Law Reform Reports

The Law Reform and Revision Division ("LRRD") prepares Law Reform Reports with proposals for new legislative initiatives. The LRRD also works with other agencies on specific areas of possible law reform. These various types of law reform reports are available on this website. Please note that the substance and proposals contained within Law Reform Reports may not be accepted by the Government, and may not be implemented in the manner proposed in the Law Reform Reports.

• May 2007– Report of the Law Reform Committee on Reform of Admissibility of Hearsay Evidence in Civil Proceedings
  (Reproduced with the kind permission of the Singapore Academy of Law)
  Officers from the Law Reform and Revision Division participated in the work of the Committee and were involved in drafting the report and the proposed Bill to implement the recommendations of the Committee.
  
  Report
  
  
  
• February 2007– Report of the Law Reform Committee on the Review of the Limitation Act (Cap.163)
  (Reproduced with the kind permission of the Singapore Academy of Law)
  Officers from the Law Reform and Revision Division participated in the work of the Committee and were involved in drafting the report and the proposed draft legislative amendments to implement the recommendations of the Committee.
  
  Report
  Annexures
  
  
  
• November 2006 – Report of the Law Reform Committee on the Review of the Parol Evidence Rule

  (Reproduced with the kind permission of the Singapore Academy of Law)

  Officers from the Law Reform and Revision Division participated in the work of the Committee and were involved in drafting the report and the proposed draft Bill to implement the recommendations of the Committee.

           Report

 

• March 2006 – IMC Report on the Regulation of Charities and Institutions of a Public Character

          (Reproduced with the kind permission of the Ministry of Community

          Development, Youth and Sports)

Officers from the Law Reform and Revision Division participated in the work of the Inter-Ministry Committee on the Regulation of Charities and Institutions of a Public Character, and subsequently drafted the Charities (Amendment) Bill and regulations under the Income Tax Act to give effect to the recommendations of the IMC.

Report

 

• August 2005 – Report of the Law Reform Committee on Pre – And Post – Judgement Interest
  (Reproduced with the kind permission of the Law Reform Committee of the Singapore Academy of Law)

Officers from the Law Reform and Revision Division and Legislation Division participated in the work of the Committee and were involved in drafting the proposed draft Bills to implement the recommendations of the Committee.

Report

 

• December 2004 – Computer Output as Evidence (Final Report)

The Technology Law Development Group ("TLDG") of the Singapore Academy of Law released its final report in December 2004. This report consolidates the findings and responses received by the TLDG for its consultation paper entitled 'Computer Output as Evidence' published in September 2003. It also includes the draft Evidence (Amendment) Bill 2005 which gives effect to the recommendations made by the TLDG in its consultation paper.

Final Report

 

• December 2004 - Proposed Revised Edition of Maritime Conventions Act 1911 (Final Report)

The Maritime Conventions Act 1911 is an imperial legislation enacted by the United Kingdom Parliament. Pursuant to the Application of English Law Act (Cap. 7A), this piece of imperial legislation applies in Singapore. However, the 1911 Act had not been published as a revised edition. This report by the Law Reform and Revision Division explains the issues dealt with in seeking to bring the 1911 Act into conformity with the local Acts. The report contains a draft 2004 Revised Edition of the 1911 Act.

Final Report (LRRD 4/2004)

 

• March 2003 - Reform of the Choice of Law Rule Relating to Torts 
  (Reproduced with the kind permission of the Law Reform Committee of the Singapore Academy of Law)

Officers from the Law Reform and Revision Division participated in the work of the Committee and were involved in drafting the proposed draft Bill to implement the recommendations of the Committee.

Report
Draft Torts (Choice of Law) Bill

 

• November 2002 - Proposed Amendment to the International Arbitration Act on Rules of Arbitration

This report examines and proposes amendments to the International Arbitration Act 2001 (Act 37/2001) arising from the decision of the Singapore High Court in Dermajaya Properties v Premium Properties (2002) 2 SLR 164. The decision that the application of the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Arbitration as the "lex arbitri" will exclude completely an "inconsistent" or "incompatible" set of arbitration rules had raised practical concerns as to the application of arbitration rules such as the ICC Rules, the UNCITRAL Rules and the SIAC Rules.

