Constitution of the Republic of Singapore · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 7 · The Presidential Council for Minority Rights
78. Copies of Bills and amendments thereto to be sent to Council
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 2016.
Immediately after any Bill to which this Article applies has been given a final reading and passed by Parliament and before it is presented to the President for assent, the Speaker shall cause an authenticated copy of the Bill to be sent to the Council.
The Council shall consider the Bill and shall, within 30 days of the date on which the Bill was sent to the Council, make a report to the Speaker stating whether or not in the opinion of the Council any and, if so, which provision of the Bill would, if enacted, be a differentiating measure.
Council
“Council” means the Council of Presidential Advisers constituted under Article 37B;
Whenever after the receipt of an adverse report from the Council, the Bill to which it relates is amended by Parliament, the Speaker shall cause the Bill in its amended form to be sent again to the Council.
adverse report
“adverse report” means a report of the Council stating that, in the opinion of the Council, some specified provision of a Bill or of a subsidiary legislation would be a differentiating measure;
On the application of the Chairman, the Speaker may extend, as he thinks fit, the period of 30 days prescribed by clause (2), where he considers it proper to do so on account of the length or complexity of any Bill or the number of matters for the time being under consideration by the Council or for any sufficient reason.
The Speaker shall cause every report received by him from the Council in pursuance of clause (2) to be presented to Parliament without undue delay. Where the Speaker receives no such report on the Bill within the time provided in clause (2), or any extension thereof granted under clause (4), it shall be conclusively presumed that the Council is of the opinion that no provision of the Bill would, if enacted, be a differentiating measure.
Speaker
“Speaker” and “Deputy Speaker” mean, respectively, the Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of Parliament;
No Bill to which this Article applies shall be presented to the President for assent unless it is accompanied by a certificate under the hand of the Speaker stating that —
President
“President” means the President of Singapore elected under this Constitution and includes any person for the time being exercising the functions of the office of President;
in the opinion of the Council no provision of the Bill would, if enacted, be a differentiating measure;
no report having been received from the Council within the time prescribed or any extension thereof, the Council is presumed to be of the opinion that no provision of the Bill would, if enacted, be a differentiating measure; or
notwithstanding the opinion of the Council that some specified provision of the Bill would, if enacted, be a differentiating measure, a motion for the presentation of the Bill to the President for assent has been passed by not less than two-thirds of the total number of Members of Parliament (excluding nominated Members).
This Article shall not apply to —
a Money Bill;
a Bill certified by the Prime Minister as being one which affects the defence or the security of Singapore or which relates to public safety, peace or good order in Singapore; or
a Bill certified by the Prime Minister to be so urgent that it is not in the public interest to delay its enactment.
A Bill shall be deemed to be a Money Bill if the Speaker certifies in writing that, in his opinion, it is a Bill to which the definition of “Money Bill” contained in Article 68 applies. No Money Bill shall be presented to the President for assent, unless it is accompanied by the Speaker’s certificate which shall be conclusive for all purposes and shall not be open to question in any court.
Money Bill
“Money Bill” means a Bill which contains only provisions dealing with all or any of the following matters:(a)the imposition, repeal, remission, alteration or regulation of taxation;(b)the imposition, for the payment of debt or other financial purposes, of charges on the Consolidated Fund or any other public funds, or the variation or repeal of any such charges;(c)the grant of money to the Government or to any authority or person, or the variation or revocation of any such grant;(d)the appropriation, receipt, custody, investment, issue or audit of accounts of public money;(e)the raising or guarantee of any loan or the repayment thereof, or the establishment, alteration, administration or abolition of any sinking fund provided in connection with any such loan;(f)subordinate matters which are ancillary or incidental to any of the foregoing matters;