Women’s Charter (Registration of Marriages) (Amendment) Rules 2016

No. S 290

Women’s Charter

(CHAPTER 353)

Women’s Charter (Registration of Marriages)
(Amendment) Rules 2016

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 180(1) of the Women’s Charter, the Minister for Social and Family Development makes the following Rules:

Citation and commencement

1. These Rules are the Women’s Charter (Registration of Marriages) (Amendment) Rules 2016 and come into operation on 1 October 2016.

Amendment of rule 1A

2. Rule 1A of the Women’s Charter (Registration of Marriages) Rules (R 3) (called in these Rules the principal Rules) is amended by deleting paragraph (1) and substituting the following paragraph:

“(1) For the purposes of section 17A(1) of the Act, the class of persons who must attend a marriage preparation programme consists of every party to an intended marriage where —

(a)	at least one of the parties to the intended marriage is a citizen or permanent resident of Singapore;
(b)	at least one of the parties to the intended marriage is below the age of 21 years; and
(c)	neither party to the intended marriage suffers from any illness or disability specified in paragraph (2).”.

Deletion and substitution of rule 1B

3. Rule 1B of the principal Rules is deleted and the following rule substituted therefor:

“Marriage preparation programme

1B.—(1) In sections 17A and 21 of the Act, “marriage preparation programme” means a programme or course which —

(a)

is organised by an organisation approved by a Director of the Ministry of Social and Family Development appointed under paragraph (2);

(b)

seeks to help persons intending to get married to understand and prepare for the issues commonly arising in a marriage; and

(c)

is conducted by a person who —

(i)	has experience in dealing with issues commonly arising in a marriage; or
(ii)	is trained to conduct such a programme or course.

(2) The Minister may appoint a Director of the Ministry of Social and Family Development to approve any organisation authorised to organise a programme or course mentioned in paragraph (1).”.

Amendment of Schedule

4. The Schedule to the principal Rules is amended by deleting Form A and substituting the following Form:

“Form A

Rules 2, 4A, 6(1) and (2) and 15(1)

WOMEN’S CHARTER
(CHAPTER 353)

NOTICE OF MARRIAGE UNDER SECTION 14
MARRIAGE LICENCE UNDER SECTION 17

Solemnization

APPLICATION FOR MARRIAGE LICENCE UNDER SECTION 10
APPLICATION FOR SPECIAL LICENCE UNDER SECTION 21

To: Registrar of Marriages, Singapore
I, __________ give you notice of my intention to marry __________

□	within 3 months after the date of this Notice, and after a marriage licence is issued under section 17 of the Women’s Charter.

□	within this application for a marriage licence under section 10(2) of the Women’s Charter.

□	within this application for a special marriage licence under section 21 of the Women’s Charter.

I, __________ apply under section 182 of the Women’s Charter to register my marriage to __________.
The particulars of our marriage are as follows: _______________
Signature or RTP of the person giving this Notice/making this Application __________
Date of Notice: __________

For Official Use Only
Remarks

Attestation (Section 15)
I, __________ of the Registry of Marriages, Singapore, certify that the *Signature/RTP was affixed in my presence by the person named in this Notice, and I have verified it to the best of my ability to be that of this person.

Signature of Attesting Witness __________
Interpreted in *English/Mandarin/ __________ language

Marriage Licence under Section 17
The parties in the Notice, having complied with the requirements of section 17 of the Women’s Charter, and there being no caveat entered under section 19 of the Women’s Charter which obstructs the issue of this licence, are issued with a licence to marry WITHIN THREE MONTHS after the date of the Notice. This licence is valid with effect from the date stated below.

__________
Date

___________________________
Assistant Registrar of Marriages

Name
Alias
ID Type
ID No.
Date of Birth
† Marital Status
Nationality
Race
Religion
Education
Occupation
Both related?
(by kindred and affinity)
Address
Contact

Male Applicant

Female Applicant

For Official Use Only
Special Marriage Licence under Section 10(2)

Whereas __________ and __________ are desirous of marrying under the Women’s Charter, and they are within a prohibited degree of relationship mentioned in the First Schedule to the Women’s Charter;
And whereas I am satisfied that the proposed marriage of the parties named in this licence complies with the requirements of section 10(2) of the Women’s Charter;
Now therefore, I, in exercise of the powers conferred upon me by section 10(2) of the Women’s Charter, grant a licence for the marriage of the persons named in this licence to be solemnized.

__________
Date

___________________________________

Minister
Ministry of Social and Family Development
Singapore

Witness 1
Witness 2

*Delete as appropriate.
†Someone who describes himself/herself as single must be previously unmarried and not a divorcee.

STATUTORY DECLARATION (Male Party)

I, __________ do solemnly and sincerely declare that the particulars given in this Form A relating to myself are true and that further,

(a)	I am (select one)

□	at least 21 years of age; OR

□	below 21 years of age, but will attain 21 years of age on __________; OR

□	below 21 years of age and *divorced/a widower/have had my marriage declared null and void; OR

□	below 21 years of age and have not been previously married, and the consent of the appropriate person in the Second Schedule to the Women’s Charter *has been obtained/dispensed with/the consent of the High Court or a Family Court has been given in accordance with section 13 of the Women’s Charter;

(b)	I am not below 18 years of age;

(c)	There is no lawful impediment to the marriage;

(d)	I am not married under any law, religion, custom or usage to any person other than the person whose name appears together with mine overleaf;

(e)	I am/am not a Singapore citizen/permanent resident and

I *have been/have not been physically present in Singapore for at least 15 days preceding the date of notice of marriage;

(f)	†I have attended and completed a marriage preparation programme;

(g)	†I am a divorcee. There is/isn’t a maintenance order against me and I owe/do not owe maintenance arrears under the maintenance order;

(h)	†I *have/have not been previously convicted of either or both of the following offences:

(i)	an offence under section 57C(1) of the Immigration Act (Cap. 133);

(ii)	an offence under section 494 of the Penal Code (Cap. 224).

