Statute Details
- Title: Revised Edition of the Laws (Acts Omitted under Section 4(1)) Notification 2021
- Act Code: RELA1983-S978-2021
- Type: Subsidiary legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Chapter 275)
- Enacting Authority: Law Revision Commissioners
- Date Made: 23 December 2021
- Notification Number: S 978/2021
- Commencement: Not stated in the extract (notification-based omission)
- Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Key Legal Effect: Omission of specified Acts from the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts
What Is This Legislation About?
The Revised Edition of the Laws (Acts Omitted under Section 4(1)) Notification 2021 is a procedural “law revision” instrument. In plain terms, it tells the official law revision process to remove certain Acts from the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts. This is not a substantive reform of policy or rights; rather, it is an administrative step to keep the published revised edition accurate, up to date, and appropriately curated.
Under Singapore’s Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Cap. 275), the Law Revision Commissioners are empowered to prepare revised editions of legislation. A revised edition is intended to be a consolidated, cleaned-up version of the law—typically reflecting Acts that are still relevant and in force, and omitting those that are spent, superseded, or otherwise no longer appropriate to include in the revised compilation.
This particular notification focuses on “omitted Acts” under section 4(1)(a)(i) and is made pursuant to section 4(2) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act. The notification’s schedule lists the Acts that are to be omitted from the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts. For practitioners, the practical significance is that references to these Acts may no longer appear in the revised compilation, even though the original Acts (as enacted) may still exist historically and may still be relevant for transitional or interpretive purposes depending on their content and effect.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Legal basis for omission (Revised Edition of the Laws Act, Cap. 275). The notification is made “in exercise of the powers conferred by section 4(1)(a)(i) and pursuant to section 4(2)” of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act. While the extract does not reproduce Cap. 275’s text, the structure indicates that section 4(1) identifies the categories or circumstances in which Acts may be omitted, and section 4(2) governs the procedure for making such omissions by notification. The key point for lawyers is that the omission is grounded in statutory authority, not mere editorial discretion.
2. The schedule: specific Acts omitted from the 2020 Revised Edition. The notification states that the Law Revision Commissioners have omitted the following Acts from the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts:
(a) CISCO (Dissolution) Act (Cap. 47A, 2006 Ed.);
(b) Parliamentary Elections (COVID‑19 Special Arrangements) Act 2020 (Act 21 of 2020);
(c) Post Office Savings Bank of Singapore (Transfer of Undertakings and Dissolution) Act (Cap. 237, 1999 Ed.); and
(d) all Supply Acts specified in the Schedule.
3. Omission of “Supply Acts” as a class (with a schedule reference). Supply Acts are annual (or periodic) Acts that provide for government expenditure and appropriation of funds. The notification indicates that it omits “all Supply Acts specified in the Schedule.” This is significant because Supply Acts are often short-lived and are typically exhausted upon the relevant financial year’s appropriation. By omitting them from the revised edition, the revised compilation avoids cluttering the consolidated text with Acts that have limited ongoing legal utility.
4. Formal making and identification details. The notification is “Made on 23 December 2021” and signed by LUCIEN WONG, Chairman, Law Revision Commission. It also includes an administrative reference: “[AG/LEGIS/SL/275/2020/2 Vol. 1].” For practitioners, these details matter when verifying the authenticity of the instrument, locating the official publication record, and cross-checking versions via the legislation timeline.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
This notification is structured in a straightforward way typical of omission notifications under the Revised Edition of the Laws Act:
(1) Title and status information (including “Current version as at 27 Mar 2026”).
(2) Enacting formula setting out the statutory powers under Cap. 275 and the purpose of omission.
(3) The Schedule listing the Acts to be omitted from the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts.
(4) Making clause (date made and signatory).
Notably, the extract does not show multiple parts or detailed operative sections beyond the schedule-based omission. The “substance” is therefore in the list of omitted Acts rather than in complex regulatory requirements.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
Although the notification is a legal instrument, it does not “apply” to regulated persons in the way licensing or regulatory statutes do. Instead, it applies to the publication and compilation of Singapore’s revised legislative texts. The direct beneficiaries are legal publishers, courts, practitioners, and the public who rely on the revised edition as an authoritative reference.
Practically, the omission affects lawyers and litigants who use the revised edition for citation and research. If an Act is omitted from the revised edition, it may no longer be readily accessible within the revised compilation, and its citation may require reference to the original Act title, Act number, or the earlier edition/cap citation (as indicated in the schedule). However, omission from a revised edition does not automatically mean the Act is void or without legal effect; it means it is omitted from that particular revised compilation.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
1. It affects legal research, citation, and drafting. For practitioners, the most immediate impact is on how legislation is located and cited. When an Act is omitted from the revised edition, a lawyer relying solely on the revised compilation may miss relevant provisions unless they know to consult the original Act or earlier editions. This is especially important in matters involving historical facts, transitional issues, or interpretation of provisions that were enacted for a specific period or purpose.
2. It reflects the “spent or no longer necessary” nature of certain Acts. The Acts listed in the schedule share a common theme: they relate to institutional dissolution, transfer of undertakings, or temporary arrangements—typical candidates for omission from a revised edition. For example, dissolution and transfer Acts often become spent once the relevant corporate or institutional restructuring is completed. Similarly, COVID‑19 special arrangements for parliamentary elections were time-bound and designed to address extraordinary circumstances.
3. It supports the integrity and usability of the revised legislative corpus. The Revised Edition of the Laws Act aims to produce a coherent, user-friendly compilation. Omitting Supply Acts and other short-lived legislation reduces noise and helps ensure that the revised edition remains a practical tool for legal work. For courts and tribunals, a cleaner revised edition can also reduce confusion about which provisions are intended to be part of the consolidated current legislative landscape.
Related Legislation
- Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Chapter 275) — the authorising statute for omissions under section 4(1) and section 4(2).
- CISCO (Dissolution) Act (Cap. 47A, 2006 Ed.) — omitted from the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts.
- Parliamentary Elections (COVID‑19 Special Arrangements) Act 2020 (Act 21 of 2020) — omitted from the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts.
- Post Office Savings Bank of Singapore (Transfer of Undertakings and Dissolution) Act (Cap. 237, 1999 Ed.) — omitted from the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts.
- Supply Acts (as specified in the Schedule to the notification) — omitted as a class from the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts.
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Revised Edition of the Laws (Acts Omitted under Section 4(1)) Notification 2021 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.