Statute Details
- Title: Revised Edition of the Laws (Section 11(3)) (No. 2) Order 2013
- Act Code: RELA1983-S530-2013
- Type: Subsidiary legislation (Order)
- Authorising Act: Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Chapter 275)
- Legislative Instrument Number: SL 530/2013
- Date Made: 15 August 2013
- Gazette/Publication Context: Order published in the Gazette following transmission by the Law Revision Commissioners
- Effective Date: 31 August 2013
- Status: Current version as at 27 March 2026
- Key Legal Mechanism: Designation of the loose-leaf edition as the “sole and only proper law” for specified Acts
What Is This Legislation About?
The Revised Edition of the Laws (Section 11(3)) (No. 2) Order 2013 is a procedural but highly consequential instrument. In plain terms, it tells courts and legal practitioners which version of certain Acts should be treated as the definitive “proper law” of Singapore. The Order does this by designating the loose-leaf editions of specified Acts—published by the Law Revision Commissioners—as the sole and only authoritative legal text for those Acts.
This Order is made under section 11(3) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Chapter 275). That provision exists to solve a practical legal problem: when laws are republished in a revised format (here, as loose-leaf editions), the legal system must clearly identify which publication is legally authoritative. Without such a designation, there could be uncertainty about whether older printed versions, interim amendments, or other compilations remain legally effective.
Accordingly, the Order does not create new substantive offences, rights, or regulatory regimes. Instead, it performs a “version control” function for the legal text itself. For practitioners, the importance lies in ensuring that arguments, citations, and reliance on statutory wording are grounded in the legally proper version that courts will treat as authoritative from the effective date.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. The statutory basis: section 11(3) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act
The Order is anchored in the Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Chapter 275). The extract explains the legislative pathway. First, pursuant to section 10 of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act, the Law Revision Commissioners publish in loose-leaf form the Acts set out in the Schedule as in force on a specified date (in the extract, “as in force on 1st August 2013”). Second, section 11(3) provides that the Commissioners transmit to the President a copy of the loose-leaf edition of each of these Acts. The President may then, by order published in the Gazette, specify that the loose-leaf edition shall be the sole and only proper law of Singapore in respect of those Acts.
In other words, the Order is the final step in a statutory process: it converts the Commissioners’ revised loose-leaf publication into the legally authoritative version for court purposes.
2. The operative designation: “sole and only proper law”
The core operative statement appears in the concluding “Now therefore” clause. The President orders that the loose-leaf edition of the Acts set out in the Schedule “shall, with effect from 31st August 2013, be the sole and only proper law of Singapore in respect of those Acts.”
This phrase—“sole and only proper law”—is legally significant. It indicates that, for the Acts covered by the Schedule, courts and all legal purposes must treat the loose-leaf edition as the definitive text. Practically, this means that when citing statutory provisions, lawyers should ensure they are using the wording from the designated loose-leaf edition (as at the relevant effective date), rather than relying on earlier compilations that might not reflect the revised edition’s consolidation and editorial work.
3. Temporal effect: effective from 31 August 2013
The Order specifies an effective date: 31 August 2013. This matters for practitioners dealing with cases spanning dates. If a legal dispute concerns events occurring before and after the effective date, counsel must consider whether the revised edition affects the wording of provisions (for example, through consolidation, re-numbering, or editorial adjustments). Even where substantive law is intended to remain unchanged, the “proper law” designation can affect how provisions are cited and interpreted in court.
4. The Schedule and the scope of Acts covered
The extract references “the Acts set out in the Schedule,” but the provided text does not reproduce the Schedule itself. The Schedule is therefore the key determinant of scope: it identifies which Acts are covered by the Order. For a practitioner, the Schedule is not optional reading. The “sole and only proper law” effect applies only to the Acts listed there.
Because the Schedule is not included in the extract, a lawyer should consult the full instrument (including the Schedule) to confirm whether the relevant Act(s) in their matter are among those designated. This is particularly important when dealing with niche statutory regimes or when multiple revised-edition orders exist (as suggested by the “(No. 2)” designation).
