SLR Style Guide 2021

Style Guide for the
SINGAPORE LAW REPORTS

2021 Edition
© 2021 Singapore Academy of Law. All rights reserved.

SLR Style Guide 2021 …2
SLR Style Guide 2021: Table of Contents …3
Table of Contents
PART 1: GENERAL RULES..................................................................................... 5

1–1 APPLICATION OF RULES ................................................................................. 5
1–2 FORMATTING RULES ....................................................................................... 6
1–2.1 Styles and Emphasis .................................................................................. 6
1–2.2 Headings .................................................................................................... 6
1–2.3 Footnotes .................................................................................................... 6
1–2.4 Paragraph Numbering ................................................................................ 6
1–2.5 Numbering Levels...................................................................................... 6
1–2.6 Quotations .................................................................................................. 7
1–2.7 Information Not to be Disclosed in Judgments.......................................... 9
1–3 RULES OF EXPRESSION ................................................................................. 11
1–3.1 Spelling .................................................................................................... 11
1–3.2 Abbreviations ........................................................................................... 12
1–3.3 Date and Time .......................................................................................... 14
1–3.4 Numbers ................................................................................................... 15
1–3.5 Punctuation .............................................................................................. 15
1–3.6 Foreign Words and Phrases ..................................................................... 26
1–3.7 Miscellaneous Rules of Expression ......................................................... 26
PART 2: CITATION RULES ................................................................................. 28
2–1 CITATION OF CASES ....................................................................................... 28
2–1.1 Citation of Reported Cases ...................................................................... 28
2–1.2 Citation of Unreported Judgments and Cases .......................................... 34
2–1.3 Citation of Cases Published in Electronic Form ...................................... 35
2–1.4 Citation of Digests of Cases..................................................................... 36
2–1.5 Subsequent References ............................................................................ 36
2–2 CITATION OF LEGISLATION ........................................................................ 38
2–2.1 Citation of Singapore Legislation ............................................................ 38
2–2.2 Citation of Foreign Legislation ................................................................ 44
2–3 CITATION OF GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS ....................................... 48
2–3.1 Citation of Parliamentary Debates ........................................................... 48
2–3.2 Citation of Parliamentary Papers ............................................................. 49
2–4 CITATION OF BOOKS...................................................................................... 50
2–4.1 Citation of Bound Books ......................................................................... 50
2–4.2 Citation of Bound Books that are Part of a Set ........................................ 50
2–4.3 Citation of Looseleaf Books .................................................................... 51
2–5 CITATION OF ARTICLES ............................................................................... 52
2–5.1 Citation of Articles in Law Journals or Reviews ..................................... 52
2–5.2 Citation of Articles in Serial Publications ............................................... 52
2–5.3 Citation of Articles Published in Electronic Form ................................... 53

2–6 CITATION OF UNPUBLISHED, FORTHCOMING AND OTHER TYPES
OF MATERIALS ................................................................................................. 54
2–6.1 Citation of Unpublished Materials ........................................................... 54
2–6.2 Citation of Forthcoming Materials........................................................... 55
2–6.3 Citation of Law Reform Working Papers and Reports ............................ 56
2–7 CITATION OF INTERNATIONAL MATERIALS ........................................ 57
2–7.1 Citation of Treaties .................................................................................. 57
2–7.2 Citation of International Cases................................................................. 59
2–7.3 Citation of United Nations Materials ....................................................... 63
2–7.4 Citation of European Union Materials ..................................................... 65
2–7.5 Citation of Council of Europe Materials.................................................. 67
2–7.6 Citation of WTO and GATT Materials.................................................... 68
PART 1: GENERAL RULES
(Refer to  Appendix 1A for Examples on General Rules)
1–1 APPLICATION OF RULES
The guidelines and rules contained in this style guide apply to the text of judgments, as well as
to headings, catchwords and headnotes, unless otherwise indicated.
1–2 FORMATTING RULES
1–2.1 Styles and Emphasis
Where editing the soft copy of a draft judgment, check that there are already the in-built
styles for each of the various components of a judgment. The correct style must be
applied to each component of the judgment.
In general, no more than three levels of emphasis should be used to emphasise original
or quoted text:
• First-level emphasis: add italics to text
• Second-level emphasis: add bold italics to text
• Third-level emphasis: add bold underlined italics to text
1–2.2 Headings
Headings used in judgments should begin with an uppercase letter, but the remainder
of the heading text should be in lowercase letters except for proper nouns, eg,
“Principle of consistency in sentencing”, not “Principle of Consistency in
Sentencing”. No full stop is required at the end of a heading. Abbreviations – other
than those defined by the judge specifically in the judgment – should not be used.
1–2.3 Footnotes
Footnotes are used in a judgment only to refer to court documents and exhibits; all
citations to cases, legislation, articles, books or other authorities should be contained in
the judgment text. When editing a judgment selected for reporting, delete the footnotes,
and transfer any citations to the appropriate locations in the judgment text.
1–2.4 Paragraph Numbering
Each paragraph in a judgment should be sequentially numbered using an Arabic

