Women’s Charter
Table of Contents
Long Title
Enacting Formula
Part I PRELIMINARY
1 Short title and commencement
2 Interpretation
3 Application
Part II MONOGAMOUS MARRIAGES
4 Disability to contract marriages
5 Invalid 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 certificate on proof of conditions by statutory declaration
17 Marriage to take place within three months
18 Caveat
19 Proceedings if caveat entered
20 Licence
21 Solemnization of marriages
22 Solemnization of marriage by Registrar
23 Religious ceremony
Part IV REGISTRATION
24 Registration of marriages
25 Appointment of Registrar and Deputy Registrar
26 Books and registers
27 Registration of marriage solemnized by 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 THE 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 Unauthorized solemnization of marriage
39 Offences relating to solemnization of marriages
40 Destroying or falsifying register book
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 Conciliation Officers
47 Married woman to be capable of holding property and of contracting as a feme sole
48 Property of a woman to be held by her as a feme sole
49 Loans by wife to husband
50 Execution of general power
51 Gifts by husband to wife
52 Remedies of married woman for protection and security of separate property
53 Wife’s ante-nuptial debts and liabilities
54 Husband to be liable to a certain extent for his wife’s debts contracted before marriage
55 Suits for ante-nuptial liabilities
56 Act of wife liable to criminal proceedings
57 Questions between husband and wife as to property to be decided in a summary way
58 Married woman as an executrix or trustee
59 Saving of existing settlements and the power to make future settlements
60 Legal representative of married woman
61 Liability for breach of trust
Part VII MAINTENANCE OF WIFE AND CHILDREN
62 Court may make order for maintenance of wife and children
63 Amount how levied
64 Rescission and variation of order
65 Application of Ordinance to orders made under Minor Offences Ordinance
66 Power of District or Magistrate’s Court to refuse order where High Court proceeding more convenient
67 Appeal
68 Powers of High Court
69 Procedure
Part VIII ENFORCEMENT OF MAINTENANCE ORDERS
70 Definitions
71 Power of court to make an attachment of earnings order
72 Nature of attachment of earnings order
73 Effect of attachment of earnings order
74 Duty of defendant and employer to comply with attachment of earnings order
75 Additional powers of court in attachment of earnings order proceedings
76 Power of court to determine what are earnings
77 Payment of money under attachment of earnings order
78 Where earnings paid by Government or out of Consolidated Fund
79 Penalties for non-compliance with attachment of earnings order and for giving false notice or statement
Part IX DIVORCE
80 Definitions
81 Principles of law to be applied
82
83 Restriction on petitions for divorce during the first three years of marriage
84 Grounds for divorce
85 Adulterer to be made co-respondent
86 Duty of court on presentation of petition for divorce
87 Condonation of adultery
88 Grant of relief to respondent, if petition opposed
89 Divorce proceedings after grant of judicial separation
90 Proceedings for decree nisi of presumption of death and divorce
91 Petition for nullity of marriage
92 Grounds of decree
93 Decree of nullity
94 Children of annulled marriage
95 When decree nisi to be made absolute
96 Grounds for judicial separation
97 Property of wife after judicial separation
98 Decree of judicial separation obtained during the absence of husband or wife may be reversed
99 Petition for restitution of conjugal rights
100 Answer to petition
101 Periodical payments in lieu of attachment
102 Settlement of wife’s property
103 Power to vary orders
104 Non-compliance with decree deemed to be desertion
105 Husband may claim damages from adulterer
106 Costs against co-respondent
107 Alimony pendente lite
108 Permanent alimony
109 Court may direct payment of alimony to wife or to her trustee
110 Settlement of the wife’s property
111 Inquiry into existence of ante-nuptial or post-nuptial settlements
112 Powers of the court as to settlements
113 Custody of children
114 Proceedings for maintenance, settlement of property, etc
115 Procedure
116 Contents of petition
117 Service of petition
118 Evidence
119 Sittings in camera
120 Adjournment
121 Enforcement of orders
122 Appeal to Queen in Council
123 Liberty to parties to re-marry
124 Power to allow intervention on terms
125 Suits for criminal conversation abolished
126 Additional jurisdiction in proceedings by a wife
127 Power to make rules
Part X OFFENCES AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS
128 Offences relating to prostitution
129 Traffic in women and girls
130 Importation of woman or girl by false pretences
131 Persons living on or trading in prostitution
132 Suppression of places of assignation
133 Suppression of brothels
134 Notice to owner and occupier
135 Determination of tenancy of places on conviction for permitting use as a brothel, etc
136 Court to make order for demolition of structural contrivances for facilitating the running of a place of assignation or of a brothel
137 Authority of courts to issue arrest and search warrants
138 Trials in camera in certain cases
139 Trial of offences
140 Detention pending on judicial proceedings
141 Director may examine women and girls and the person in charge of them
142 Inspection
143 Security on departure of woman or girl from Singapore
144 Girl under twenty-one used or trained for immoral purposes, etc
145 Director may order detention of woman or girl in certain cases
146 Period of detention of woman or girl in a place of safety
147 Marriage not to be contracted without consent of Director
148 Women and girls in urgent need of refuge
149 Transfer of women or girls from one place of safety to another place of safety within Singapore
150 Removal of women or girls to Federation of Malaya, Sarawak, North Borneo, Brunei or Hong Kong by order of the Minister
151 Appeal
152 Women and girls may be received into and detained in Singapore
153 Women and girls so received to be subject to local law
154 Women and girls detained to be subject to rules
155 Director may cause persons to be photographed
156 Power to summon and examine persons in certain circumstances
157 Record of evidence
158 Power of search
159 Power of arrest and seizure
160 Presumption arising out of warrants
161 Appointment of officers
162 Minister may establish places of safety
163 Boards of Visitors
164 Discharge Committees
Part XI MISCELLANEOUS
165 Rules
166 Marriages solemnized in Singapore prior to 2nd March, 1961, deemed to be registered under this Ordinance
167 Repeal
FIRST SCHEDULE Kindred and Affinity
SECOND SCHEDULE Consents Required to the Marriage of A Minor
Explanatory Statement
Expenditure of Public Money
Table of Derivations