Societies (Amendment) Bill

Bill No. 7/1982

Read the first time on 25th March 1982.

An Act to amend the Societies Act (Chapter 262 of the Revised Edition).

Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows: —

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Societies (Amendment) Act, 1982.

Amendment of section 35

2. Section 35 of the Societies Act is amended by inserting, immediately before the words “no judgment” in the first line of paragraph (d), the words “except as otherwise provided in section 35A,”.

New section 35A

3. The Societies Act is amended by inserting, immediately after section 35, the following section: —

“Security for costs and liability of officers

35A.—(1) Where a registered society or any of its officers purporting to act on its behalf is plaintiff in any action or other legal proceeding, the court having jurisdiction in the matter may, if it appears by credible testimony that there is reason to believe that the society or the officer will be unable to pay the costs of the defendant if successful in his defence, require sufficient security to be given for those costs and stay all proceedings until the security is given.

(2) Where a society is required to give security for costs under subsection (1) and the amount of the security is not sufficient to pay the costs of the defendant —

(a)	the officers of the society who approved the institution of the action or legal proceeding; and
(b)	any person who, on subsequently becoming an officer of the society, does not take any reasonable measure for the purpose of seeking the discontinuance of the action or legal proceeding,

shall be jointly and severally liable for any part of the costs awarded against the society which, after deducting the amount of the security, remains unsatisfied after one month from the date the costs became payable.

(3) This section shall apply to any action or legal proceeding whether instituted before or after the commencement of the Societies (Amendment) Act, 1982.”.

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