Final Report (LRRD 11/2002)

 

• October 2002 - Report of the Company Legislation and Regulatory Framework Committee ("CLRFC")
  (Reproduced with the kind permission of the Ministry of Finance, Singapore)

Officers from the Law Reform and Revision Division and the Legislation Division participated in the work of the Committee and were involved in drafting the legislation to implement the recommendations of the Committee.

CLRFC Report

Report of the Disclosure and Accounting Standards Committee (September 2001)
(Reproduced with the kind permission of the Ministry of Finance, Singapore, for reference in the context of the CLRFC Report)

 

• July 2002 - Relief from Unenforceability of Illegal Contracts and Trusts
  (Reproduced with the kind permission of the Law Reform Committee of the Singapore Academy of Law)

This report by the Law Reform Committee considers and makes recommendations to reform the law relating to relief from the unenforceability of illegal contracts and trusts. While there is considerable flexibility in the present approach adopted by the courts in dealing with illegal contracts and trusts, the courts currently have no jurisdiction to engage in an exercise of balancing the interests of the parties involved and considering the factors for and against enforcing such contracts or granting restitutionary reliefs. Present case-law is complex and this approach gives rise to uncertainty. A draft bill, entitled 'Illegal Transactions (Relief) Act 2002', accompanies the report.

The draft Bill and explanatory notes in the Report were drafted by an officer from the Law Reform and Revision Division, who was also a member of the Law Reform Committee.

Report

 

• March 2002 - Limited Liability Partnerships 

The Ministry of Finance, Singapore set up a private-sector led study team to establish the legal framework for Limited Partnerships and Limited Liability Partnerships pursuant to the recommendation of the CLRFC (Company Legislation and Regulatory Framework Committee) to establish this new vehicle for doing business. This report on Limited Liability Partnerships was prepared before the study team was established and the recommendations in this report may differ from the eventual recommendations of the study team.

Officers from the Law Reform and Revision Division participated in the work of the MOF Study Team and were involved in drafting the consultation paper.

Final Report

Summary of Issues

(Reproduced with the kind permission of the Ministry of Finance, Singapore)

Consultation Paper (LRRD 3/2002)

 

• February 2002 - Report On A Model Data Protection Code For The Private Sector

This report was prepared by the National Internet Advisory Committee ("NIAC") Legal SubCommittee. It is reproduced with the kind permission of the NIAC.

This report by the Legal Subcommittee of the National Internet Advisory Committee proposes the adoption of a comprehensive data protection regime for the private sector. It sets out the Subcommittee’s views on what constitutes “fair information principles”. These principles find expression as the 11 Data Protection Principles ("DPPs") in the Model Code. The report also briefly discusses what constitutes an appropriate data protection model for the Singapore private sector.

Officers from the Law Reform and Revision Division were involved in drafting the Model Code.

Report

 

• February 2002 - Review of Rules of Court relating to Arbitration

This report reviews the Rules of Court and recommends changes to the Rules consequent upon the enactment of the Arbitration Act 2001 (Act 37/2001) and the International Arbitration (Amendment) Act 2001 (Act 38/2001). The Supplementary Report incorporates changes suggested by the Working Party on the Rules of Court chaired by L. P. Thean JA (as he then was).

Report (LRRD 2/2002)
Supplementary Report (LRRD 6/2002)

 

• March 2001 - Review of Arbitration Laws

This report reviews the domestic regime for arbitrations and recommends a new domestic Arbitration Act 2001 (Act 37/2001). It also recommends changes to the International Arbitration Act (via Act 38/2001) in line with changes in the domestic Act. It contains a clause by clause commentary on the proposed Arbitration Act.

Report (LRRD 3/2001)

 

• February 2001 - Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Bill 2001

The Contract (Rights of Third Parties) Act (Cap. 53B) reforms the rule of privity of contract to enable third parties to enforce contractual terms made for their benefit. The Act, modelled on the UK Act of the same name, came into operation on 1 Jan 2002.

Report (LRRD 2/2001)

 

• January 2001 – Proposed Instruments (Formalities) Bill

The draft Bill seeks to reform the law on the formalities relating to instruments, especially deeds. It gives effect to the UK Law Commission recommendations in its 1987 Report on “Deeds and Escrows” (Law Com No.143) and 1998 Report on “The Execution of Deeds and Documents By and On Behalf of Bodies Corporate” (Law Com No. 253).

Report (LRRD 1/2001)

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