Women’s Charter (Parenting Programme) Rules 2016

Status:

Current version
as at 04 Dec 2024

No. S 565

Women’s Charter

(CHAPTER 353)

Women’s Charter
(Parenting Programme) 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 (Parenting Programme) Rules 2016 and come into operation on 1 December 2016.

Definitions

2. In these Rules —

“Director” means a director of the Ministry of Social and Family Development appointed by the Minister for the purposes of these Rules;

“parenting programme” has the same meaning as in section 94A(14) of the Act.

Prescribed party

3. For the purposes of section 94A of the Act and these Rules, “prescribed party” means a party to a marriage in relation to whom all of the following apply:

(a)	at least one party to the marriage intends to file, or files, an originating application for divorce; [S 522/2024 wef 01/07/2024] [S 737/2024 wef 15/10/2024]
(b)	there is at least one child of the marriage who is below the age of 21 years when the party mentioned in paragraph (a) intends to file, or files, the originating application for divorce. [S 10/2018 wef 21/01/2018] [S 522/2024 wef 01/07/2024] [S 737/2024 wef 15/10/2024]
(c)	[Deleted by S 522/2024 wef 01/07/2024]

Time for completing parenting programme

4.—(1) For the purposes of section 94A(1) of the Act, a prescribed party who wishes to file in the court an originating application for divorce must complete a parenting programme before filing the originating application for divorce, but not earlier than 2 years before the date on which the originating application for divorce is filed.

[S 737/2024 wef 15/10/2024]

(2) For the purposes of section 94A(1) of the Act, a prescribed party who is a respondent in proceedings for divorce must complete a parenting programme —

(a)

if the prescribed party wishes to file in the court a cross-application in those proceedings — before filing the cross-application; and

[S 737/2024 wef 15/10/2024]

(b)

in any event, not earlier than 2 years before the date on which the originating application for divorce in those proceedings is filed and —

(i)	in the case where the prescribed party consents for those proceedings to be placed on a simplified hearing track under Part 2, Rule 8 of the Family Justice (General) Rules 2024 (G.N. No. S 720/2024) — before the originating application for divorce is filed; or [S 737/2024 wef 15/10/2024]
(ii)	in any other case — not later than 22 days after the date on which the originating application for divorce in those proceedings is served on the prescribed party.

[S 522/2024 wef 01/07/2024]

[S 737/2024 wef 15/10/2024]

Excluded party

5.—(1) A prescribed party is exempt from section 94A(1) of the Act, and is consequently an excluded party for the purposes of section 94A of the Act and these Rules, if —

(a)	the prescribed party lacks capacity within the meaning of section 4 of the Mental Capacity Act 2008; and [S 522/2024 wef 31/12/2021]
(b)	on a request made on behalf of the prescribed party, the Director issues a note stating that the prescribed party is an excluded party.

(2) The request in paragraph (1)(b) must be made within such time and in such manner, and supported by such documents, as the Director may require.

Appeal to Minister

6.—(1) For the purposes of section 94A(11) of the Act, a person who is dissatisfied with a determination under section 94A(10) of the Act must, if the person wishes to appeal to the Minister, submit the appeal to the Director within 21 days after the date on which the determination is made.

(2) The appeal must be submitted in such manner, and supported by such documents, as the Director may require.

Transitional provisions

7.—(1) These Rules do not apply to or in relation to a writ for divorce filed before 1 December 2016.

(2) Rules 3 and 4 as in force immediately before 1 July 2024 continue to apply to or in relation to the following:

(a)	any writ for divorce that is filed in the court before 1 July 2024 but on or after 21 January 2018;
(b)	any counterclaim in proceedings for divorce where the writ for divorce is filed in the court before 1 July 2024 but on or after 21 January 2018;
(c)	any party to a marriage who is a plaintiff or defendant in proceedings for divorce where the writ for divorce is filed in the court before 1 July 2024 but on or after 21 January 2018.

[S 522/2024 wef 01/07/2024]

Made on 17 October 2016.

CHEW HOCK YONG

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

[MSF 76-02-01 v39; AG/LEGIS/SL/353/2015/3 Vol. 1]

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

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