The Interpretation of the Singapore Constitution: Towards a unified approach to interpreting legal documents

• Main Author: GOH, Yihan
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2016
• Subjects: Constitution; Singapore; Law; Constitutional law; Asian Studies; Constitutional Law
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sol_research/1747; https://search.library.smu.edu.sg/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma99202911902601&context=L&vid=65SMU_INST:SMU_NUI&lang=en&search_scope=Everything&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=Everything&query=any,contains,Constitutional%20Interpretation%20in%20Singapore:%20Theory%20and%20Practice&offset=0
• Institution: Singapore Management University

The interpretation of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (1985 Rev Ed, 1999 Reprint) ('the Constitution') takes place alongside the interpretation of other legal documents, such as statutes and contracts. However, the relationship between the interpretation of one type of legal document and another is seldom, if ever, discussed. It is usually assumed that the interpretation of each type of legal document takes places within the confines of its own rules, with little or no relationship to the interpretation of other legal documents. Indeed, Lord Wilberforce has said in Minister of Home Affairs v Fisher that constitutions should be treated as sui generis and be interpreted on their own terms.