No. S 477
Supreme Court of Judicature Act
(Chapter 322)
Commissioners for Oaths (Amendment) Rules 1996
In exercise of the powers conferred by section 68(3) of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act, the Senate of the Singapore Academy of Law hereby makes the following Rules:
1.  These Rules may be cited as the Commissioners for Oaths (Amendment) Rules 1996 and shall come into operation on 1st November 1996.
2.  Rule 2 of the Commissioners for Oaths Rules (referred to in these Rules as the principal Rules) is amended by inserting, immediately after the definition of “affidavit”, the following definition:
“ “legal officer” means a person appointed as a legal officer in the Singapore Legal Service;”.”.
[R 3.]
3.  Rule 3 of the principal Rules is amended by deleting paragraph (1) and substituting the following paragraph:
(1)  An advocate and solicitor who has for an aggregate period of not less than 7 years been in active practice or been a legal officer shall be eligible for appointment as a commissioner for oaths.”.
4.  Rule 4 of the principal Rules is amended by deleting paragraph (3).
5.  Rule 5 of the principal Rules is amended —
(a)by deleting sub-paragraph (i) of paragraph (2)(a) and substituting the following sub-paragraph:
(i)his date of admission to the roll of the Supreme Court and the number of years that he has been in active practice or been a legal officer;”.
(b)by deleting sub-paragraph (v) of paragraph (2)(a) and substituting the following sub-paragraph:
(v)whether he is or has been the subject of disciplinary proceedings under Part VII of the Legal Profession Act [Cap. 161]; and if so, the date and nature of the complaint, whether the complaint resulted in the appointment of a Disciplinary Committee, and if so, the result of its inquiry; ”.
(c)by deleting the full-stop at the end of sub-paragraph (b)(vi) of paragraph (2) and substituting the word “; and”, and by inserting immediately thereafter the following sub-paragraph:
(c)any officer referred to in rule 3(2) shall annex to his application form a schedule (to be referred to as “Schedule I”) setting out the nature of the documents which he will take and receive if appointed as a commissioner for oaths; and the schedule may be updated during his term of appointment by his employer notifying the Secretary of any changes to the schedule.”.
6.  Rule 7 of the principal Rules is amended by deleting paragraph (2) and substituting the following paragraphs:
(2)  Court interpreters may be appointed commissioners for oaths to administer oaths in accordance with section 68 of the Act, subject to such limitations as the Senate may determine or as may be stated on the certificate of appointment.
(3)  Officers referred to in rule 3(2) may be appointed commissioners for oaths to take and receive the documents specified in Schedule I of their applications and subject to such other limitations as the Senate may determine or as may be stated on the certificate of appointment.”.
7.  Rule 12 of the principal Rules is amended by deleting the word “administered” in paragraph (a) and substituting the word “taken”.
8.  Rule 13 of the principal Rules is deleted and the following rule substituted therefor:
Revocation of appointment
13.—(1)  The appointment of a commissioner for oaths shall be deemed to be revoked —
(a)when he is adjudged a bankrupt;
(b)when he is convicted of an offence for which he is sentenced to a term of imprisonment (except where the imprisonment is imposed in default of payment of a fine);
(c)in the case of an officer referred to in rule 3 (2) or a court interpreter, when he is dismissed from service or reduced in rank; or
(d)in the case of an advocate and solicitor, when he is suspended or struck off the roll of the Supreme Court of Singapore.
(2)  Any commissioner for oaths whose appointment is automatically revoked in accordance with paragraph (1) shall forthwith return to the Secretary his certificate of appointment and commissioner’s stamp.”.

Made this 23rd day of October 1996.

YONG PUNG HOW
   President,   
Singapore Academy of Law.
[AG/SL/47/95]