Statute Details
- Title: Revised Edition of the Laws (Section 11(3)) (No. 8) Order 2014
- Act Code: RELA1983-S715-2014
- Type: Subsidiary legislation (Order)
- Authorising Act: Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Chapter 275)
- Enacting Formula (core mechanism): President’s order under section 11(3) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act
- Key Legal Effect: Designates the loose-leaf edition of specified Acts as the “sole and only proper law” of Singapore for those Acts
- Made Date: 13 October 2014
- Effective Date: 31 October 2014
- Legislation Identifier (as shown): SL 715/2014
- Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
What Is This Legislation About?
The Revised Edition of the Laws (Section 11(3)) (No. 8) Order 2014 is a procedural but highly consequential legal instrument. In plain terms, it is an order by the President of Singapore that confirms which published version of certain Acts will be treated as the authoritative law in courts and for all legal purposes.
The background is the Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Chapter 275). Under that Act, the Law Revision Commissioners prepare and publish Acts in a loose-leaf format. These loose-leaf editions are updated to reflect the law as at a specified cut-off date (here, the schedule refers to Acts “as in force on 1 October 2014”). The order then addresses a practical legal question: when courts and lawyers refer to “the law”, which physical or published version counts as the official text?
This Order answers that question for the Acts listed in its Schedule. It does not rewrite substantive legislation. Instead, it “locks in” the loose-leaf edition as the sole and only proper law of Singapore for those Acts, effective from 31 October 2014. That designation reduces ambiguity and ensures consistency in legal proceedings.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. The statutory basis: section 11(3) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act
The Order is made pursuant to section 11(3) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act. The extract explains the mechanism: the Law Revision Commissioners publish Acts in loose-leaf form under section 10 of the Act. The Commissioners then transmit copies of those loose-leaf editions to the President. The President may, by order published in the Gazette, specify that the loose-leaf edition of those Acts shall be the sole and only proper law of Singapore for all courts and all purposes.
For practitioners, the key point is that the President’s order is the legal “switch” that elevates the loose-leaf edition from a publication to the definitive legal text for the specified Acts.
2. The “sole and only proper law” designation
The operative effect of the Order is expressed in the concluding paragraph: the loose-leaf edition of the Acts set out in the Schedule shall, with effect from 31 October 2014, be the sole and only proper law of Singapore in respect of those Acts.
This phrase—“sole and only proper law”—is critical. It is designed to prevent disputes about whether an earlier printed edition, an unofficial compilation, or a different publication format should be treated as authoritative. Once the Order takes effect, the loose-leaf edition becomes the controlling legal text for the listed Acts.
3. Cut-off date for the content of the loose-leaf edition
The recitals (the “Whereas” clauses) indicate that the Commissioners published the Acts in loose-leaf form as in force on 1 October 2014. This matters because it defines the substantive legal state captured by the loose-leaf edition. Any amendments after that cut-off date would not be reflected in the loose-leaf edition unless separately incorporated through later revisions or subsequent legislative instruments.
Accordingly, lawyers should treat the loose-leaf edition as authoritative for the Acts as at the relevant revision date, but they must also check whether later amendments have been made since 1 October 2014. The “sole and only proper law” designation relates to the proper legal text format, not necessarily to the absence of later amendments.
4. Timing: made on 13 October 2014; effective from 31 October 2014
The Order was made on 13 October 2014 and provides that the loose-leaf edition becomes the sole and only proper law with effect from 31 October 2014. This creates a clear temporal boundary. Before 31 October 2014, the authoritative version would have been governed by the previous order(s) and the then-current revised edition. After 31 October 2014, the new loose-leaf edition takes over for the Acts in the Schedule.
