Statute Details
- Title: Revised Edition of the Laws (Rectification) Order 2001
- Act Code: RELA1983-S577-2001
- Type: Statutory Law (SL)
- Status: Current version (as at 27 Mar 2026)
- SL Number: S 577/2001
- Date Made: 26 November 2001
- Date/Version Shown in Timeline: 27 November 2001
- Authorising Act: Revised Edition of the Laws Act (section 23(1))
- Key Provisions (from extract): Section 1 (Citation); Section 2 (Rectification of error)
- Primary Legal Effect (from extract): Rectifies an item in the Schedule to the Delegation of Powers (Ministry of Finance) (Consolidation) Notification (Cap. 1, N 6)
- Related Legislation (from extract): Government Proceedings Act (Cap. 121)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Revised Edition of the Laws (Rectification) Order 2001 is a short, targeted statutory instrument made to correct a specific error in a previously published “consolidation” notification. In practical terms, it does not create new substantive policy in the way a major Act would. Instead, it ensures that the legal text accurately reflects the intended delegation of authority—so that government officers can lawfully exercise powers in the areas covered by the referenced legislation.
The Order is made under the Revised Edition of the Laws Act, which empowers the Law Revision Commissioners to rectify errors that arise in the process of revising, consolidating, or publishing the laws. Such rectification orders are important because they protect legal certainty: practitioners and public authorities must be able to rely on the published legal text to determine who has authority to act and under what conditions.
In this case, the rectification concerns the Schedule to the Delegation of Powers (Ministry of Finance) (Consolidation) Notification (Cap. 1, N 6). The Schedule contains entries that delegate certain functions to named office-holders. The Order deletes “item 1” and substitutes a revised item 1, specifying the relevant Permanent Secretaries and the precise provisions of the Government Proceedings Act (Cap. 121) to which the delegation relates.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation) provides the short title: the Order may be cited as the “Revised Edition of the Laws (Rectification) Order 2001”. This is standard drafting and primarily assists in referencing the instrument in legal documents and submissions.
Section 2 (Rectification of error) is the operative provision. It directs that a particular item in the Schedule to the Delegation of Powers (Ministry of Finance) (Consolidation) Notification (Cap. 1, N 6) be deleted and replaced. The Order therefore functions as an amendment-by-rectification to a schedule-based delegation instrument.
The rectified item 1 is drafted in two parts:
(1) Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence: the item delegates authority relating to section 14(1)(b) and section 14(2)(b) of the Government Proceedings Act (Cap. 121), “in respect of the armed forces”.
(2) Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs: the item delegates authority relating to section 14(1)(b) and section 14(2)(b) of the Government Proceedings Act (Cap. 121), “in respect of the police force”.
Although the extract does not reproduce the text of section 14 of the Government Proceedings Act, the structure of the rectification indicates that section 14(1)(b) and section 14(2)(b) are provisions that allocate or govern certain government-facing procedural or substantive matters—likely involving how proceedings are handled, authorised, or represented, and how responsibility is assigned between different ministries depending on whether the matter concerns the armed forces or the police force.
From a practitioner’s perspective, the key point is that the rectification clarifies (or corrects) which Permanent Secretary is the delegated authority for each category of force. This matters because delegation provisions are often prerequisites for lawful action. If the wrong office-holder is listed, a decision or step taken under the mistaken delegation could be challenged as ultra vires (beyond power) or procedurally defective.
The substituted item also includes a bracketed reference “[S21/83]” in the extract. This typically signals the earlier source or amendment history for the delegation entry. In legal research, such cross-references are valuable for tracing the lineage of the delegation and understanding how the schedule entry evolved over time.
Finally, the Order includes the procedural requirement that it be presented to Parliament under section 23(2) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act. This reflects the constitutional and legislative oversight mechanism for rectification orders: even though the Order is short, it is not made in a vacuum; it is subject to parliamentary presentation.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The instrument is extremely concise and consists of:
(a) Enacting formula—stating that the Law Revision Commissioners make the Order in exercise of powers under section 23(1) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act.
(b) Section 1 (Citation)—providing the short title.
(c) Section 2 (Rectification of error)—the substantive clause directing deletion and substitution of the relevant schedule item.
There are no Parts, schedules reproduced in full, or complex definitions in the extract. The “schedule” being amended is not contained within the Order itself; rather, the Order points to an external consolidation notification and corrects the relevant entry within that schedule.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The rectification applies to the delegation of powers under the Delegation of Powers (Ministry of Finance) (Consolidation) Notification (Cap. 1, N 6). In effect, it governs the authority of specified office-holders—namely, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs—to exercise the delegated functions connected to section 14(1)(b) and section 14(2)(b) of the Government Proceedings Act.
Practically, the beneficiaries of the delegation are the relevant ministries and their senior administrative officers, but the wider impact is felt by anyone interacting with government proceedings processes—such as legal representatives, claimants, defendants, and government counsel—because delegation determines who can authorise steps in proceedings or related administrative actions.
The categorisation “in respect of the armed forces” and “in respect of the police force” indicates that the delegation is functional and subject-matter based. Therefore, the applicability depends on whether the matter concerns the armed forces or the police force, rather than on the identity of the litigant alone.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Even though the Revised Edition of the Laws (Rectification) Order 2001 is short, it is legally significant because it addresses a potential defect in the published delegation framework. Delegation provisions are foundational to administrative legality: they ensure that the correct authority is empowered to act. Rectification orders help prevent uncertainty and disputes about whether an action was taken by a properly authorised officer.
For practitioners, the importance lies in accuracy and reliability. Consolidation notifications and schedules are frequently relied upon in litigation and in administrative decision-making. If a schedule entry is wrong—whether due to a typographical error, misalignment during consolidation, or an outdated reference—parties may face avoidable procedural challenges. Rectification orders reduce that risk by correcting the record.
Additionally, the Order underscores the interaction between two layers of law: (1) the Government Proceedings Act, which sets out substantive or procedural rules for government proceedings, and (2) the delegation instrument that allocates responsibility to particular ministries and senior officers. The rectification ensures that the delegation aligns with the intended allocation under the Government Proceedings Act for armed forces and police matters.
From an enforcement and compliance perspective, the Order also supports internal governance. Ministries must know who has the delegated authority to sign, approve, or otherwise act in the relevant contexts. This is particularly relevant where government proceedings involve time-sensitive steps, formal notices, or authorisations that must be validly issued.
Related Legislation
- Revised Edition of the Laws Act (section 23(1) and section 23(2))
- Government Proceedings Act (Cap. 121), specifically section 14(1)(b) and section 14(2)(b)
- Delegation of Powers (Ministry of Finance) (Consolidation) Notification (Cap. 1, N 6), Schedule item 1
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.