CONSTITUTION (AMENDMENT) BILL

Parliament of Singapore · 26 August 1966 · 1st Parliament

Official Report, 26 August 1966, Vol 25, Issue 5 · Open in the reader (summaries, search, filters)

E. W. Barker

Order for Second Reading read.

6.32p.m.

Mr Barker: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

This Bill is designed to enable the President to make arrangements with the Government of the United Kingdom for appeals from the Federal Court or other Appellate Court in Singapore to be heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. A Bill to give the Judicial Committee power to hear such appeals has already been introduced into this House and will be taken through today. This Bill seeks to amend the Constitution of Malaysia in its application to Singapore to enable arrangements to be made with the United Kingdom Government to give such jurisdiction to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Complementary action has already been taken in the Parliament of the United Kingdom which has passed the Singapore Act, 1966, which provides that, and I quote:

'Her Majesty may by Order-in-Council confer on the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council such jurisdiction and powers in respect of the Federal Court of Malaysia acting on appeals from the High Court of Singapore and in respect of appeals from any other Court being a Court having jurisdiction under the laws of Singapore as appear to Her Majesty to be appropriate for giving effect to any arrangements made in that behalf between Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and the Government of Singapore in accordance with any provisions of these laws.'

When the necessary enactments have been enacted and brought into force, appeals from the Federal Court or other Appellate Court in Singapore will be heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council which, in effect, will be constituted a Court of Singapore.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Barker]

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.

Source: Singapore Parliament Official Report (Hansard) for 26 August 1966. Republished on SGParliament.