Statute Details
- Title: Revised Edition of the Laws (Acts Omitted under Section 5(1)) Notification 2021
- Act Code: RELA1983-S979-2021
- Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Enacting Authority: President of Singapore, acting under section 5(1) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act
- Notification Number: S 979/2021
- Date Made: 22 December 2021
- Commencement: Not stated in the extract (typically tied to the revised edition process)
- Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Core Function: Specifies Acts to be omitted from the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts
- Key Omitted Acts (as listed): COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020; COVID-19 (Temporary Measures for Solemnization and Registration of Marriages) Act 2020; Dental Registration Act; Pensions (Expatriate Officers) Act; Stamp Duties Act; The Kwong-Wai-Shiu Free Hospital (Transfer of Undertaking and Dissolution) Act 2017
What Is This Legislation About?
The Revised Edition of the Laws (Acts Omitted under Section 5(1)) Notification 2021 is a procedural legislative instrument that supports Singapore’s ongoing law revision and consolidation programme. In plain terms, it tells the legal system which earlier Acts should not be carried forward into the next “revised edition” of the statute book.
Singapore periodically publishes revised editions of Acts to improve accessibility, remove obsolete material, and reflect changes made through amendments, repeals, or expiry. This Notification is made under the Revised Edition of the Laws Act, which empowers the President to specify Acts that are to be omitted from a particular revised edition. The effect is not to create new substantive rights or offences; rather, it determines what appears (or does not appear) in the revised compilation.
Although the Notification is short, it is legally meaningful for practitioners. Omission from a revised edition can affect how lawyers locate the “current” version of an Act, how citations are made, and how courts and agencies interpret whether an Act remains part of the operative statute framework. The Notification therefore functions as a housekeeping and indexing device for the revised legislative corpus.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. The enabling power and the purpose of omission. The Notification is made “in exercise of the powers conferred by section 5(1) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act”. Section 5(1) is the legal mechanism that allows the President to direct that specified Acts be omitted from the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts. The practical implication is that the revised edition will not include the listed Acts as part of the compiled text.
2. The list of Acts omitted from the 2020 Revised Edition. The Notification then sets out, in numbered paragraphs, the specific Acts to be omitted. The extract identifies six categories of Acts:
- COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 (Act 14 of 2020);
- COVID-19 (Temporary Measures for Solemnization and Registration of Marriages) Act 2020 (Act 23 of 2020);
- Dental Registration Act (Cap. 76, 2009 Ed.);
- Pensions (Expatriate Officers) Act (Cap. 226, 1985 Ed.);
- Stamp Duties Act (Cap. 312, 2006 Ed.);
- The Kwong-Wai-Shiu Free Hospital (Transfer of Undertaking and Dissolution) Act 2017 (Act 21 of 2017).
3. Legal effect: omission from the revised edition, not necessarily repeal of the underlying Act. A key practitioner point is to distinguish between (a) omission from a revised edition and (b) repeal or expiry of an Act. This Notification is framed as an instruction for the revised edition compilation. It does not, on its face, state that the omitted Acts are repealed. Instead, it specifies that they are to be omitted from the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts. In practice, omitted Acts are typically those that have become spent, superseded, or otherwise not intended to be reproduced in the revised compilation. However, lawyers should still verify the operative status of each Act through its own amendment/repeal history and the current legislative database.
4. Formalities and date. The Notification is “Made on 22 December 2021” and signed by the Secretary to the Cabinet, TAN KEE YONG, “By Command”. It also includes an internal reference “[AG/LEGIS/SL/275/2020/2 Vol. 1]”, which is useful for document tracking and official drafting records.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
This Notification is structured in a conventional format for subsidiary legislation notifications under the Revised Edition of the Laws Act:
- Enacting formula: identifies the President’s power under section 5(1) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act.
- Operative provision: states that “the following Acts are to be omitted from the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts”.
- Schedule-like list: enumerates the Acts to be omitted, numbered (1) to (6).
- Making clause: records the date made and the signatory.
There are no “Parts” or detailed sections in the extract because the instrument is essentially a short, targeted specification. For practitioners, the operative content is the list of omitted Acts; the rest is procedural and formal.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
Because this is a notification about the compilation of the revised statute book, it does not “apply” to a class of persons in the way regulatory legislation does (e.g., licensing rules, offences, or regulatory duties). Instead, it applies to the law revision process—i.e., it governs what is included in the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts.
That said, the practical impact is felt by legal practitioners, courts, government agencies, and the public who rely on the revised edition for authoritative citations and accessible statutory text. If an Act is omitted from the revised edition, lawyers may need to consult the original Act, earlier editions, or other consolidated sources to locate the operative provisions—particularly where the omitted Act remains relevant in some form.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
1. It affects how lawyers find and cite the law. In legal practice, accurate citation is not merely academic. Courts and counsel often refer to the “current” revised edition for the authoritative text. When an Act is omitted from a revised edition, counsel must ensure that citations and quotations are drawn from the correct source. Failure to do so can lead to mis-citation, delays, or arguments about whether the quoted text is current.
2. It signals that the omitted Acts are not intended to be reproduced in the revised compilation. While the Notification does not itself provide substantive reasons for omission, the selection is informative. Several omitted Acts are COVID-19 temporary measures (which are typically time-limited and may have been spent). Others are older sectoral or administrative Acts (e.g., Dental Registration Act as referenced in a 2009 edition; Pensions (Expatriate Officers) Act as referenced in a 1985 edition; Stamp Duties Act as referenced in a 2006 edition). The inclusion of a hospital transfer/dissolution Act from 2017 suggests that certain one-off or structural Acts may be treated as complete once the relevant transaction or dissolution has occurred.
3. It supports legal certainty and legislative housekeeping. Revised editions aim to reduce clutter and improve usability. By omitting Acts that are no longer intended to be part of the revised compilation, the Notification helps prevent confusion caused by outdated or superseded texts. For practitioners, this contributes to more reliable statutory research—provided that lawyers remain alert to the possibility that an omitted Act may still have residual effect or may be relevant for historical or transitional matters.
4. It underscores the need for version control in statutory research. The extract indicates that the “current version” is as at 27 Mar 2026, and there is a “Timeline” feature. This is a reminder that statutory instruments can be updated, consolidated, or reissued. Practitioners should always confirm the version date and cross-check the legislative timeline when relying on a particular text for advice, litigation, or compliance.
Related Legislation
- Revised Edition of the Laws Act (the authorising Act; specifically section 5(1))
- Dental Registration Act (Cap. 76, 2009 Ed.)
- Pensions (Expatriate Officers) Act (Cap. 226, 1985 Ed.)
- Stamp Duties Act (Cap. 312, 2006 Ed.)
- COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 (Act 14 of 2020)
- COVID-19 (Temporary Measures for Solemnization and Registration of Marriages) Act 2020 (Act 23 of 2020)
- The Kwong-Wai-Shiu Free Hospital (Transfer of Undertaking and Dissolution) Act 2017 (Act 21 of 2017)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Revised Edition of the Laws (Acts Omitted under Section 5(1)) Notification 2021 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.