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 Avoidance of marriages between persons of same sex
13 Consents
14 Notice of marriage
15 Signature on notice by person unable to write or to understand English language
16 Notice to be filed and published
17 Registrar to issue marriage licence on proof of conditions by statutory declaration
18 Marriage to take place within 3 months
19 Caveat
20 Proceedings if caveat entered
21 Special marriage licence
22 Requirements for valid marriage
23 Solemnization of marriages
24 Religious ceremony
Part IV REGISTRATION
25 Registration of marriages
26 Appointment of Registrar, Assistant Registrars and Deputy Registrars
27 Books and registers
28 Registration of marriage solemnized by Registrar
29 Registration of marriage not solemnized by Registrar
30 Registration where parties have not appeared within prescribed time
31 Copy of entry to be given
32 Unlawful registers
33 Legal effect of registration
Part V PENALTIES AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS RELATING TO SOLEMNIZATION AND REGISTRATION OF MARRIAGES
34 Omission to appear before Deputy Registrar within prescribed time
35 Contravention of section 32
36 Interference with marriage
37 False oath, etc., for procuring marriage
38 False allegation in caveat
39 Unauthorised solemnization of marriage
40 Offences relating to solemnization of marriages
41 Destroying or falsifying register of marriages
42 Sanction for prosecution
43 Correction of errors
44 Inspection and search
45 Proof
Part VI RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF HUSBAND AND WIFE
46 Rights and duties
47 Abolition of wife’s dependent domicile
48 Conciliation Officers
49 Duty of judge to consider possibility of reconciliation
50 Court may refer parties for mediation or to attend counselling
51 Capacity of married women
52 Property of woman to be held by her as feme sole
53 Loans by wife to husband
54 Money and property derived from housekeeping allowance
55 Gifts by husband to wife
56 Remedies of married woman for protection and security of property
57 Wife’s antenuptial debts and liabilities
58 Actions in tort between husband and wife
59 Questions between husband and wife as to property to be decided in summary way
60 Married woman as an executrix or trustee
61 Saving of existing settlements and power to make future settlements
62 Legal representative of married woman
63 Liability for breach of trust
Part VII PROTECTION OF FAMILY
64 Interpretation of this Part
65 Protection order
66 Expedited order
67 Supplementary provisions with respect to orders under sections 65 and 66
Part VIII MAINTENANCE OF WIFE AND CHILDREN
68 Duty of parents to maintain children
69 Court may order maintenance of wife and children
70 Duty to maintain child accepted as member of family
71 Enforcement of maintenance order
72 Rescission and variation of order
73 Power of court to vary agreement for maintenance of child
74 Application of section 121
75 Application of Act to orders made under repealed Minor Offences Ordinance, etc.
76 Power of District Court or Magistrate’s Court to refuse order where High Court proceedings more convenient
77 Appeal
78 Powers of High Court
79 Procedure
Part IX ENFORCEMENT OF MAINTENANCE ORDERS
80 Interpretation of this Part
81 Power of court to make attachment of earnings order
82 Nature of attachment of earnings order
83 Effect of attachment of earnings order
84 Duty of defendant and employer to comply with attachment of earnings order
85 Additional powers of court in attachment of earnings order proceedings
86 Obligation of defendant and employer to notify changes of employment and earnings
87 Power of court to determine what are earnings
88 Payment of money under attachment of earnings order
89 Earnings paid by Government or out of Consolidated Fund
90 Costs of proceedings
91 Penalties for non-compliance with attachment of earnings order and for giving false notice or statement
Part X
Chapter 1 DIVORCE
92 Interpretation of this Part
93 Jurisdiction of court in matrimonial proceedings
94 Restriction on filing of writ for divorce during first 3 years of marriage
95 Irretrievable breakdown of marriage to be sole ground for divorce
96 Rules to provide for agreements to be referred to court
97 Intervention of Attorney-General
98 Relief for defendant in divorce proceedings
99 Interim judgment and proceedings thereafter
100 Proceedings for interim judgment of presumption of death and divorce
Chapter 2 JUDICIAL SEPARATION
101 Judicial separation
102 Judicial separation no bar to writ for divorce
103 Judicially separated spouses not entitled to claim in intestacy of each other
Chapter 3 NULLITY OF MARRIAGE
104 Writ for nullity of marriage
105 Grounds on which marriage is void
106 Grounds on which marriage is voidable
107 Bars to relief where marriage is voidable
108 Marriage governed by foreign law
109 Application of sections 97 and 99 to nullity proceedings
110 Effect of judgment of nullity in case of voidable marriage
111 Legitimacy of children of annulled marriages
Chapter 4 FINANCIAL PROVISIONS CONSEQUENT ON MATRIMONIAL PROCEEDINGS
112 Power of court to order division of matrimonial assets
113 Power of court to order maintenance
114 Assessment of maintenance
115 Power of court to order security for maintenance
116 Compounding of maintenance
117 Duration of orders for maintenance
118 Power of court to vary orders for maintenance
119 Power of court to vary agreements for maintenance
120 Maintenance payable under order of court to be inalienable
121 Recovery of arrears of maintenance
Chapter 5 WELFARE OF CHILDREN
122 Meaning of "child"
123 Arrangements for welfare of children
124 Custody of children
125 Paramount consideration to be welfare of child
126 Orders subject to conditions
127 Power of court to order maintenance for children
128 Power of court to vary order for custody
129 Power of court to vary agreement for custody
130 Court to have regard to advice of welfare officers, etc.
131 Power of court to restrain taking of child out of Singapore
132 Power of court to set aside and prevent dispositions intended to defeat claims to maintenance
Chapter 6 GENERAL PROVISIONS
133 Procedure
134 Evidence
135 Sittings in camera
136 Power to rescind interim judgment in certain cases
137 Appeals
138 Power to allow intervention on terms
139 Power to make rules
Part XI 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 below the age of 16 to use premises for sexual penetration
144 Permitting mental defective to use premises for sexual penetration
145 Causing or encouraging prostitution of, sexual penetration with, or indecent assault on, girl below 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 brothel, etc.
151 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 below the age of 21 trained or used 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 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 XII MISCELLANEOUS
180 Rules
181 Marriages solemnized before 15th September 1961 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 1st June 1981
186 Savings for proceedings before 1st May 1997
FIRST SCHEDULE Kindred and Affinity Prohibited Degrees of Relationship
SECOND SCHEDULE Consents Required to the Marriage of A Minor
Legislative History