Statute Details
- Title: Revised Edition of the Laws (Section 17(2)) (No. 2) Order 2025
- Act Code: RELA1983-S807-2025
- Type: Subsidiary legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Revised Edition of the Laws Act 1983
- Legal Basis: Powers under section 17(2) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act 1983
- Enacting Formula: President makes the Order
- Made Date: 3 December 2025
- Coming into Force: 17 December 2025 (for the 2025 Revised Edition of the subsidiary legislation set out in the Schedule)
- Status: Current version as at 27 March 2026
- Document Identifier (as shown in timeline): SL 807/2025
- Key Provisions (from extract): Sections 1–2 and the Schedule (which contains the revised subsidiary legislation)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Revised Edition of the Laws (Section 17(2)) (No. 2) Order 2025 is a procedural and administrative instrument that updates Singapore’s published body of subsidiary legislation. In plain terms, it is the mechanism by which the Government consolidates and republishes a “revised edition” of certain subsidiary legal materials, incorporating amendments made up to a specified cut-off date.
Unlike substantive regulatory statutes (which create new duties, offences, or regulatory regimes), this Order primarily concerns publication and legal consolidation. It ensures that practitioners and the public can rely on an authoritative, updated version of the relevant subsidiary legislation—rather than piecing together amendments across multiple years.
The Order is made under section 17(2) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act 1983. That statutory framework empowers the President to issue revised editions of subsidiary legislation, incorporating amendments up to a defined date, and to specify when the revised edition comes into force. This particular Order relates to the “2025 Revised Edition” of subsidiary legislation set out in its Schedule, and it specifies that the revised edition becomes effective on 17 December 2025.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation) provides the formal name of the instrument: it is the “Revised Edition of the Laws (Section 17(2)) (No. 2) Order 2025.” This is a standard provision used to identify the Order for referencing in legal documents, citations, and official records.
Section 2 (Date of coming into force of the 2025 Revised Edition of subsidiary legislation) is the most operational provision in the extract. It states that the 2025 Revised Edition of the subsidiary legislation set out in the Schedule—incorporating all amendments up to 17 December 2025—comes into force on 17 December 2025. This means that, from that date, the revised edition becomes the authoritative consolidated text for the relevant subsidiary legislation included in the Schedule.
The practical effect of section 2 is to establish a legal “switch-over” date. Before the coming-into-force date, the law is found in the existing versions and amendments. After the coming-into-force date, the revised edition in the Schedule is treated as the updated consolidated version. For practitioners, this reduces the risk of relying on outdated text and helps ensure that legal arguments are anchored to the current legislative wording.
The Schedule is central even though it is not reproduced in the extract. The Schedule is where the revised subsidiary legislation is set out. In a typical revised-edition Order, the Schedule lists the specific subsidiary instruments (or consolidated texts) that are being republished in the revised edition. The Schedule therefore determines the scope of what is updated by this Order. The cut-off date for amendments—“up to 17 December 2025”—indicates that the revised edition reflects amendments made by that time, and the revised texts in the Schedule incorporate those changes.
Enacting formula and constitutional authority also matter for legal validity. The Order states that, “in exercise of the powers conferred by section 17(2) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act 1983, the President makes the following Order.” This confirms that the President’s authority is statutory and that the revised edition process is grounded in the Revised Edition of the Laws Act 1983.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
This Order is structured in a conventional format for revised-edition instruments:
(1) Enacting formula: It identifies the statutory power under section 17(2) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act 1983 and confirms that the President makes the Order.
(2) Citation: Section 1 provides the short title for referencing.
(3) Coming into force: Section 2 specifies the effective date and ties it to the revised edition’s amendment cut-off date.
(4) The Schedule: The Schedule contains the revised subsidiary legislation. It is the substantive “container” for the updated texts and is the part that practitioners must consult to see the exact consolidated provisions.
Although the extract shows only sections 1–2 and the existence of the Schedule, the legal significance lies in the Schedule’s content. In practice, the Schedule will list the subsidiary legislation being revised and provide the consolidated wording that incorporates amendments up to the stated date.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
This Order does not “apply” to a class of persons in the way that regulatory statutes do (for example, it does not create obligations for employers, licensees, or consumers). Instead, it applies to the legal system’s publication and interpretation of subsidiary legislation. The revised edition becomes the authoritative text for the subsidiary instruments included in the Schedule.
Accordingly, the Order is relevant to:
- Legal practitioners who must cite and interpret subsidiary legislation accurately;
- Government agencies administering regulatory regimes that depend on subsidiary instruments;
- Courts and tribunals that rely on current legislative text when interpreting rights, duties, and offences;
- Members of the public and regulated entities indirectly, because the revised edition affects what the “current law” text looks like and reduces confusion about amendments.
The Order’s scope is therefore best understood as applying to the subsidiary legislation listed in the Schedule, effective from 17 December 2025.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Revised-edition Orders are important because they support legal certainty. Singapore’s legislative framework includes many subsidiary instruments that are amended over time. Without periodic revised editions, practitioners would need to track multiple amendment acts and orders to reconstruct the current legal text. This increases the risk of error—particularly in fast-moving regulatory areas.
This Order contributes to a more reliable “single source of truth” by consolidating amendments into a revised edition that comes into force on a specified date. For litigation and compliance work, the ability to cite the correct consolidated wording is crucial. Even minor textual changes—such as updated definitions, revised procedural steps, or amended regulatory thresholds—can materially affect legal outcomes.
From an enforcement and compliance perspective, revised editions also help ensure that regulated entities and enforcement agencies operate on the same textual basis. While the underlying legal obligations may already exist through earlier amendments, the revised edition clarifies the current form of the law. This is particularly valuable for compliance manuals, internal legal reviews, and regulatory submissions.
Finally, the Order’s reliance on section 17(2) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act 1983 underscores that the revised edition process is not ad hoc. It is a structured statutory function designed to maintain the coherence and accessibility of Singapore’s subsidiary legislation.
Related Legislation
- Revised Edition of the Laws Act 1983 (authorising the President’s power under section 17(2))
- Timeline / Legislation database entries for SL 807/2025 and the “2025 Revised Edition” materials incorporated in the Schedule
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Revised Edition of the Laws (Section 17(2)) (No. 2) Order 2025 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.