Legal System of Singapore
Singapore is located in East N Southeast Asia. It is geographically situated in southeastern asia, islands between malaysia and indonesia. The country achieved independence on 9 august 1965 (from malaysian federation). The capital is Singapore.
Government Overview
Government Type: parliamentary republic Chief of State: President THARMAN Shanmugaratnam (since 14 September 2023) Head of Government: Prime Minister Lawrence WONG (since 15 May 2024) Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister; responsible to Parliament Administrative Divisions: no first-order administrative divisions; five community development councils: Central Singapore Development Council, North East Development Council, North West Development Council, South East Development Council, South West Development Council (2019) National Holiday: National Day, 9 August (1965) Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal and compulsory
Legal System
The legal system of Singapore is described as english common law International Law: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Constitutional Framework
The constitution has the following history: several previous; latest adopted 22 December 1965 Amendment Process: proposed by Parliament; passage requires two-thirds majority vote in the second and third readings by the elected Parliament membership and assent of the president of the republic; passage of amendments affecting sovereignty or control of the Police Force or the Armed Forces requires at least two-thirds majority vote in a referendum
Judicial Branch
Highest Court(s): Supreme Court (number of judges varies but includes judicial commissioners, judges of appeal, and international judges); the court is organized into an upper-tier Appeal Court and a lower-tier High Court Judge Selection: judges appointed by the president from candidates recommended by the prime minister after consultation with the chief justice; judges usually serve until retirement at age 65, but terms can be extended Subordinate Courts: district, magistrates’, juvenile, family, community, and coroners’ courts; small claims tribunals; employment claims tribunals
Legislative Branch
The legislative structure consists of unicameral
Citizenship and Suffrage
Citizenship by Birth: no Citizenship by Descent: at least one parent must be a citizen of Singapore Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal and compulsory
Historical Background
A Malay trading port known as Temasek existed on the island of Singapore by the 14th century. The settlement changed hands several times in the ensuing centuries and was eventually burned in the 17th century, falling into obscurity. In 1819, the British founded modern Singapore as a trading colony on the same site and granted it full internal self-government for all matters except defense and foreign affairs in 1959.
This article provides a summary of the legal system and governmental structure of Singapore based on the CIA World Factbook. The Factbook is a public domain publication of the United States Central Intelligence Agency.