numeral, ie, 1, 2, 3, etc. Do not put numerals in parentheses or type a full stop after a
numeral.
1–2.5 Numbering Levels
1–2.5.1 Numbering Level System

Do not use bullet points to introduce items in a list. To number items in a
list, use the numbering levels that are applied to sections and subsections in
a statute, namely:
First Level – (a), (b), (c), … (aa), (bb), (cc), etc.

Second Level – (i), (ii), (iii), etc.
Part 1: General Rules …7
Third Level – (A), (B), (C), … (AA), (BB), (CC), etc.

Fourth Level – (I), (II), (III), etc.
The numbering level (1), (2), (3), etc, is not used for paragraphs or lists; it
is used only for the Fourth Level Judgment Heading.
1–2.5.2 Punctuation of Items in a Numbered List

Items in a numbered list should be punctuated in one of the following ways:
• If the items in the list are incomplete sentences, each item should begin
with a lowercase letter and end with a semicolon. The second-last item
in the list should end with a semicolon followed by a conjunction, such
as and or or.
• If the items in the list are complete sentences or consist of more than one
sentence, each item should begin with an uppercase letter and end with
a full stop or a question mark, as the case may be.
1–2.5.3 Numbering Items Listed in a Single Sentence

For items that are listed in a single sentence, they should also be numbered
using the numbering levels that are applied to sections and subsections in a
statute set out in  paragraph 1–2.5.1 above.
An example: “In this appeal, we had to decide: (a) whether the appellant
owed a duty of care; and (b) if so, what the content of that duty of care was.”
1–2.6 Quotations
1–2.6.1 Quotations within a Sentence

Quotations within a sentence should be enclosed in double quotation marks
(“ ”). A quotation within a quotation (“second-level quotation”) should be
enclosed in single quotation marks (‘ ’). A quotation within a second-level
quotation (“third-level quotation”) should be enclosed in double quotation
marks (“ ”). A quotation within a third-level quotation should be enclosed
in single quotation marks (‘ ’).
Include punctuation within quotation marks only if a complete sentence is

quoted. Where a sentence ends with a full stop, question mark or
exclamation mark followed by a closing quotation mark, it is not necessary
to add a full stop after the latter.
1–2.6.2 Quotations in a Separate Block

A quotation that exceeds three lines should be set out in a separate block.
Apply the correct style to the paragraph and it will be indented and have its
font resized accordingly. Do not enclose the quotation in quotation marks.
Any quotation within this block quotation should be enclosed in single
quotation marks (‘ ’). The toggling between single and double quotation
marks for multiple levels of quotations within quotations set out in para 1–
2.6.1 above also applies here.
1–2.6.3 Emphasis in Quotations

Words, phrases or sentences in a quotation to be emphasised should be in
italics with the phrase “[emphasis added]” or “[emphasis in original]”,
whichever applicable, added to the end of the quotation. Where a quotation
is set out in a separate block consisting of several paragraphs, the phrase
“[emphasis added]” or its variants should appear as a standalone phrase on
a new line, at the end of the quotation block.
Where two levels of added emphasis are desired, use bold italics for those
portions of quoted text on which greater emphasis is to be placed, and plain
italics for the other portions of quoted text that are to be emphasised. Insert
“[emphasis added in italics and bold italics]” at the end of the quote.
Where emphasis is added to quotations that contain originally emphasised

text, the added emphasis should be in italicised bold text and the phrase
“[emphasis in original in italics; emphasis added in bold italics]” should be
added to the end of the quotation.
Where emphasis that is in the original text of the material quoted is omitted,
the phrase “[emphasis in original omitted]” should be added to the end of
the quotation. Where original emphasis is omitted and new emphasis is
added to the quotation, the phrase “[emphasis in original omitted; emphasis
added in italics]” should be added to the end of the quotation.
Where a first-level quotation (from “Text A”) contains a second-level

