Law of Singapore

The law of Singapore is founded on the English common law system, introduced through British colonial administration and formally established by the Second Charter of Justice in 1826, which extended English statutes and the principles of common law and equity to the Straits Settlements. The Constitution of the Republic of Singapore stands as the supreme law, and any legislation inconsistent with it is void. The judiciary is organized as a hierarchy topped by the Supreme Court, itself divided into the Court of Appeal and the High Court, with the State Courts handling subordinate matters; appeals to the Privy Council in London were abolished in 1994. Sources of law are legislation, judicial precedent and, to a lesser extent, custom, and since independence in 1965 Singapore has developed several areas of private law, such as contract and tort, independently of English precedent.