Statute Details
- Title: Order under Section 11(3)
- Act Code: RELA1983-S642-2009
- Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Cap. 275)
- Commencement / Effective Date: 1 January 2010
- Gazette Publication: Order published in the Gazette (dated 16 December 2009)
- Status: Current version as at 27 March 2026
- Legislative Instrument Number: SL 642/2009
- Key Provision (as referenced): Section 11(3) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act
- Schedule: Loose-leaf editions of Acts set out in the Schedule (as published by the Law Revision Commissioners)
What Is This Legislation About?
This instrument is a presidential order made under section 11(3) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Cap. 275). In practical terms, it is not a “substantive” law that creates new rights or offences. Instead, it is a legal mechanism for determining which version of the law is authoritative in courts and for all legal purposes.
The Order is linked to the work of the Law Revision Commissioners, who publish a loose-leaf edition of Acts. The loose-leaf edition is prepared so that the Acts reflect their status “as at” a specified date (here, 1 December 2009). Once the Commissioners publish the Acts in loose-leaf form, the President may issue an order—published in the Gazette—specifying that the loose-leaf edition will be the sole and only proper law of Singapore for those Acts.
Accordingly, the Order’s core function is to confirm the legal authority of a particular published edition of the Acts listed in its Schedule. It ensures that when lawyers, courts, and government bodies refer to the law, they are referring to the official consolidated/updated text that is treated as authoritative for legal proceedings.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. The “sole and only proper law” effect
The operative part of the Order provides that the loose-leaf edition of the Acts set out in the Schedule shall, with effect from 1 January 2010, be the sole and only proper law of Singapore in respect of those Acts. This is the central legal consequence. It means that, for the specified Acts, the loose-leaf edition is treated as the definitive legal text for all courts and all purposes.
From a practitioner’s perspective, this matters because disputes about the “correct” text of legislation can arise where there are multiple publications (e.g., earlier editions, reprints, or unofficial compilations). The Order is designed to eliminate uncertainty by designating a single authoritative version.
2. The procedural trigger: publication by the Law Revision Commissioners
The recitals (the “Whereas” clauses) explain the statutory pathway. First, pursuant to section 10 of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act, the Law Revision Commissioners publish in loose-leaf form the Acts set out in the Schedule “as in force on 1st December 2009”.
Second, the Order notes that section 11(3) provides for the Commissioners to transmit to the President a copy of the loose-leaf edition. The President may then, by order published in the Gazette, specify that the loose-leaf edition shall be the sole and only proper law.
This structure is important for lawyers because it clarifies that the President’s order is not arbitrary; it is a formal step in a statutory process that follows the Commissioners’ publication work.
3. Effective date and continuity
The Order states that the loose-leaf edition becomes authoritative with effect from 1 January 2010. That effective date is crucial. It determines when the designated edition starts to govern the authoritative legal text for the Acts in the Schedule.
In practice, this can affect how counsel cite legislation in pleadings, submissions, and affidavits—particularly in matters where the relevant events occurred before 1 January 2010, but the proceedings occur after. While the Order makes the loose-leaf edition the “proper law” from the effective date, lawyers must still consider whether the substantive legal position at the time of the events is reflected in the version “as in force” on the relevant date. The loose-leaf edition is prepared as at 1 December 2009, so it will incorporate amendments up to that point.
4. The Schedule and scope limitation
The Order applies to “the Acts set out in the Schedule.” The extract provided does not reproduce the Schedule contents, but the legal effect is limited to those Acts listed there. This is a key point: the Order does not automatically make the loose-leaf edition authoritative for all Singapore Acts. It is confined to the specific Acts identified in the Schedule.
For practitioners, the immediate task is therefore to identify whether the particular Act relevant to a matter appears in the Schedule. If it does, the loose-leaf edition designated by the Order is the authoritative text for that Act from 1 January 2010.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
Although the instrument is short, it follows a standard legislative structure:
(a) Enacting formula: The formal legal language that frames the President’s order.
(b) Recitals (“Whereas” clauses): These set out the background and statutory basis—publication by the Law Revision Commissioners under section 10, transmission to the President, and the President’s power under section 11(3) to designate the loose-leaf edition as the sole and only proper law.
(c) Operative provision: The substantive effect—designation of the loose-leaf edition as the sole and only proper law for the Acts in the Schedule, effective from 1 January 2010.
(d) Schedule: The list of Acts to which the designation applies.
(e) Date and signature: The Order is dated 16 December 2009 and signed “By Command” by the Secretary to the Cabinet, Singapore (as shown in the extract).
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
This Order applies to courts and all persons dealing with the Acts listed in its Schedule. The phrase “in all courts and for all purposes” indicates that the designation is not merely administrative; it is intended to govern how the law is treated in judicial proceedings and legal practice.
In terms of practical impact, the Order affects:
• Lawyers (citation and reliance on the authoritative text);
• Courts (ensuring the correct version of the law is applied);
• Government agencies (compliance, enforcement, and interpretation); and
• Members of the public (indirectly, through the legal certainty it provides).
Because the Order is limited to Acts in the Schedule, its applicability is Act-specific. A practitioner should verify whether the relevant statute is included in the Schedule to determine whether the loose-leaf edition designated by this Order is the authoritative version.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Although the Order does not create new substantive rules, it is legally significant because it addresses a foundational question: what is the authoritative text of the law? Singapore’s legislative framework relies on accurate and up-to-date statutory texts. The Revised Edition of the Laws Act provides a structured process for producing revised editions, and section 11(3) empowers the President to confirm their authority.
For legal practitioners, the importance lies in certainty and citation reliability. When drafting pleadings or preparing submissions, counsel must cite the correct statutory provisions. If multiple versions exist, parties may argue about which text should be applied. By designating a single “sole and only proper law” edition, the Order reduces the risk of such disputes and supports consistent judicial interpretation.
From an enforcement and compliance standpoint, the Order also supports administrative clarity. Agencies enforcing statutory regimes need to ensure that their internal legal references match the authoritative legislative text. The Order’s effective date (1 January 2010) further provides a clear temporal marker for the transition to the designated edition.
Finally, the Order illustrates how Singapore maintains the integrity of its legal corpus through periodic revision and formal designation. Even where the substantive law remains unchanged, the authoritative publication process ensures that the legal system operates with a stable and official reference point.
Related Legislation
- Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Chapter 275) — in particular, sections 10 and 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.