quotation (from “Text B”) with emphasis added by the author of Text A
(“Author A”):
• replace the phrase “[emphasis added]” after the second-level quotation
from Text B with an ellipsis; and
• add the phrase “[Author A’s emphasis in Text A]” at the end of the entire
quotation from Text A. If emphasis is added by the author quoting Text
A, the phrase “[Author A’s emphasis in Text A in italics; emphasis
added in bold italics]” should be added at the end of the entire quotation
from Text A  paragraph 1–2.6.3 of Appendix 1A.
1–2.6.4 Changes to Quotations

In general, a quotation should be reproduced as it appears in its source, with
no changes to spelling, capitalisation or punctuation except that, if desired,
citations may be omitted and replaced with an ellipsis (“…”), which should
consist of three full stops, no more or less, with a space before and after.
(The phrase “[internal citations omitted]” need not be added to the end of
the quotation.)
If it is necessary to make interpolations, corrections, explanations,

translations or comments for clarity, these should be enclosed in brackets
Part 1: General Rules …9
(“[ ]”). Omissions should be indicated with the use of an ellipsis. Do not
type a full stop after an ellipsis that ends a sentence.
When quoting text from the middle of a paragraph in the source in a

“quotation block” format, insert an ellipsis to show that there is text in the
same paragraph before the quoted text which has been omitted. Similarly, if
there is text in the same paragraph after the quoted text which has been
omitted, indicate the omitted text with an ellipsis.
Each quotation block represents one paragraph – ensure that ellipses are
placed between paragraphs to denote paragraph breaks where appropriate.
 Appendix 1A.
1–2.6.5 Errors in Quotations

Spelling or grammatical errors in quotations should be retained, with the
word “[sic]” (Latin for “thus” or “so”) in brackets inserted after the error.
Do not overuse the word “[sic]” as a quotation that contains too many
becomes difficult to read. If there are numerous errors that are obvious, do
not use “[sic]” at all, in order to retain the original “flavour” of the quotation.
Some minor erroneous words or phrases can be omitted entirely (using
ellipses where appropriate) and the correct words or phrases inserted within
brackets.
1–2.6.6 Citations for Quotations

Double-check the wording of the quotation against the specific version of
the case cited in the judgment, as there may be differences in wording
between different versions (eg, between the version as reported in All ER
and the version as reported in AC).
If the source of a quotation is a Supreme Court judgment which has been

reported in the SLR or SLR(R), in quoting the judgment, refer to the
reported version of the judgment rather than the unreported version, as there
may be differences between the two versions, given that the reported version
would have been edited for house style.
Ensure that all quotations and page numbers cited in relation to a specific
case are taken from the same law report. For example, if the main citation is
changed from an All ER citation to an ICLR citation, make sure that the
pinpoint references, quotations, etc, are all taken from the ICLR version of
the case in question.
1–2.7 Information Not to be Disclosed in Judgments
If an order has been made against, or no authorisation has been granted for, the
disclosure of the name or address of a witness in a matter or proceeding, or evidence or
other information likely to lead to the identification of the witness, such information
must not be disclosed in a judgment, and should instead be replaced with a suitable
SLR Style Guide 2021 … 10
anonymised term in square brackets. For instance, a company may be denoted as “[B
Ltd]”; a person, as “[C]”; a bank account number (or other numeric information), as
“[XXX]”; and a property, as “[the Property]”.
Part 1: General Rules … 11
1–3 RULES OF EXPRESSION
1–3.1 Spelling
British spelling conventions are to be applied, as set out in the current edition of the
Oxford English Dictionary, but variant spellings in quotations (eg, from cases, letters
or notes of evidence) should not be altered.
The following preferred spellings should be especially noted.
Variant Spellings Preferred Spelling

