Statute Details
- Title: Revised Edition of the Laws (Section 11(3)) (No. 4) Order 2013
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary legislation / statutory order (SL)
- Act Code: RELA1983-S707-2013
- Authorising Act: Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Chapter 275)
- Instrument Number: SL 707/2013
- Date Made: 20 November 2013
- Date/Status Reference: Current version as at 27 March 2026
- Commencement / Effect Date: 30 November 2013 (as specified in the order)
- Key Legal Mechanism: President’s order declaring the loose-leaf edition as the sole and proper law of Singapore for specified Acts
- Schedule: Acts set out in the Schedule (Acts published in loose-leaf form as in force on 1 November 2013)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Revised Edition of the Laws (Section 11(3)) (No. 4) Order 2013 is an administrative-but-critical legal instrument that determines which version of certain Acts counts as “the sole and only proper law” for use in Singapore courts and for all legal purposes. In practical terms, it is part of Singapore’s ongoing law revision and consolidation process, ensuring that the official legal text available in loose-leaf form becomes the authoritative reference point.
The order is made under section 11(3) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Cap. 275). That provision empowers the President, after the Law Revision Commissioners have published specified Acts in loose-leaf form, to issue an order (published in the Gazette) specifying that the loose-leaf edition of those Acts shall be the sole and only proper law of Singapore in respect of those Acts. This avoids ambiguity about which printed or earlier versions of legislation should be treated as authoritative.
Although the text you provided does not reproduce the Schedule contents (the list of Acts), the structure and legal effect are clear: the Schedule identifies the Acts that have been revised and published in loose-leaf form as at a particular cut-off date (1 November 2013). The President’s order then gives those loose-leaf revisions legal primacy from a specified effective date (30 November 2013).
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. The “loose-leaf edition” becomes the sole and only proper law. The central operative provision states that the loose-leaf edition of the Acts set out in the Schedule shall, with effect from 30 November 2013, be the sole and only proper law of Singapore in respect of those Acts. This is the legal “switch” that practitioners must understand: after the effective date, the loose-leaf edition is the authoritative legal text for the specified Acts, and courts and legal actors are expected to rely on that version for all purposes.
2. The order is tied to the Law Revision Commissioners’ publication. The preamble explains the statutory pathway. 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 1st November 2013.” This matters because it defines the substantive cut-off date for what is included in the revised loose-leaf edition. Lawyers should therefore treat the loose-leaf edition as reflecting the law as at 1 November 2013, subject to later amendments that may be incorporated through subsequent revision processes or other legislative changes.
3. Presidential discretion and Gazette publication. Section 11(3) (as described in the preamble) requires the Commissioners to transmit to the President a copy of the loose-leaf edition of each Act. The President may then, by order published in the Gazette, specify that the loose-leaf edition shall be the sole and only proper law. The order you provided is precisely such a Gazette-published instrument. For practitioners, this highlights that the authoritative status does not arise automatically from publication; it is conferred by the President’s order.
4. Effective date and legal certainty. The order specifies an effective date: 30 November 2013. This is important for determining which legal text should be cited or relied upon in matters arising around the transition period. If a dispute concerns events occurring before and after the effective date, counsel may need to consider whether the applicable law at the relevant time differs from the revised loose-leaf edition’s content (depending on subsequent amendments and the cut-off date for the revision). The order itself, however, governs which version is “proper law” for courts and all purposes from the effective date.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
This instrument is structured as a short presidential order with an enacting formula and a schedule-based mechanism. The document comprises:
(a) Enacting formula and preamble: It sets out the legal basis under the Revised Edition of the Laws Act and the factual premise that the Law Revision Commissioners have published the relevant Acts in loose-leaf form as in force on 1 November 2013.
(b) The operative order: It declares that the loose-leaf edition of the Acts in the Schedule shall, with effect from 30 November 2013, be the sole and only proper law of Singapore in respect of those Acts.
(c) The Schedule: While not reproduced in the extract you provided, the Schedule is the key component that identifies which Acts are covered. In practice, the Schedule is what lawyers will consult to determine whether a particular Act they are dealing with is included in this “No. 4” order.
(d) Signature and formalities: The order records that it was made on 20 November 2013 and is signed by the Secretary to the Cabinet “By Command,” reflecting Singapore’s formal legislative instrument style.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
Although the order is addressed to the legal system rather than to a particular class of persons, its practical effect applies to everyone who uses the law: courts, tribunals, government agencies, lawyers, and members of the public who rely on statutory text. The order does not create substantive rights or offences by itself; instead, it determines the authoritative legal text for the Acts listed in the Schedule.
Accordingly, the scope is Act-specific. The order applies only to the Acts set out in its Schedule. For practitioners, the key question is not “who is regulated,” but “which Acts are covered by this order and therefore which loose-leaf edition is the sole and only proper law from 30 November 2013.”
Why Is This Legislation Important?
For lawyers, the importance of this order lies in legal certainty and citation accuracy. Singapore’s legal system depends on authoritative statutory text. Without a mechanism like section 11(3) orders, there could be confusion about whether an earlier printed version, an updated loose-leaf version, or an unofficial compilation should be treated as the proper law. This order resolves that uncertainty by elevating the loose-leaf edition to exclusive authority for the specified Acts.
In litigation and advisory work, counsel often must cite the correct statutory provisions. Even where the substantive law is unchanged, using an incorrect or non-authoritative version can create avoidable disputes about interpretation, amendments, and the state of the law at relevant times. By declaring the loose-leaf edition as the sole and only proper law, the order supports consistent judicial reliance on the correct text.
From an enforcement and compliance perspective, the order also affects how agencies and regulated entities interpret statutory duties. While the order itself does not impose new obligations, it ensures that when agencies interpret and apply the Acts in the Schedule, they are anchored to the authoritative revised text. This reduces the risk of misapplication due to outdated or non-authoritative versions.
Finally, the order illustrates a broader institutional function: it is part of the Revised Edition of the Laws framework that keeps Singapore’s statute book current and properly consolidated. Practitioners should therefore treat such orders as essential background infrastructure for statutory interpretation, rather than as mere administrative formalities.
Related Legislation
- Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Chapter 275) — in particular sections 10 and 11(3) (publication in loose-leaf form; presidential order making the loose-leaf edition the sole and only proper law)
- Revised Edition of the Laws (Section 11(3)) Orders — other “No.” orders that similarly designate the loose-leaf editions of specified Acts as proper law (consult the legislation timeline for the relevant “No.” and version)
- Gazette publications — the mechanism by which presidential orders are published to take effect as proper law declarations
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Revised Edition of the Laws (Section 11(3)) (No. 4) Order 2013 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.