Women’s Charter(CHAPTER 353)
Table of Contents
Long Title
Part I PRELIMINARY
1 Short title
2 Interpretation
3 Application
Part II MONOGAMOUS MARRIAGES
4 Disability to contract marriages
5 Void marriages
6 Offence
7 Continuance of marriage
Part III SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGES
8 Persons by whom marriages may be solemnized
9 Avoidance of marriages where either party is under minimum age for marriage
10 Marriages within prohibited degrees
11 Avoidance of marriages by subsisting prior marriage
12 Consents
13 Notice of marriage
14 Signature on notice by person unable to write or to understand English language
15 Notice to be filed and published
16 Registrar to issue marriage licence on proof of conditions by statutory declaration
17 Marriage to take place within 3 months
18 Caveat
19 Proceedings if caveat entered
20 Special marriage licence
21 Requirements for valid marriage
22 Solemnization of marriages
23 Religious ceremony
Part IV REGISTRATION
24 Registration of marriages
25 Appointment of Registrar, Assistant Registrars and Deputy Registrars
26 Books and registers
27 Registration of marriage solemnized by the Registrar
28 Registration of marriage not solemnized by the Registrar
29 Registration where parties have not appeared within prescribed time
30 Copy of entry to be given
31 Unlawful registers
32 Legal effect of registration
Part V PENALTIES AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS RELATING TO SOLEMNIZATION AND REGISTRATION OF MARRIAGES
33 Omission to appear before Deputy Registrar within prescribed time
34 Contravention of section 31
35 Interference with marriage
36 False oath, etc., for procuring marriage
37 False allegation in caveat
38 Unauthorised solemnization of marriage
39 Offences relating to solemnization of marriages
40 Destroying or falsifying register of marriages
41 Sanction for prosecution
42 Correction of errors
43 Inspection and search
44 Proof
Part VI RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF HUSBAND AND WIFE
45 Rights and duties
46 Abolition of wife’s dependent domicile
47 Conciliation Officers
48 Capacity of married women
49 Property of a woman to be held by her as a feme sole
50 Loans by wife to husband
51 Money and property derived from housekeeping allowance
52 Gifts by husband to wife
53 Remedies of married woman for protection and security of property
54 Wife’s antenuptial debts and liabilities
55 Actions in tort between husband and wife
56 Questions between husband and wife as to property to be decided in a summary way
57 Married woman as an executrix or trustee
58 Saving of existing settlements and power to make future settlements
59 Legal representative of married woman
60 Liability for breach of trust
Part VII MAINTENANCE OF WIFE AND CHILDREN
61 Court may order maintenance of wife and children
62 Duty to maintain child accepted as member of family
63 Enforcement of maintenance order
64 Rescission and variation of order
65 Application of Act to orders made under Minor Offences Ordinance, etc.
66 Power of District or Magistrate’s Court to refuse order where High Court proceeding more convenient
67 Appeal
68 Powers of court to make orders for the protection of a party to a marriage or a child of the family
69 Supplementary provisions with respect to orders under section 68
70 Powers of arrest for breach of an order made under section 68
71 Powers of High Court
72 Procedure
Part VIII ENFORCEMENT OF MAINTENANCE ORDERS
73 Definitions
74 Power of court to make an attachment of earnings order
75 Nature of attachment of earnings order
76 Effect of attachment of earnings order
77 Duty of defendant and employer to comply with attachment of earnings order
78 Additional powers of court in attachment of earnings order proceedings
79 Obligation of defendant and his employers to notify changes of employment and earnings
80 Power of court to determine what are earnings
81 Payment of money under attachment of earnings order
82 Where earnings paid by Government or out of Consolidated Fund
83 Penalties for non-compliance with attachment of earnings order and for giving false notice or statement
Chapter 1 — DIVORCE
84 Definitions
85 Principles of law to be applied
86 Jurisdiction of court in matrimonial proceedings
87 Restriction on petitions for divorce during the first 3 years of marriage
88 Irretrievable breakdown of marriage to be sole ground for divorce
89 Reconciliation
90 Rules to provide for agreements to be referred to court
91 Intervention of Attorney-General
92 Relief for respondent in divorce proceedings
93 Decree nisi and proceedings thereafter
94 Proceedings for decree nisi of presumption of death and divorce
Chapter 2 — JUDICIAL SEPARATION
95 Judicial separation
96 Judicial separation no bar to petition for divorce