-ce/-se – defence, licence; offence; or -ce – defence, licence; offence; but
defense, license, offense “license” and “practise” when used
as a verb
-g-/-ge- – acknowledgment, judgment, -g- – acknowledgment, judgment,
lodgment; or acknowledgement, lodgment
judgement, lodgement
-l-/-ll- – instalment, fulfil, fulfilment; or -l- – instalment, fulfil, fulfilment,
installment, fulfill, fulfillment marshal; but install, marshalled
-m/-mme – gram, kilogram; or gramme, -m – gram, kilogram; but use “program”
kilogramme only in the context of a computer
program, and “programme” for all
other senses of the word
-our/-or – colour, labour, odour; or -our – colour, labour, odour
color, labor, odor
-re/-er – centre, litre, metre, theatre; or -re – centre, litre, metre, theatre; but
center, liter, meter, theater “meter” for a measuring device
-se/-ze – analyse, authorise, organisation, -se – analyse, authorise, organisation,
organise, paralyse, realisation, organise, paralyse, realisation,
realise, recognise, sterilisation; or realise, recognise, sterilisation
analyze, authorize, organization,
organize, paralyze, realization,
realize, recognize, sterilization
-t/-ed – burnt, learnt, spelt, spoilt; or -t – burnt, learnt, spelt, spoilt
burned, learned, spelled, spoiled
disc or disk disc (as in “compact disc”); but use
“disk” when referring to a computer
peripheral such as a “hard disk”
despatch or dispatch despatch
focused or focussed focused
in so far or insofar in so far
Variant Spellings Preferred Spelling

inquire, inquiry; or enquire; enquiry inquire, inquiry; but “enquiry” may be
used when referring to an informal
request for information.
Koran or Qur’an Koran
moneys or monies moneys
movable or moveable movable
per cent or percent per cent or % (if used with a numeral)
trade mark or trademark trade mark
thumb print, finger print or thumbprint, thumbprint, fingerprint
fingerprint
boy friend, girl friend or boyfriend, boyfriend, girlfriend
girlfriend
1–3.2 Abbreviations
Abbreviations are useful as they can improve the readability of a judgment. It should
be borne in mind that abbreviations and acronyms that are readily understood by
Singaporeans may not be clear to persons from other countries. Therefore, unless a
name or phrase is internationally known, always state it in full when it first appears in
a judgment and indicate its abbreviation after it in parentheses, thus: ‘Housing and
Development Board (“HDB”)’.
The words and phrases that are set out in the tables in  paragraph 1–3.2.2 of
Appendix 1A and other familiar internationally-recognised abbreviations listed in the
Oxford English Dictionary (eg, “UK” for the United Kingdom, “UNCITRAL” for the
United Nations Convention on International Trade Law and “US” for the United States
of America) may be abbreviated in reports of judgments using the indicated short forms
without first defining them in full.
Do not place full stops after the letters in an abbreviation. When removing full stops
from abbreviations, if there is no space between the full-stop and the next letter, do not
insert spaces when removing the full-stops; where there are spaces, use non-breaking
spaces after removing the full-stops.
A citation word abbreviation (eg, s, cl, O, para, rule, etc) should not be used if it is the
first word in a sentence – in such cases, the word or phrase must be spelt in full (ie,
Section, Clause, Order, Paragraph, Rule, etc).
A citation word abbreviation (eg, s, cl, O, etc) should not be used where there is no
specific reference to either a name or a number, eg, “There was a contravention of paras
12 and 15” and “He breached the rules of the club” are correct, but “various cll of the
agreement had been deleted” is wrong.
Similarly, an abbreviation of a form of address may be used only in conjunction with

the name of a person, eg, “Assoc Prof Elaine Chong” or “SSgt Tan Ah Kow”. Where
the form of address does not refer to a named person, it should not be abbreviated or
have an initial uppercase letter, eg, “The doctor said that he noticed a bruise on her
shoulder” is correct, but “The SSSgt testified that he saw the accused run away” is
wrong.
1–3.2.1 Words and Phrases That May be Abbreviated After the First
Occurrence
Subject to the general rules in  paragraph 1–3.2, the words and phrases
in this section must be spelt in full the first time they occur in the judgment;
but thereafter, they may be abbreviated as shown. Ranks and honorifics
remain abbreviated, even if they appear at the beginning of a sentence.
For abbreviations of the honorifics or terms of address of judges, judicial

officers, and other persons commonly encountered in a judicial setting, see
the table Honorifics and forms of address commonly used in relation to
judicial proceedings in  Appendix 1A.
For abbreviations of ranks of personnel in the police force and armed forces,
see the table Ranks of personnel in the Singapore Police Force and the
Singapore Armed Forces in  Appendix 1A. For any rank abbreviation
not set out in the examples, if unsure what the rank stands for, just leave it
abbreviated.
1–3.2.2 Words and Phrases That May Always be Abbreviated

