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 / Authorising Act: Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Cap. 275), specifically section 5(1)
- Number: No. S 979
- Date Made: 22 December 2021
- Commencement: Not stated in the extract (practitioners should confirm in the official publication)
- Version Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026 (per the platform status)
- Core Function: Specifies Acts to be omitted from the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts
- Omitted Acts (as listed):
- 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)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Revised Edition of the Laws (Acts Omitted under Section 5(1)) Notification 2021 is a procedural, housekeeping instrument. Its purpose is not to create new substantive rights or offences. Instead, it directs that certain Acts are to be omitted from the “2020 Revised Edition of Acts”. In other words, it is part of Singapore’s ongoing legislative consolidation and re-publication process.
Under the Revised Edition of the Laws Act, Singapore periodically produces revised editions of legislation. These revised editions aim to present the law in a consolidated, updated form. However, not every Act needs to appear in the revised edition. Some Acts may be spent, superseded, or otherwise not suitable for inclusion in the revised compilation. This Notification exercises the President’s power under section 5(1) to specify which Acts should be omitted.
Practically, the Notification affects how lawyers and the public locate and cite legislation. If an Act is omitted from the revised edition, it may still exist as an original Act (and may remain relevant for historical periods), but it will not be reproduced in the revised compilation. This can matter for litigation involving events that occurred before amendments or repeal, and for compliance work where practitioners must ensure they are consulting the correct version of the law.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. The operative power and the “omission” mechanism. 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) empowers the President to specify Acts to be omitted from a particular revised edition. The Notification therefore functions as the formal legal instruction that triggers omission from the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts.
2. The list of Acts omitted from the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts. The core content is a numbered list of Acts. The Notification specifies six Acts to be omitted. The inclusion of both COVID‑19 temporary measures Acts and older cap-based Acts (with edition years) signals that the omission is likely driven by legislative consolidation considerations—such as whether the Acts have been repealed, replaced, or integrated into other legislation, or whether they are no longer intended to be presented as standalone provisions in the revised compilation.
3. COVID‑19 temporary measures Acts. Two of the omitted Acts relate to COVID‑19 temporary measures: (i) the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 and (ii) the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures for Solemnization and Registration of Marriages) Act 2020. These Acts were designed for a time-limited public health and administrative response. As the pandemic measures evolved, the temporary Acts were likely superseded by later legislation or ceased to have ongoing effect. Omitting them from the revised edition helps keep the consolidated text focused on current, continuing law.
4. Omission of cap-based Acts and a specific 2017 Act. The Notification also omits the Dental Registration Act (Cap. 76, 2009 Ed.), the Pensions (Expatriate Officers) Act (Cap. 226, 1985 Ed.), and the Stamp Duties Act (Cap. 312, 2006 Ed.). The “Ed.” notation indicates these are earlier edition versions of the Acts. This suggests that the revised edition process may have already updated or replaced these Acts in later editions, or that the relevant content has been consolidated elsewhere. Finally, it omits The Kwong‑Wai‑Shiu Free Hospital (Transfer of Undertaking and Dissolution) Act 2017 (Act 21 of 2017), which is a specific institutional transfer/dissolution statute—often the type of Act that may be spent after the transaction is completed.
5. Formalities: making date and signatory. The Notification states it was “Made on 22 December 2021” and is signed by the Secretary to the Cabinet, Singapore (By Command, TAN KEE YONG). These details are important for citation and for confirming the instrument’s authenticity and effective date (where relevant).
How Is This Legislation Structured?
This Notification is structured as a short instrument with an enacting formula and a single operative provision: the specification of omitted Acts. Unlike a typical substantive Act with multiple Parts and sections, this Notification is essentially a list-based directive.
In terms of legal reading, practitioners should treat it as an “instrument of omission” rather than a source of substantive rules. The document includes: (i) the title, (ii) the status/version information, (iii) the enacting formula referencing section 5(1) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act, (iv) the numbered list of Acts to be omitted, and (v) the making date and formal signature block.
Because the Notification is short, its practical value lies in its effect on the revised compilation. For legal research, the key is to cross-reference the omitted Acts with the current consolidated legislation and with any later amendments, repeals, or replacements.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
Strictly speaking, the Notification does not “apply” to a class of persons in the way regulatory legislation does. It applies to the legal publication process—specifically, it governs what is included in the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts. Its direct addressees are the legislative compilation mechanisms under the Revised Edition of the Laws Act.
However, the practical impact is felt by lawyers, courts, government agencies, and regulated persons who rely on the revised edition for authoritative text. If an Act is omitted from the revised edition, practitioners must ensure they consult the correct source for the relevant period—particularly in matters involving historical events (for example, COVID‑19 measures) or transactions completed under a specific institutional statute.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Although the Notification is procedural, it is important for legal certainty and research accuracy. In Singapore’s legal system, the “revised edition” is often treated as the authoritative consolidated presentation of legislation. When an Act is omitted, it can affect how quickly and confidently practitioners can locate the relevant text, and it can influence citation practices.
For litigation and advisory work, omission can be a trap for the unwary. A lawyer may search within the revised edition and fail to find an Act that is still relevant for a particular time period. For example, COVID‑19 temporary measures Acts may have been time-bound but could still matter for disputes arising from actions taken during the period when those Acts were in force. Similarly, institutional transfer/dissolution legislation may have continuing relevance for corporate or property consequences, even if the Act itself is spent.
From an enforcement and compliance perspective, omission also affects how agencies and regulated entities interpret “current law”. If a practitioner relies solely on the revised edition, they may overlook transitional provisions or historical regimes. Therefore, the Notification underscores a core research principle: always verify the applicable version and timeline, and confirm whether the relevant legal regime is contained in the current revised compilation or exists only in the original Act text.
Related Legislation
- Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Cap. 275) (authorising Act; specifically section 5(1))
- 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)
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.