How Is This Legislation Structured?
Although the Order is short in the extract, its structure follows the typical format of an enabling-order instrument under the Revised Edition of the Laws Act:
1. Enacting formula and preamble
The preamble (“Whereas…” clauses) sets out the legal rationale and the procedural steps under sections 10 and 11(3) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act. It records that the Law Revision Commissioners have published the relevant Acts in loose-leaf form as in force on 1 August 2013, and that the Commissioners have transmitted copies to the President.
2. The operative clause
The operative clause (“Now therefore it is hereby ordered…”) contains the key legal effect: the loose-leaf edition becomes the sole and only proper law for the specified Acts, effective from 31 August 2013.
3. The Schedule
The Schedule identifies the Acts covered. This is the practical “scope” component. Without the Schedule, the Order’s legal effect cannot be mapped to particular statutory regimes.
4. Signature and formalities
The Order includes the formal “Made this 15th day of August 2013” and the signature line (By Command, with the named Secretary to the Cabinet). These formalities confirm the President’s order as required by the enabling statute.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
This Order applies to courts and all persons for all purposes in relation to the Acts listed in the Schedule. The phrase “in all courts and for all purposes” (as described in the enabling provision and reflected in the Order’s mechanism) means the designation is not merely administrative; it is binding in litigation and legal practice.
Practically, the Order affects:
- Lawyers and litigants who must cite and rely on the correct statutory text;
- Judges and registries who must treat the designated loose-leaf edition as authoritative;
- Government agencies and legal departments that draft submissions, interpret statutory powers, and ensure compliance with the proper legal text.
It is also important to note that the Order does not apply to the public in the same way as a regulatory statute would. Instead, it applies to the legal system’s treatment of statutory text. The public impact is indirect: it ensures that legal rights and obligations under the listed Acts are administered based on the legally proper version of those Acts.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
For most practitioners, the Revised Edition of the Laws (Section 11(3)) Orders are “background infrastructure” rather than headline legislation. However, they can be crucial in day-to-day legal work because they determine what version of the law is treated as authoritative.
1. Ensuring correct citations and avoiding textual disputes
Legal arguments often turn on precise statutory wording—definitions, conditions precedent, procedural time limits, and the exact phrasing of statutory duties. If a practitioner cites an outdated or non-designated version, the opposing party may challenge the citation’s authority or accuracy. By designating the loose-leaf edition as the “sole and only proper law” for the listed Acts, the Order reduces the risk of competing textual versions being treated as authoritative.
2. Operational certainty for courts
Courts rely on the proper law to interpret and apply statutes. The Order provides certainty that the revised loose-leaf edition is the definitive reference point. This is especially important when the revised edition includes consolidation, re-numbering, or editorial reformatting that could otherwise create confusion about which provision corresponds to which numbering in earlier versions.
3. Practical impact on statutory interpretation and case preparation
Even where substantive law is not intended to change, revised editions can affect how provisions are located and cited. In practice, counsel preparing pleadings, drafting affidavits, or advising clients must ensure that they are working from the correct authoritative text. This is particularly relevant for matters involving amendments, transitional issues, or complex statutory schemes where multiple versions may exist in circulation.
4. Version control in a continuously updated legal environment
The Order’s “current version as at 27 March 2026” status indicates that the instrument remains part of the legal framework for determining the proper law designation as of the relevant time. Practitioners should still consult the legislation timeline and versioning information when relying on such orders, because the legal system may issue subsequent revised-edition orders covering different sets of Acts or later consolidation dates.
Related Legislation
- Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Chapter 275) — in particular sections 10 and 11(3), which provide the mechanism for loose-leaf publication and presidential designation of the “sole and only proper law”.
- Revised Edition of the Laws (Section 11(3)) Orders — including other numbered orders (e.g., “No. 1”, “No. 2”, etc.) that designate different sets of Acts at different times.
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Revised Edition of the Laws (Section 11(3)) (No. 2) Order 2013 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.