Focus on Singapore investment immigration and Singapore law:
The legal system of Singapore is based on the British legal system, which includes British common law and equity. Therefore, the legal principles, jurisprudence, structure of legal organizations, principles of legal categories, and court procedures in Singapore's legal system are similar to those in the United Kingdom.
Malay is the national language of Singapore, but English is the administrative language of Singapore and is also the language used in courts and the legal services sector. The main dialects among the Chinese community are Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Hakka, and Hainanese, but Mandarin is the primary communication language among the Chinese, gradually replacing the dialects.
Singapore established its formal legal system after the British government authorized the British East India Company to exercise sovereignty over Singapore through the Second Charter in 1826. At that time, Singapore adopted the laws that were in effect in the United Kingdom as of November 27, 1826. Over the years, some case law from Singapore's courts established that the acceptance of British law should be based on certain conditions, including:
1. Only social policies and their implementation within British law can be accepted;
2. The acceptance of British law must not violate local statutes, customs, and religions.
After Singapore became an independent nation on August 9, 1965, it continued to implement British law.
Singapore's statutes, particularly Section 5 of the Civil Law Act, allow for the acceptance of British commercial law and trade law.
In 1993, the Singapore Parliament enacted the Application of English Law Act, which clearly defined the implementation of British law in Singapore. It primarily stipulates:
(1) British common law and equity remain part of Singapore law;
(2) Certain British statutes remain part of Singapore law, but these statutes can be amended to suit Singapore's specific context;
(3) Singapore ministers have the authority to amend or issue orders to revise British statutes to eliminate difficulties in the implementation of British statutes in Singapore.
