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TOPIC 1: INTRODUCTION TO LAW (PT 2) (Parliament (3 Main Functions of…
TOPIC 1: INTRODUCTION TO LAW (PT 2)
Singapore Legal Law System
The Singapore legal system is a
Common Law
system, which we inherited from the British.
Judicial Precedents
A ‘
judicial precedent
’ is a legal dispute that has been brought before a court of law, and
in fact a decision on the case has already been handed down by the court/judge.
the doctrine of
stare decisis
(or in more modern language, the principle of using judicial precedents)
Rule of Law
The Singapore legal system operates under a democratic framework, and the underlying
philosophy behind our system is the concept of the ‘rule of law’. This essentially means that
every person is subject to the law.
The concept of the ‘rule of law’ is the basic principle behind the system of government and
the legal system of Singapore.
3 Arms of Government
legislative power 2. executive power 3. judicial power
legislative power is exercised by Parliament, executive power by the President, Prime Minister, members of his Cabinet and the various
government departments and judicial powers by the courts.
Parliament
The Singapore Parliament is
unicamera
l. This means that there is only one ‘house’.
The lifespan of Singapore’s Parliament is
5 years
.
3 Main Functions of Parliament
to make laws
to control the executive (Ministers and civil servants comprise the executive) in the
exercise of its powers
to symbolise the concept of majority rule (as opposed to other forms of government such as
monarchies or oligarchies, where the masses are ruled by one person or a privileged few)
Members of the parliament
Elected MP (5 yr) 2. Nominated MP (2.5 yr) 3. Non-Constituency MP (5 yr)
The full list of qualifications to become an MP are set out in Article 44 of the Constitution (pg 4 of the notes)
To be an MP, a person must also not be disqualified under the provisions of Article 45 (pg 4 of the notes)