In practice, this timing can be relevant for transitional disputes, especially where events occurred around the effective date. While the substantive law may or may not have changed, the authoritative text for interpretation and citation is determined by the effective date of the relevant revision order.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
Although the extract is brief, the structure follows a standard pattern for revision orders under the Revised Edition of the Laws Act:
(a) Title and status – The document identifies itself as the “Revised Edition of the Laws (Section 11(3)) (No. 8) Order 2014” and indicates it is a current version as at 27 March 2026.
(b) Enacting formula – The enacting formula sets out the legal authority for the President’s order. It is not a substantive legislative scheme; it is an instrument implementing the statutory process under Chapter 275.
(c) Recitals (“Whereas” clauses) – These explain the background: the Law Revision Commissioners have published the Acts in loose-leaf form as at 1 October 2014; the Commissioners have transmitted copies to the President; and the President may specify, by Gazette order, that the loose-leaf editions shall be the sole and only proper law.
(d) Operative provision – The operative paragraph provides the legal effect: the loose-leaf edition of the Acts in the Schedule is the sole and only proper law with effect from 31 October 2014.
(e) Schedule – The Schedule is where the Acts covered by the Order are listed. The extract provided does not show the Schedule contents, but in practice the Schedule is essential for determining which Acts are affected by the “sole and only proper law” designation.
(f) Signature and administrative references – The Order includes the “Made on” date and the signatory (the Secretary to the Cabinet, by command), along with an administrative reference number.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
This Order applies to the Acts listed in its Schedule. Its legal effect is not directed at a class of persons (such as employers, consumers, or regulated entities). Instead, it governs the authoritative legal text for those Acts in all courts and for all purposes.
Accordingly, the practical “audience” includes:
- Courts, which must treat the loose-leaf edition as the proper law for the specified Acts;
- Legal practitioners, who must cite and rely on the correct authoritative version when drafting pleadings, submissions, and legal opinions;
- Government agencies and regulators, which rely on correct statutory text for enforcement and compliance; and
- Members of the public, indirectly, because the authoritative text affects how rights and obligations under the Acts are interpreted and applied.
While the Order itself is not a regulatory or compliance statute, it is foundational to legal certainty: it ensures that when the law is invoked, the version used is the one the legal system recognises as proper.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
At first glance, a “revised edition” order may seem administrative. However, for legal practice it is important because it directly affects legal citation, statutory interpretation, and procedural certainty. Courts and lawyers must work from a text that is officially recognised as authoritative. The “sole and only proper law” language is designed to eliminate confusion and reduce litigation risk arising from competing versions of legislation.
From a practitioner’s perspective, this Order is particularly relevant when:
- you are preparing submissions and need to ensure that the statutory provisions you cite are taken from the correct authoritative edition;
- you are dealing with amendments or transitional issues around the effective date (31 October 2014);
- you are reviewing whether a later amendment has been incorporated into the current authoritative text; and
- you are conducting legal research and want to confirm that the online or printed compilation you are using corresponds to the proper law designated by the relevant revision order.
Enforcement and compliance are also indirectly affected. Many regulatory and enforcement actions depend on accurate statutory wording. If an agency or regulated party relies on an outdated or unofficial version, it can create avoidable disputes. By designating the loose-leaf edition as the sole and only proper law, the Order supports consistent application of the Acts.
Finally, this Order illustrates a key feature of Singapore’s legislative infrastructure: the Revised Edition of the Laws Act provides a structured method for maintaining an authoritative legal corpus. Revision orders like this one are the mechanism that converts the Commissioners’ published loose-leaf editions into the definitive legal text for courts and all purposes.
Related Legislation
- Revised Edition of the Laws Act (Chapter 275) – in particular section 10 (publication of Acts in loose-leaf form) and section 11(3) (President’s power to designate the loose-leaf edition as the sole and only proper law).
- Revised Edition of the Laws (Section 11(3)) Orders – other numbered orders that similarly designate revised loose-leaf editions for different sets of Acts and/or different revision cycles.
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Revised Edition of the Laws (Section 11(3)) (No. 8) Order 2014 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.