Subject to the general rules in  paragraph 1–3.2, the words and phrases
in this section may be abbreviated on their first and on every subsequent
appearance in a judgment.
See the various tables in  Appendix 1A for abbreviations relating to Parts

of names of companies and corporations, Forms of address, Units of
measurement, Currencies, Words and phrases used in citations, and
Other words and phrases that may always be abbreviated.
For units of measurement or currency, the general rule is to use the numeric
form with the appropriate abbreviation for the currency or unit of
measurement; and, unless otherwise specified, do not type a space between
the numeral and the abbreviation (eg, “3m”, “16.5mg”, “€25,400.50”,
“RM105,000”). To indicate multiple or a range of measurements it is
acceptable to aggregate the units of measure thus: “3 to 4ft” or “3 or 4cm”.
For citation word abbreviations, a non-breaking space should be typed

between the abbreviation and the digit (eg, “ss 4(5) and 4(6)”, “O 14 of the
Rules of Court”).
As indicated in the example, “Number” is abbreviated as “No” only for

legislation citations or suit or application numbers. Elsewhere, use
“number” in full, eg, “vehicle number XXX”, “invoice number XXXXX”,
“receipt number XXXXXXX”). For addresses, change “No 11 Kent Street”
to “11 Kent Street”).
1–3.2.3 Words and Phrases That Should Not be Abbreviated

Do not abbreviate the following words and phrases.
exception (part of legislation)
State Counsel
Principal Senior State Counsel
1–3.3 Date and Time
1–3.3.1 Dates
Dates should appear in the day-month-year format, with the month spelt in
full and the year in a four-digit format (thus: “24 September 1999”), with a
non-breaking space between the day and month.
If days of the week are referred to, they should be spelt out in full. Do not
use the abbreviations “Sun”, “Mon”, “Tue” and so on. If the day of the week
is incorporated into a date, it should be set out just before the date, with a
comma after the day (eg, “Thursday, 26 September 2002”).
1–3.3.2 Time
Times of day should be represented using the 12-hour and not the 24-hour
clock. Time indications from 12.01 after midnight to 11.59 before noon
should have the letters “am” after them, while those from 12.01 after noon
to 11.59 before midnight should have the letters “pm” after them.
By definition “12.00am” denotes midnight and “12.00pm” denotes noon,

but there is sufficient confusion over these uses to make it advisable to use
“12.00 midnight” and “12.00 noon” where clarity is required.
A full stop should separate the hours from minutes, and there should not be
any space between the minutes and “am” or “pm”. Do not use any full stops
in the abbreviations “am” and “pm”, eg, “10.00am”, “3.15pm”.
A period of time should be indicated as follows: “from 11.00am to 1.00pm”,

“between 7.00pm and 9.00pm”.
1–3.4 Numbers
1–3.4.1 Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers

Both cardinal numbers (one, two, three, etc) and ordinal numbers (first,
second, third, etc) from one through ten should be spelt in full. Numbers
from 11 should be indicated in Arabic numerals. However, where a sentence
commences with a number, it should be spelt in full, eg, “Twenty-seven
grams of raw heroin were found in the bag”. Nevertheless, where the phrase
is something like “9ft by 12ft” (that involves multiple measurements, for
example), use the numeral followed by the abbreviation (ie, do not change
to “nine feet by 12ft”).
Do not use superscript type when setting out ordinal numbers, eg, “1st”, not
“1st”.
1–3.4.2 Numbers With Four or More Digits

Numbers greater than 999, which have four or more digits, should be
divided into groups of three digits with commas (“,”) beginning from the
rightmost digit before any decimal point, eg, “1,004.35”, “209,877”,
“1,098,999”.
Expressions of a million or a billion may be abbreviated to “m” and “bn”

respectively when they are used in the context of measurement or currency,
eg, “11m tonnes of grain”, “$100m”, “US$1.75bn”. In other contexts, the
words million and billion should be spelt in full, eg, “Singapore has a
population of about four million people”, “there is a theoretical probability
of one in a billion for an ‘accidental’ fingerprint match”.
1–3.4.3 Fractions
Fractions should be indicated using the proper symbols, eg, ½, ¾, etc. Non-
standard fractions should be indicated using normal text, eg, 1/12, 5/200.
1–3.4.4 Singapore Land Authority Lot Numbers

Singapore Land Authority lot superscript numbers (found on the SLA
website) must be romanised with a hyphen, eg, “Lot 11131” should be
expressed as “Lot 111-31”.
1–3.5 Punctuation
1–3.5.1 The Comma

