Singapore's Government is divided into three branches.
The legislative branch has the role to make laws.
But why do we need laws?
Laws are put in place to regulate behaviour
and practices for the benefit of society as a whole.
So how are laws made?
A bill?
In the terms of the law?
A bill? Is it the one where you pay the police station and they will let you...
Something that you get when you buy something?
A law that is yet to be passed down.
A law that is made through the Legislature
is called an Act of Parliament.
Every Act begins as a Bill which is a draft law,
introduced and debated in Parliament.
A Bill may set out a new law
or amendments to an existing Act.
So how is this process done?
A Bill has to go through various stages before
it can be instituted as law.
It begins with the First Reading of the Bill.
At the First Reading, a Bill is introduced
in Parliament usually by a Minister.
Copies of the Bill are then distributed to Members of
Parliament, or MPs, who study the Bill and prepare questions
or comments to be raised at the Second Reading.
At the Second Reading, the Minister announces:
'I beg to move that the Bill be now read a second time.'
He or She would then go on to explain
why the Bill is proposed and how it will work.
MPs will debate on and deliberate over the principle and
merits of the Bill. They may ask the Minister questions
to clarify their understanding of the Bill.
After the debate, the Minister will give a closing speech
to summarise and answer the questions raised.
MPs will then vote on the Bill and if there is sufficient
support for it, the Bill will move on to the Committee stage.
They say yes?
I support it.
I don't know. I just let them do their job.
Aye?
At the Committee stage, usually the whole Parliament
forms a Committee to further review the Bill.
In special cases, Bills are voted on by a Select Committee,
a smaller Committee comprising of several MPs
which invites members of the public to give their views.
The Minister asks the Speaker for permission for
Parliament to be formed into a Committee.
When granted, the Speaker will move to the seat
at extreme right of the clerk's table.
Here the Committee focuses on the clauses of the Bill.
The Speaker will call on the newly formed Committee
of the whole Parliament to vote on the Bill.
MPs will then represent their support by saying 'Aye' or 'No'.
After the vote, the Speaker then moves back to her seat
The Bill then proceeds to the Third Reading.
This stage is a formality and debate is limited only to
minor amendments; such as spelling and language errors.
However, if there are any further disagreements
or amendments, the Bill can be recommitted
to the Committee stage.
The proceedings in Parliament are over, but the Bill has
some way to go before it is made into law.
I believe there must be a panel of judges or juries.
Prime Minister?
The President, I believe.
The President?
I guess, the Ministers, the Government?
The President?
The President.
Most Bills are then referred to the Presidential Council for Minority Rights
to ensure that no clause discriminates against any
racial or religious community.
When the Council has approved the Bill, it is presented
to the President for approval.
This is called the Presidential Assent.
The President will assent to the Bill on the advice of the Cabinet.
The President may also veto the Bill in some cases.
With the President's Assent, the Bill becomes Law.
The law does not come into operation until it is published
in a document known as the Government Gazette.
The Gazette contains notices published by the Government,
and an Act of Parliament will only be in operation
from the day it is published or the date stated in the
Gazette which may be a different date.
To summarise, a law that is passed in Parliament
goes through: the First Reading, the Second Reading,
the Committee stage, the Third Reading,
the Presidential Council for Minority Rights,
the Presidential Assent and finally the
Government Gazette.
Did you know that...the mace found in Parliament
symbolises the authority of Parliament and the Speaker?
It is placed on the upper brackets of the
Table of the House every time Parliament is in session.
It is moved to the lower brackets during the
Committee stage and removed when Parliament adjourns.
Watch the first video on the 3 branches of Government here.
To find out more on the Legislature and the Parliament of Singapore, visit
www.parliament.gov.sg