WOMEN'S CHARTER BILL (As reported from Select Committee)

Order for Third Reading read.

8.05 p.m.

The Minister for Labour and Law (Mr K. M. Byrne): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Third time."

The Women's Charter Bill, which was first introduced last year, has been under the close scrutiny of two Select Committees and I hope the Bill, as amended, will be generally accepted as a significant advance in social legislation for the protection of the rights of women.

The Bill is not as revolutionary as some people would like it to be. In particular, the provisions relating to divorce follow closely similar provisions in the English Divorce law and may be said, as a representor before the Select Committee maintained, to be framed on the basis of Protestant theology. It was felt, however, that to allow a marriage to be dissolved by mutual consent or under the Chinese custom by a unilateral public act by the husband would defeat the basis on which the Women's Charter was framed.

The Bill seeks, on the one hand, to make it as easy as possible to enter into the contract of marriage and, on the other hand, to make it as difficult as possible to contract out of it. It is especially necessary, in a situation where existing polygamous marriages are recognised and where monogamy is to be enforced for the future, that the institution of marriage should be safe-guarded and that too easy divorces should be prevented. For otherwise, it would be easy for an unscrupulous husband to divorce his existing wife or wives and take for himself another wife. Thus the very basis of the legislation would be demolished and, instead of raising the status of women, the Charter would further lower it. It may be that when the women of Singapore are more advanced and more aware of and more in a position to exercise their rights, it would be possible to go further in liberalising the law of divorce - but for the present it is felt that it would be better to work on the existing law, which has been in force in Singapore since 1912, and which has been found on balance not to have operated unsatisfactorily.

One significant change which has been introduced is the power given to the Court to refer the differences between the parties to a marriage to Conciliation Officers so that a reconciliation between the parties can be affected. It is also provided that where there are differences between the parties to a marriage the parties or either of them may refer the differences to a Conciliation Officer for his advice and assistance. It is hoped that in this way the parties will be assisted to arrive at a reconcilation, and that every effort will be made to resolve their differences before the parties resort to the Court for dissolution of their marriage.

The provisions in the Charter relating to the disability to contract polygamous marriages will have effect from the 2nd March this year, and it is therefore necessary to bring the Women's Charter into operation as soon as possible. It will be necessary, before this is done, to prescribe the form to be used under the Charter and to appoint the Deputy Registrars of Marriage who will have to assist in the registration of marriages. The forms are already in draft, and it is therefore expected that it will be possible to bring the Ordinance into operation after it is enacted in the very near future.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Third time and passed.