Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Bill

Bill No. 10/1993

Read the first time on 26th February 1993.
An Act to amend the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (1992 Revised Edition).
Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows:
Short title and commencement
1.  This Act may be cited as the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Act 1993 and shall come into operation on such date as the President may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.
Amendment of Article 2
2.  Article 2(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (referred to in this Act as the Constitution) is amended by inserting, immediately after the definition of “Government”, the following definition:
“ “Judge of the Supreme Court” includes the Chief Justice, a Judge of Appeal and a Judge of the High Court;”.
Amendment of Article 94
3.  Article 94 of the Constitution is amended —
(a)by deleting clause (1) and substituting the following clause:
(1)  The Supreme Court shall consist of the Court of Appeal and the High Court with such jurisdiction and powers as are conferred on those Courts by this Constitution or any written law.”;
(b)by deleting the words “that Court” in the fifth line of clause (3) and substituting the words “the High Court or as a Judge of Appeal”;
(c)by deleting the words “Supreme Court” in the tenth and eleventh lines of clause (4) and substituting the words “High Court”; and
(d)by inserting, immediately after clause (4), the following clause:
(5)  For the purposes of clause (3), the President may appoint a person qualified for appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court to be a Judicial Commissioner to hear and determine a specified case only.”.
Amendment of Article 95
4.  Article 95 of the Constitution is amended —
(a)by deleting the words “and the other Judges of the Supreme Court” in clause (1) and substituting the words “, the Judges of Appeal and the Judges of the High Court”;
(b)by deleting the words “Supreme Court” in the second line of clause (3) and substituting the words “High Court or as a Judge of Appeal”; and
(c)by deleting the words “that Court” in the fifth line of clause (3) and substituting the words “the High Court”.
Repeal and re-enactment of Article 97
5.  Article 97 of the Constitution is repealed and the following Article substituted therefor:
Oath of Office of Judges and Judicial Commissioners of Supreme Court
97.  The Chief Justice and every person appointed or designated to sit as a Judge of the High Court or a Judge of Appeal or appointed as a Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court shall, before he enters on the execution of his office, take, in the presence of the President, the Oath of Office in the form set out in the First Schedule.”.
Amendment of Article 99
6.  Article 99 of the Constitution is amended by inserting, immediately after the words “Supreme Court”, the words “or a person designated to sit as such a Judge or a Judicial Commissioner”.
Repeal and re-enactment of Article 101
7.  Article 101 of the Constitution is repealed and the following Article substituted therefor:
Definition of “office”
101.  In this Part, “office”, in relation to a Judge of the Supreme Court, means the office as Chief Justice, Judge of Appeal or Judge of the High Court, as the case may be.”.
Transitional
8.  The Judges of the Supreme Court, excluding the Chief Justice, holding office immediately before the commencement of this Act shall after such commencement continue to hold office as Judges of the High Court.