Constitution of Singapore (1965)
A pragmatic Westminster derived charter built around a dominant party state.
Overview
Singapore inherited a constitutional order through the State of Singapore Act and independence on August 9, 1965, consolidating in the 1965 Republic of Singapore Constitution. It establishes a Westminster style parliament with a directly elected president, changed in 1991 to an elected presidency with custodial powers over reserves and key appointments. Rights protections exist in Article 12 equality and Article 14 speech, with broad parliamentary limits courts read narrowly. The constitution is frequently amended by parliament, over fifty times, reflecting the city states pragmatic statutory approach to constitutional law rather than elevated constitutional politics.
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