Statute Details
- Title: Revised Edition of the Laws (Cap. 185, N 1) (Rectification) Order 2019
- Act Code: RELA1983-S502-2019
- Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Legislative Instrument No.: S 502/2019
- Enacting Authority: Law Revision Commissioners
- Authorising Act: Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Cap. 275), specifically section 23(1)
- Key Provisions: Section 2 (Rectification of errors), including amendments to commencement dates for payments into the Consolidated Fund
- Date Made: 16 July 2019
- Commencement: Not expressly stated in the extract; the Order is a rectification instrument made under the Revised Edition of the Laws Act
- Status (as provided): Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
What Is This Legislation About?
The Revised Edition of the Laws (Cap. 185, N 1) (Rectification) Order 2019 is a narrow, technical legal instrument. Its purpose is to correct specific errors in the “date of commencement” information associated with the payment of “Proceeds of Forfeited Articles” into Singapore’s Consolidated Fund. In practical terms, it ensures that the revised legal text accurately reflects the intended commencement dates for the relevant financial/legal provisions.
Although the subject matter concerns forfeited articles and the Consolidated Fund, the Order itself does not create new substantive law. Instead, it operates as a “rectification” order: it identifies particular textual mistakes—specifically, incorrect dates—and substitutes the correct dates. This is important because commencement dates determine when a legal obligation, power, or administrative consequence becomes effective. Even a seemingly small date correction can affect interpretation, compliance timelines, and the legal basis for financial handling.
The Order is made under the Revised Edition of the Laws Act, which empowers the Law Revision Commissioners to correct errors in the revised editions of legislation. Such rectification orders are part of the legal infrastructure that keeps Singapore’s consolidated and revised statutes accurate, consistent, and reliable for practitioners, courts, and government agencies.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation) provides the short title of the instrument. This is standard drafting: it confirms that the document is the “Revised Edition of the Laws (Cap. 185, N 1) (Rectification) Order 2019.” While not substantive, citation provisions are important for referencing the instrument in legal arguments, compliance documentation, and legislative history research.
Section 2 (Rectification of errors) is the core provision. It contains two targeted corrections, each tied to a different edition of the relevant statute: the “(1990 Ed.)” and the “(1999 Ed.)” versions of Cap. 185, N 1. The Order instructs that, in the “date of commencement” of the provision titled “Proceeds of Forfeited Articles to be Paid into Consolidated Fund,” the incorrect date text should be deleted and replaced with the correct date text.
Under Section 2(1), the Order states that in the date of commencement of the relevant provision in Cap. 185, N 1 (1990 Ed.), the date “22nd” should be deleted and substituted with “10th.” This indicates that the day-of-month was wrong in the revised edition. The correction changes the day from the 22nd to the 10th, thereby altering the commencement date as it appears in the revised text.
Under Section 2(2), the Order makes a more specific correction for Cap. 185, N 1 (1999 Ed.). It provides that the date “22.5.74” should be deleted and substituted with “10.5.74.” Here, the error is not only the day but the full date format: the corrected date is 10 May 1974 rather than 22 May 1974. This is a direct correction of the commencement date as recorded in the 1999 edition.
Legal significance of the “date of commencement” correction: Commencement dates are often crucial for determining whether a statutory mechanism was in force at a particular time. For example, if a forfeiture occurred before the corrected commencement date, the question may arise whether the proceeds were legally required to be paid into the Consolidated Fund under the operative provision. Conversely, if actions were taken after the corrected date, the corrected commencement date supports the legality of those actions. Even though the Order is rectificatory, it can have downstream effects on how practitioners interpret the timeline of statutory effect.
Absence of additional substantive rules: Notably, the Order does not specify any new procedure for forfeiture, no changes to the definition of “proceeds,” and no alteration to the mechanics of payment. It is confined to correcting the commencement date entries in the revised editions. This limited scope is consistent with rectification orders: they are designed to fix errors in the text rather than to legislate afresh.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The instrument is structured in a conventional, minimal format typical of rectification orders.
Section 1 contains the citation (short title). This allows the Order to be referenced succinctly.
Section 2 is the operative provision. It is divided into two subsections:
- Section 2(1) addresses the error in the “date of commencement” as it appears in Cap. 185, N 1 (1990 Ed.), correcting the day-of-month from “22nd” to “10th”.
- Section 2(2) addresses the error in the “date of commencement” as it appears in Cap. 185, N 1 (1999 Ed.), correcting the full date from “22.5.74” to “10.5.74”.
Beyond these sections, the extract includes the enacting formula and making clause (“Made on 16 July 2019” with the Chairman’s signature). These elements confirm the legal authority and formal adoption of the rectification.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
Because this is a rectification order, it does not directly impose obligations on a broad class of private persons. Instead, it applies to the extent that it corrects the legal text of the revised edition of legislation—particularly the commencement date of a provision concerning the payment of proceeds of forfeited articles into the Consolidated Fund.
In practice, the corrected commencement date is relevant to government agencies and legal actors who rely on the statute’s text for compliance, accounting, enforcement, and legal review. These may include departments handling forfeiture processes, legal officers advising on the timing of statutory powers, and practitioners conducting statutory interpretation and legislative history research.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Rectification orders like this one are important because they preserve the integrity of Singapore’s legislative record. The revised editions of laws are widely used by practitioners and courts. If a commencement date is wrong, it can create uncertainty about when a legal provision took effect. That uncertainty can lead to disputes over the legality of actions taken during the affected period, or it can complicate compliance and audit trails.
From a practitioner’s perspective, the key value of this Order is that it clarifies the correct commencement dates for the relevant financial/legal provision in Cap. 185, N 1. Even though the correction is limited to dates (“22nd” to “10th” and “22.5.74” to “10.5.74”), the effect is to align the revised text with the intended legislative timeline.
Additionally, the Order demonstrates the mechanism by which Singapore maintains accuracy in its codified legal materials. Under the Revised Edition of the Laws Act, the Law Revision Commissioners can correct errors in revised editions. This helps ensure that the statutory compilation remains authoritative and reduces the risk of reliance on erroneous text.
Enforcement and practical impact: While the Order itself does not enforce compliance through penalties or operational requirements, it supports enforcement indirectly. If a dispute arises about whether the “Proceeds of Forfeited Articles” were required to be paid into the Consolidated Fund at a particular time, the corrected commencement date can be decisive. It also assists legal counsel in advising clients and agencies on the correct legal framework applicable to historical events.
Related Legislation
- Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Cap. 275) (authorising provision: section 23(1))
- Revised Edition of the Laws (Cap. 185, N 1) (the underlying statute whose revised editions contain the rectified commencement date)
- Timeline / Legislative history resources (as referenced in the legislation portal interface)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Revised Edition of the Laws (Cap. 185, N 1) (Rectification) Order 2019 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.