And I make this solemn declaration by virtue of the Oaths and Declarations Act (Cap. 211), and subject to the penalties provided by that Act for the making of false statements in statutory declarations, conscientiously believing the statements contained in the declaration to be true in every particular.
*Signature/RTP of Declarant __________
Interpretation in *English/Mandarin/__________ language by __________ to the Declarant.
Declared before me at Singapore _____ day of ________

______________________
Commissioner for Oaths

STATUTORY DECLARATION (Female Party)

I, __________ do solemnly and sincerely declare that the particulars given in this Form A relating to myself are true and that further,

(a)	I am (select one)

□	at least 21 years of age; OR

□	below 21 years of age, but will attain 21 years of age on __________; OR

□	below 21 years of age and *divorced/a widow/have had my marriage declared null and void; OR

□	below 21 years of age and have not been previously married, and the consent of the appropriate person in the Second Schedule to the Women’s Charter *has been obtained/dispensed with/the consent of the High Court or a Family Court has been given in accordance with section 13 of the Women’s Charter;

(b)	I am not below 18 years of age;

(c)	There is no lawful impediment to the marriage;

(d)	I am not married under any law, religion, custom or usage to any person other than the person whose name appears together with mine overleaf;

(e)	I am/am not a Singapore citizen/permanent resident and

I *have been/have not been physically present in Singapore for at least 15 days preceding the date of notice of marriage;

(f)	†I have attended and completed a marriage preparation programme;

(g)	†I am a divorcee. There is/isn’t a maintenance order against me and I owe/do not owe maintenance arrears under the maintenance order;

(h)	†I *have/have not been previously convicted of either or both of the following offences:

(i)	an offence under section 57C(1) of the Immigration Act (Cap. 133);

(ii)	an offence under section 494 of the Penal Code (Cap. 224).

______________________
Commissioner for Oaths

For Official Use only

Special Marriage Licence under Section 21

Whereas __________ and __________ desire to marry; and
whereas proof has been made by statutory declaration and there is no lawful impediment to the proposed marriage;

●	and whereas the Minister is satisfied that consent required under section 13(1) of the Women’s Charter has been obtained;

●	and whereas the Minister is satisfied that the consent of the High Court or a Family Court under section 13(2)(b) or (3) of the Women’s Charter has been given;

●	and whereas the Minister is satisfied that the consent required under section 13(1) has been dispensed with under section 13(2)(a) of the Women’s Charter;

Now therefore the Minister in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by section 21 of the Women’s Charter:

●	dispenses with the giving of a notice of marriage under section 14 of the Women’s Charter by the persons named in this licence;

●	dispenses with the issue of a marriage licence under section 17 of the Women’s Charter;

●	grants a special marriage licence authorising the solemnization of a marriage between the parties named in this licence within one month from the date of this licence;

●	grants a special marriage licence authorising the solemnization of a marriage between the parties named in this licence within one month from the date of this licence notwithstanding that __________ *is/are below the age of 18 years.

_____
Date

________________________

Minister
Ministry of Social and Family Development
Singapore

*Delete as appropriate.
†Notes to Statutory Declaration

1.	Paragraph (f) may be deleted if the declarant does not fall within a class of persons prescribed under section 17A of the Women’s Charter as persons who must attend a marriage preparation programme. The prescribed class of persons consists of every party to an intended marriage where —

(a)	at least one of the parties to the intended marriage is a citizen or permanent resident of Singapore

(b)	at least one of the parties to the intended marriage is below the age of 21 years; and

(c)	neither party to the intended marriage suffers from any critical or terminal illness or any physical disability or infirmity which renders it impracticable or impossible for that party to attend or complete a marriage preparation programme.

2.	Paragraph (g) may be deleted if the declarant is not a divorcee.

3.	Paragraph (h) may be deleted if the declarant has never been married, and has never been a party to a purported marriage that is void or a marriage that is voidable.

”.

Saving and transitional provision

5. Despite rule 4, the following continue to be in Form A set out in the Schedule to the principal Rules as in force immediately before 1 October 2016:

(a)	a notice given to the Registrar before that date under section 14 of the Act;
(b)	a statutory declaration made under section 17(2) of the Act by a party to a proposed marriage, if a notice is given to the Registrar before that date under section 14 of the Act by a party to the proposed marriage;
(c)	an application made before that date for the grant of a special marriage licence under section 21 of the Act;
(d)	a special marriage licence granted under section 21 of the Act pursuant to an application mentioned in paragraph (c);
(e)	an application made before that date for the registration of a marriage under section 182 of the Act.

[G.N. Nos. S 688/2002; S 46/2003; S 557/2005; S 227/2010; S 270/2011; S 498/2011; S 100/2012]

Made on 21 June 2016.

CHEW HOCK YONG

Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Social and Family Development,
Singapore.

[MSF 76-02-01 v39; AG/LEGIS/SL/353/2015/2 Vol. 1]

(To be presented to Parliament under section 180(2) of the Women’s Charter).

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