The Parliament of Singapore passed the Administration of Muslim Law Bill on 17 August 1966. The resultant Administration of Muslim Law Act 1966 (AMLA), which came into operation almost two years later on 1 July 1968, provides for a centralised system of administration ...
The Environmental Public Health Act became law on 2 January 1969. The act was aimed at setting up a standard code to govern health-related matters in public cleansing services, markets, hawkers, food establishments and the general environment. It also integrated ...
The Area Licensing Scheme (ALS) was launched on 2 June 1975. Designed to reduce traffic congestion in the Central Business District (CBD), the key concept underlying the ALS was that a special supplementary licence had to be obtained at a cost if a motorist wanted ...
The chief justice of Singapore presides over the judiciary – a system of courts that upholds the law and ensures justice is accessible to all. Besides being responsible for the overall functioning of the Singapore judiciary, he or she plays a role in numerous appointments ...
Quarantine was formally introduced as a public health control measure in Singapore in 1868. It was an important method of disease control before the widespread adoption of vaccination and antimicrobial therapy. As a cosmopolitan port settlement, Singapore was particularly ...
The Legislative Council was one of the predecessors to today’s Parliament of Singapore. Established in 1867, its core function was to enact laws for Singapore. It was replaced in 1955 by the Legislative Assembly.
The Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1960, was a piece of legislation that sought to regulate relations between employers and employees in Singapore at a time when the country was embarking on an economic makeover following the institution of self-government in ...
The Employment Act came into effect on 15 August 1968, and it standardised and regulated the terms and conditions of employment for all employees regardless of whether they were workmen, clerks or shop assistants. The act also abolished certain discriminatory practices, ...
The Land Acquisition Act was introduced on 17 June 1967 to provide the government with the legal framework to acquire private land compulsorily at market prices. The key objective of the act was to make land available readily and cheaply for the housing, commercial ...
The Clean Air Act was passed by parliament on 2 December 1971. It was Singapore’s earliest attempt to control industrial pollution just as the country was industrialising rapidly. As early as 1967, the pace of industrialisation in Singapore had prompted the World ...
A ban on the sale, import and manufacture of chewing gum in Singapore took effect on 3 January 1992, four days after the ban was announced in The Straits Times. The ban encompassed all substances made from the “gum base of vegetable or synthetic origin”, such as ...
The Parliamentary Elections (Election Advertising) Regulations is an official set of legislated rules and guidelines that regulates the use of posters and banners, as well as online advertising platforms, during the periods of political campaigning in the General ...
The Corrective Work Order (CWO), which came into effect on 1 November 1992, is an amendment to the anti-littering law. It was a punitive measure that requires the offender to clean up the community instead of paying a fine. The first CWOs were performed on 21 February ...
The Rendel Commission was appointed by Governor John Nicoll (Sir) in July 1953 to undertake a comprehensive review of the constitution of the Singapore colony. Initially known as the Constitutional Commission, it later took on the name of its chairman, George Rendel ...
The Singapore judiciary system consists of two tiers: the Supreme Court and the State Courts (known as Subordinate Courts until 2014). Located at 1 Havelock Square, the State Courts consist of the District Courts, Magistrates’ Courts, Family Courts and various ...
The Maintenance of Parents Act provides for Singapore residents aged 60 years old and above who are unable to subsist on their own, to claim maintenance from their children who are capable of supporting him but are not doing so. Parents can sue their children for ...
The Casino Control Act was enacted in 2006 to regulate the operations and gaming in casinos in preparation for the opening of the Integrated Resorts (IRs). It establishes and makes provision for the Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore (CRA) to administer and ...
Chia Keng Prison was a medium-security prison located on Yio Chu Kang Road. It housed prisoners who were serving their second stage of detention under the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act.
The Restricted (Artistic) or R(A) category was introduced by the government on 15 September 1991 to raise the age of admission to restricted films to 21 years. Only films with artistic merit were allowed such a rating and they could only be screened in the city ...
The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) is a government agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Headquartered at 407 Upper Changi Road North, it administers 14 institutions in Singapore. In addition to ensuring the secure custody of inmates, the prison service works ...