97 Judicially separated spouses not entitled to claim in intestacy of each other
Chapter 3 — NULLITY OF MARRIAGE
98 Petition for nullity of marriage
99 Grounds on which a marriage is void
100 Grounds on which a marriage is voidable
101 Bars to relief where marriage in voidable
102 Marriage governed by foreign law
103 Application of sections 91 and 93 to nullity proceedings
104 Effect of decree of nullity in case of voidable marriage
105 Legitimacy of children of annulled marriages
Chapter 4 — FINANCIAL PROVISIONS CONSEQUENT ON MATRIMONIAL PROCEEDINGS
106 Power of court to order division of matrimonial assets
107 Power of court to order maintenance
108 Assessment of maintenance
109 Power of court to order security for maintenance
110 Compounding of maintenance
111 Duration of orders for maintenance
112 Power of court to vary orders for maintenance
113 Power of court to vary agreements for maintenance
114 Maintenance payable under order of court to be inalienable
115 Recovery of arrears of maintenance
Chapter 5 — WELFARE OF CHILDREN
116 Meaning of "child"
117 Arrangements for welfare of children
118 Custody of children
119 In making order for custody, paramount consideration to be welfare of child
120 Orders subject to conditions
121 Duty to maintain children
122 Power of court to order maintenance for children
123 Matters the court shall have regard when ordering maintenance for children
124 Power of court to order security for maintenance
125 Duration of orders for custody and maintenance
126 Power of court to vary orders for custody or maintenance
127 Power of court to vary agreement for custody or maintenance
128 Recovery of arrears of maintenance
129 Court to have regard to advice of welfare officers, etc.
130 Power of court to restrain taking of child out of Singapore
131 Power of court to set aside and prevent dispositions intended to defeat claims to maintenance
Chapter 6 — GENERAL PROVISIONS
132 Procedure
133 Service of petition
134 Evidence
135 Sittings in camera
136 Power to rescind decree nisi in certain cases
137 Appeals
138 Power to allow intervention on terms
139 Power to make rules
Part X OFFENCES AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS
140 Offences relating to prostitution
141 Traffic in women and girls
142 Importation of woman or girl by false pretences
143 Permitting girl under the age of 16 to use premises for intercourse
144 Permitting mental defective to use premises for intercourse
145 Causing or encouraging prostitution of, intercourse with, or indecent assault on, girl under the age of 16
146 Persons living on or trading in prostitution
147 Suppression of places of assignation
148 Suppression of brothels
149 Notice to owner and occupier
150 Determination of tenancy of places on conviction for permitting use as a brothel, etc.
151 Court to make order for demolition of structural contrivances for facilitating the running of a place of assignation or of a brothel
152 Authority of courts to issue arrest and search warrants
153 Trials in camera in certain cases
154 Trial of offences
155 Detention pending judicial proceedings
156 Director may examine women and girls and person in charge of them
157 Inspection
158 Security on departure of woman or girl from Singapore
159 Woman or girl under the age of 21 used or trained for immoral purposes, etc.
160 Director may order detention of woman or girl in certain cases
161 Period of detention of woman or girl in a place of safety
162 Marriage not to be contracted without consent of Director
163 Women and girls in urgent need of refuge
164 Transfer of women or girls from one place of safety to another place of safety within Singapore
165 Removal of women or girls to Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam or Hong Kong by order of Minister
166 Appeal
167 Women and girls may be received into and detained in Singapore
168 Women and girls so received to be subject to local law
169 Women and girls detained to be subject to rules
170 Director may cause persons to be photographed
171 Power to summon and examine persons in certain circumstances
172 Record of evidence
173 Power of search
174 Power of arrest and seizure
175 Presumption arising out of warrants
176 Appointment of officers
177 Minister may establish places of safety
178 Boards of Visitors
179 Discharge Committees
Part XI MISCELLANEOUS
180 Rules
181 Marriages solemnized prior to commencement of this Act deemed to be registered under this Act
182 Voluntary registration of marriages solemnized under religion or custom
183 Recognition of marriages contracted in Embassies, etc., in Singapore
184 Validity of customary marriages contracted on or after 15th September 1961 and before 2nd June 1967
185 Saving for petitions presented before commencement of Women’s Charter (Amendment) Act 1980*
Legislative History