Statute Details
- Title: Revised Edition of the Laws (Rectification) Order 2001
- Act Code: RELA1983-S577-2001
- Type: Subsidiary legislation (SL)
- Legislation Number: S 577/2001
- Status: Current version (as at 27 Mar 2026)
- Date Made: 26 November 2001
- Date of Publication/Timeline Reference: 27 November 2001
- Enacting/Authorising Act: Revised Edition of the Laws Act (section 23(1))
- Key Provisions (from extract):
- Section 1: Citation
- Section 2: Rectification of error (amending a schedule item in a prior delegation notification)
- Related Legislation (noted in extract): Government Proceedings Act (Cap. 121)
- Related Instrument (amended by rectification): Delegation of Powers (Ministry of Finance) (Consolidation) Notification (Cap. 1, N 6)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Revised Edition of the Laws (Rectification) Order 2001 is a short subsidiary legislative instrument made by the Law Revision Commissioners under the Revised Edition of the Laws Act. Its purpose is not to create new substantive legal rights or obligations in the way a typical regulatory statute would. Instead, it corrects a specific error found in a previously published legal instrument within Singapore’s consolidated legal framework.
In practical terms, the Order “rectifies” an item in the Schedule to the Delegation of Powers (Ministry of Finance) (Consolidation) Notification (Cap. 1, N 6). The rectification updates the listed delegations—i.e., which senior public officers are empowered to act in relation to specified provisions of the Government Proceedings Act (Cap. 121). The Government Proceedings Act governs, among other things, how government entities may be sued and how certain procedural steps are handled in court proceedings involving the Government.
Because this is a rectification order, its scope is narrow: it targets a particular schedule item and replaces it with corrected wording. Nevertheless, delegation provisions can have real operational consequences for litigation and administrative decision-making. If the wrong officer is listed, it may affect the validity of actions taken under delegated authority, or at least create avoidable legal uncertainty.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation) provides the formal name by which the instrument may be cited: the “Revised Edition of the Laws (Rectification) Order 2001”. This is standard drafting and does not affect substantive law.
Section 2 (Rectification of error) is the core provision. It directs the reader to amend the Schedule to the Delegation of Powers (Ministry of Finance) (Consolidation) Notification (Cap. 1, N 6). Specifically, it orders the deletion of item 1 in that Schedule and its substitution with a revised item. The rectified item contains two parts, each identifying a Permanent Secretary and the Government Proceedings Act provisions to which the delegation relates.
The substituted item reads (in substance) as follows:
- Item 1(1): Delegation to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence in respect of the armed forces, covering section 14(1)(b) and section 14(2)(b) of the Government Proceedings Act (Cap. 121).
- Item 1(2): Delegation to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs in respect of the police force, covering section 14(1)(b) and section 14(2)(b) of the Government Proceedings Act (Cap. 121).
Although the extract does not reproduce the text of section 14 of the Government Proceedings Act, the rectification makes clear that the delegation is tied to a particular subsection structure—section 14(1)(b) and section 14(2)(b). The rectification also clarifies the “in respect of” subject matter: armed forces for the Ministry of Defence and the police force for the Ministry of Home Affairs. This kind of subject-matter limitation is important because delegation notifications often allocate authority by institutional responsibility.
Finally, the substituted item includes a bracketed reference “[S21/83]”. This is typically a citation to the earlier enabling or original instrument from which the delegation wording was derived or which it supersedes. For practitioners, these cross-references are useful for tracing legislative history and understanding how the consolidated notification came to contain the corrected wording.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is extremely concise and consists of:
- Enacting formula (the legal basis): it states that the Law Revision Commissioners make the Order in exercise of powers conferred by section 23(1) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act.
- Section 1 (Citation): provides the short title.
- Section 2 (Rectification of error): the operative amendment clause, directing deletion and substitution of a schedule item in an existing delegation notification.
There are no separate Parts or complex schedules within the Order itself beyond the substituted schedule wording. Instead, the Order functions as a targeted amendment to an existing consolidated notification.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
Although the Order is addressed to the legal system generally (as all subsidiary legislation is), its immediate practical effect is on public officers and government entities whose authority depends on delegated powers under the Government Proceedings Act.
In particular, the rectified schedule item identifies two Permanent Secretaries:
- Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence (in respect of the armed forces); and
- Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs (in respect of the police force).
Therefore, the Order applies to the extent that actions taken under the delegated authority in section 14(1)(b) and section 14(2)(b) of the Government Proceedings Act are exercised through these offices. While the Order does not directly regulate private parties, it can indirectly affect litigation involving the Government, because delegated authority can govern procedural or substantive steps in government proceedings.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Rectification orders are sometimes treated as “administrative housekeeping” rather than substantive law. However, this Order illustrates why rectifications matter: delegation provisions are foundational to how government authority is exercised. If a schedule item incorrectly identifies the officer or the scope of delegation, it can create legal uncertainty about whether a particular act was validly authorised.
From a practitioner’s perspective, the key significance lies in certainty and defensibility. In litigation, challenges to procedural steps can arise. Even if a court ultimately treats the error as non-fatal, parties may still incur time and cost addressing the issue. Correct delegation wording helps ensure that actions taken under the Government Proceedings Act are clearly traceable to the proper office-holder.
Additionally, this Order demonstrates the role of the Law Revision Commissioners in maintaining the accuracy of Singapore’s consolidated legal texts. The “Revised Edition” framework aims to consolidate and present the law in a coherent form. Rectification orders help preserve that coherence by correcting errors that surface during consolidation or publication.
Finally, the fact that the Order is marked as “current version as at 27 Mar 2026” indicates that the rectified wording remains operative in the consolidated legal database. Practitioners should therefore rely on the corrected schedule item when advising on delegation-related issues, rather than the earlier (erroneous) version.
Related Legislation
- Revised Edition of the Laws Act (section 23(1) and section 23(2) referenced in the enacting formula and presentation requirement)
- Government Proceedings Act (Cap. 121), particularly section 14(1)(b) and section 14(2)(b)
- Delegation of Powers (Ministry of Finance) (Consolidation) Notification (Cap. 1, N 6), Schedule item 1 (as rectified)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Revised Edition of the Laws (Rectification) Order 2001 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.