Publication Type
News Article
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
11-2015
Abstract
Magna Carta became applicable to Singapore in 1826 when a court system administering English law was established in the Straits Settlements. This remained the case through Singapore’s evolution from Crown colony to independent republic. The Great Charter only ceased to apply in 1993, when Parliament enacted the Application of English Law Act to clarify which colonial laws were still part of Singapore law. Nonetheless, Magna Carta’s legacy in Singapore continues in a number of ways. Principles such as due process of law and the supremacy of law are cornerstones of the rule of law, vital to the success, stability and well-being of Singapore and Singaporeans. The story of Singapore constitutionalism is also one of legacy, adaptation and innovation.
Keywords
constitutional law, English law, Magna Carta, Singapore
Discipline
Asian Studies | Constitutional Law | Political Science
Publication
Today
First Page
16
Last Page
17
ISSN
7237-4163
Publisher
Singapore Mediacorp Press
Citation
TAN, Eugene K. B. and LEE, Jack Tsen-Ta.
Magna Carta Then and Now: A Symbol of Freedom and Equal Rights for All. (2015). Today. 16-17.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sol_research/1526
Copyright Owner and License
Eugene K. B. Tan, Jack Tsen-Ta Lee
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
http://ssrn.com/abstract=2693161
Comments
This article was published in Today (19 November 2015) at 16-17, and is available online at http://www.todayonline.com/commentary/magna-carta-then-and-now (archived at https://perma.cc/5UHJ-GJBS). It may also be obtained from SelectedWorks at http://works.bepress.com/jacklee/58/ and the Social Sciences Research Network at http://ssrn.com/abstract=2693161.