Statute Details
- Title: Revised Edition of the Laws (Public Transport Council Act) (Rectification) Order 2014
- Act Code: RELA1983-S228-2014
- Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Legislation Number: S 228/2014
- Enacting Authority: Law Revision Commissioners
- Authorising Act: Revised Edition of the Laws Act (section 23(1))
- Key Mechanism: Rectification of an error in the Public Transport Council Act
- Citation (section 1): “Revised Edition of the Laws (Public Transport Council Act) (Rectification) Order 2014”
- Core Amendment (section 2): Replaces “S 386/2005” with “S 386/2008” in the Third Schedule to the Public Transport Council Act
- Date Made: 25 March 2014
- Status: Current version (as at 27 Mar 2026)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Revised Edition of the Laws (Public Transport Council Act) (Rectification) Order 2014 is a narrow, technical piece of Singapore subsidiary legislation. Its purpose is not to create new regulatory policy for public transport, but to correct a specific error in the published text of the Public Transport Council Act (Cap. 259B). In other words, it is a “clean-up” order that ensures the revised edition of the law accurately reflects the intended legal references.
In Singapore’s legislative framework, laws are periodically revised and reprinted in consolidated “revised editions”. During that process, errors can occasionally occur—such as incorrect cross-references to subsidiary legislation (for example, citing the wrong S-number). When such an error is identified, the Law Revision Commissioners may issue a rectification order under the Revised Edition of the Laws Act. This order is one such rectification.
Practically, the order corrects a citation in the Third Schedule of the Public Transport Council Act. The Third Schedule typically lists relevant subsidiary instruments or related provisions, and the accuracy of those references matters for legal certainty. If the wrong subsidiary instrument number is cited, a reader, regulator, or court may be misdirected when determining what instrument is actually relevant.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation) provides the formal short title of the order. This is standard drafting: it tells practitioners how to refer to the instrument in legal documents, submissions, and correspondence.
Section 2 (Rectification of error) is the substantive provision. It directs a specific textual change to the Third Schedule to the Public Transport Council Act (Cap. 259B, 2012 Ed.). The order instructs that the text “S 386/2005” at the end of the Third Schedule be deleted and substituted with “S 386/2008”.
Although the extract is brief, the legal effect is clear: the Third Schedule’s final reference must point to the correct subsidiary legislation instrument number. The “S 386/2005” and “S 386/2008” are both S-numbered instruments (i.e., subsidiary legislation published in the Singapore Government Gazette). The rectification ensures that the schedule does not incorrectly identify the year and instrument number of the relevant subsidiary act or regulation.
Made and presentation to Parliament. The order states that it was made on 25 March 2014 by the Chairman of the Law Revision Commission, and it includes the procedural note that it is “to be presented to Parliament under section 23(2) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act”. This matters for practitioners because it confirms the constitutional/legislative process for rectification orders: they are not merely administrative corrections; they are made under statutory authority and follow the required parliamentary presentation mechanism.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
This rectification order is extremely short and consists of an enacting formula and two operative provisions.
First, it contains the enacting formula referencing the Law Revision Commissioners’ powers under section 23(1) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act. This establishes the legal authority for the rectification.
Second, it includes:
- Section 1 (Citation): the short title.
- Section 2 (Rectification of error): the specific textual correction to the Third Schedule of the Public Transport Council Act.
There are no schedules or complex parts in this order because its function is limited to a single substitution. The “structure” is therefore best understood as: (i) authority, (ii) citation, and (iii) targeted amendment.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
Rectification orders of this kind do not “apply” to a class of persons in the way regulatory statutes do (e.g., they do not impose duties on operators or passengers). Instead, they apply to the legal text of the Public Transport Council Act by correcting the official revised edition.
Accordingly, the practical beneficiaries are all users of the law—government agencies, regulated entities, legal practitioners, and courts—because the corrected reference ensures that the Third Schedule accurately identifies the relevant subsidiary legislation. In disputes or compliance contexts, accurate citations can affect how parties interpret what instruments are incorporated by reference or listed as relevant.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Even though the order is brief, it is important for legal certainty. In statutory interpretation, citations and cross-references are not decorative; they are part of the legal architecture. A wrong S-number can create ambiguity about which subsidiary legislation governs a particular matter. That ambiguity can lead to unnecessary disputes, compliance errors, or delays while parties verify the correct instrument.
From a practitioner’s perspective, the key significance lies in the Third Schedule of the Public Transport Council Act. Schedules often serve as reference points—sometimes listing subsidiary legislation, transitional provisions, or related instruments. If a schedule points to “S 386/2005” when the correct instrument is “S 386/2008”, then any reliance on that schedule could be undermined. Rectification orders therefore protect the integrity of the revised edition and reduce the risk of misapplication.
In addition, this order illustrates how Singapore maintains the accuracy of its consolidated legal texts. The Revised Edition of the Laws Act provides a mechanism for the Law Revision Commissioners to correct errors discovered in revised editions. This helps ensure that the “current version” of the law remains reliable over time—particularly for practitioners who rely on official consolidated sources rather than tracking every original Gazette publication.
Related Legislation
- Public Transport Council Act (Cap. 259B)
- Revised Edition of the Laws Act (authorising legislation for rectification orders)
- Public Transport Council Act (timeline / legislative history) (for version tracking and context)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Revised Edition of the Laws (Public Transport Council Act) (Rectification) Order 2014 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.