the Laws Act, the Law Revision Commissioners publish selected Acts in separate booklets. Those booklets reflect the Acts “as in force on 31 December 1991”. The President may then, by order published in the Gazette, declare that the booklets are the sole and only proper law of Singapore for the specified Acts.
The practical effect is straightforward: once the President makes such an order, lawyers and courts should treat the specified revised booklets as the definitive legal text for the Acts covered. This reduces uncertainty that could arise if multiple versions of the same Act exist (e.g., earlier consolidations, amendments, or unofficial compilations). It also supports consistent judicial interpretation by anchoring the “proper law” to a single authoritative publication.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Authority and purpose under section 11(3) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act
The order is made “pursuant to” section 11(3) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act. That provision empowers the President to specify—by Gazette order—that the Commissioners’ revised booklets shall be the sole and only proper law of Singapore in respect of the Acts listed in the relevant schedules.
In the enacting formula, the order recites two key steps that occurred before the President’s action:
- First, the Commissioners published booklets under section 10(1)(a) containing the Acts set out in the First Schedule.
- Second, the Commissioners published booklets under section 10(1)(b) containing the Acts set out in the Second Schedule.
Both sets of booklets reflect the law as at 31 December 1991. The President’s order then “locks in” those booklets as the authoritative legal texts for the specified Acts.
2. Declaration that the booklets are the “sole and only proper law”
The operative declaration is the core legal effect. The order states that the booklets shall, with effect from the specified date, be the sole and only proper law of Singapore in respect of the Acts covered.
This phrase is significant. It is not merely a statement of publication or convenience. It is a legal designation that affects how courts determine what the law is. In practice, it means that when a lawyer or court needs to cite or apply the relevant provisions of the Acts listed, the correct reference point is the revised booklet text designated by the order—not other competing versions.
3. Effective date: “with effect from 9th March 1992”
The order provides that the designation applies with effect from 9 March 1992. This matters for transitional questions: if disputes arose between the publication of earlier versions and the effective date, the order clarifies that from 9 March 1992 onward, the revised booklets are the proper law.
For practitioners, the effective date is also relevant when dealing with historical facts, ongoing proceedings, or issues of statutory interpretation. While the substantive rights and obligations may depend on the law as at the time the events occurred, the authoritative text used by courts for the Act provisions is anchored by this order.
4. Gazette publication and formal legislative history
The order is identified as G.N. No. S 78/1992 and is part of the “Revised Edition 1993” framework, with the revised edition reference dated 25 March 1992 and the order dated 9 March 1992 (as indicated in the extract). The legislative history section in the provided text indicates the instrument’s revision context (e.g., “1993 RevEd”).
While these details may appear procedural, they are important for legal research. They help confirm which consolidated/revised text is intended and allow practitioners to verify they are using the correct version when citing provisions.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
Although the extract does not show a full “section-by-section” layout, the structure is typical of orders made under a parent statute that authorises a specific declaration.
Enacting formula: The order begins with a recital explaining the Commissioners’ publication of booklets under section 10(1)(a) and (b) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act, and the President’s power under section 11(3) to declare those booklets as the sole and only proper law.
Schedules: The order refers to FIRST SCHEDULE and SECOND SCHEDULE. These schedules identify the Acts for which the revised booklets become the authoritative legal text. In other words, the schedules are the “scope map” of what is covered.
Operative clause: The operative effect is a single declaration that the booklets are the sole and only proper law, effective from 9 March 1992.
Legislative history / timeline: The instrument is presented with a timeline and versioning information, including the “current version as at 27 March 2026” and the historical reference to the revised edition context. This is crucial for research integrity: practitioners can confirm the instrument’s continuing relevance and the correct consolidated version.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
This order does not impose regulatory duties on the public in the way that substantive legislation would. Instead, it applies to courts, legal practitioners, and anyone who must ascertain the text of the Acts listed in the First and Second Schedules.
Its “audience” is therefore institutional and research-oriented: it governs what constitutes the proper law of Singapore for the specified Acts. When those Acts are pleaded, cited, interpreted, or applied, the revised booklets designated by the order are the authoritative texts.
In practical terms, the order affects:
- Litigators who must cite the correct statutory wording;
- Judges and registrars who rely on the proper law when determining legal issues;
- Government agencies that apply statutory powers and must use the correct consolidated text;
- Advisers and compliance teams who need certainty about the legal text for drafting opinions and compliance frameworks.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Although the order is brief, it plays a foundational role in Singapore’s legal system by ensuring textual certainty. In jurisdictions with frequent amendments and consolidations, multiple versions of an Act can circulate. Without a mechanism to designate an authoritative text, disputes could arise over which version is “the law” for citation and interpretation.
This order resolves that by declaring that the revised booklets are the sole and only proper law for the specified Acts. That designation supports consistent judicial reasoning and reduces the risk of citation errors or interpretive divergence caused by reliance on outdated or unofficial compilations.
For practitioners, the significance is practical:
- Accurate statutory citation: When referencing provisions of the Acts covered by the First and Second Schedules, lawyers should ensure their citations align with the revised booklet text designated as proper law.
- Research efficiency: Legal research platforms and practitioners can treat the designated revised edition booklets as authoritative, streamlining verification.
- Reliability in interpretation: Courts can interpret statutory language with confidence that the text being applied is the proper law.
Finally, the effective date (9 March 1992) provides a temporal anchor for the transition to the revised edition text. While substantive rights may still depend on the law at the time of the relevant events, the order ensures that the legal system uses a single, authoritative statutory text for those Acts from the commencement date of the order.
Related Legislation
- Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Chapter 275), in particular section 10(1)(a), section 10(1)(b), and section 11(3)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Order under Section 11 (3) for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.