The comma (“,”) is never preceded by a space and always followed by a
space. There are four uses of the comma, which may be called the listing
comma, the joining comma, the gapping comma and the bracketing
commas. These are set out in the succeeding paragraphs.
1–3.5.1.1 The Listing Comma

The listing comma is used to separate the items in a list. It is
unnecessary to put a listing comma after the second-last item
before the word and or or, unless doing so would make the
meaning of the sentence clearer.
1–3.5.1.2 The Joining Comma

The joining comma is used to join two complete sentences into
a single sentence, and it must be followed by a suitable
connecting word such as and, or, but, yet or while. However, do
not use a joining comma before connecting words like however,
therefore, hence, consequently, nevertheless and thus – in such
cases, a semicolon is appropriate (see  paragraph 1–3.5.3).
1–3.5.1.3 The Gapping Comma

A gapping comma is used to show that one or more words have
been left out when the missing words would simply repeat the
words already used earlier in the same sentence. Gapping
commas may not be necessary if a sentence is clear without
them.
1–3.5.1.4 Bracketing Commas

Bracketing commas are the most frequently used type of
comma, and also cause the most problems. The general rule is
that a pair of bracketing commas is used to mark off a weak
interruption of the sentence – one that does not disturb the flow
of the sentence.
To check if bracketing commas have been correctly used,

remove the weak interruption from the sentence. The result
should still be a complete sentence that makes good sense, eg,
“These findings, I would suggest, cast doubt upon his evidence”
reads as a complete sentence even with the bracketed clause
removed, ie, “These findings … cast doubt upon his evidence”..
Bracketing commas should not be used with clauses that are

required to identify what is being talked about, rather than
merely adding additional information.
A weak interruption may occur at the beginning or end of a

sentence. In such cases, the first or last comma in a pair of
bracketing commas should be omitted, since commas are never
written at the beginnings or ends of sentences.
Bracketing commas are to be used with the following

abbreviations/terms:
, eg,
, ie,
, viz,
, etc, [except, of course, if this is the end of the sentence, in
which case it should be “, etc.”]
, inter alia,
1–3.5.2 The Colon

The colon (“:”) is used to indicate that what follows it is an explanation or
elaboration of what precedes it. A colon is never preceded by a space,
always followed by a space, and should not have a hyphen or dash after it
(“:–” is an incorrect usage). If the material introduced by a colon is a formal
statement or quotation, or consists of more than one sentence, it should
begin with a capital letter; otherwise, it may begin with a lowercase letter.
A colon may also be used after a word, phrase or sentence in the middle of
a text which introduces a list or series.
A colon may be used to introduce a quotation. Alternatively, either use a

comma or do not use any punctuation mark.
1–3.5.3 The Semicolon

The semicolon (“;”) is used to join two complete sentences into a single
written sentence when all of the following conditions are met: (a) the two
sentences are felt to be too closely related to be separated by a full stop; (b)
there is no connecting word that would require a comma, such as and or but;
and (c) the special conditions requiring a colon are absent (see  paragraph
1–3.5.2).
However, certain connecting words do require a preceding semicolon. The

most important ones are however, therefore, hence, thus, consequently,
nevertheless and meanwhile. Preferably, these words should be used to
begin a separate sentence.
Where a sentence contains numerous commas, for clarity semicolons may

be used in place of some of the commas to mark important breaks in the
sentence.
1–3.5.4 The Apostrophe

As a general rule, use the possessive ending “ ’s ” after singular words,
including words or names that end in “s”. Note, however, two exceptions:
(a) a plural noun which already ends in “s” takes only a following
apostrophe, ie, “ s’ ”; and (b) a name ending in “s” takes only an apostrophe
and not “ s’ ” if the possessive form is not pronounced with an extra “s”.
Do not use an apostrophe in setting out plural forms of decades, eg, “This
research was carried out in the 1970s”, not “This research was carried out
in the 1970’s”.
1–3.5.5 The Hyphen

The hyphen (“-”) is used in writing compound words which, without it,
would be ambiguous, hard to read or overly long. There are some cases
where hyphens should normally be used. These are set out in  paragraphs
1–3.5.5.1 and 1–3.5.5.2.
In other cases, much variation exists even among dictionaries as to which

words should and should not be hyphenated. Generally, the following rules
are a useful guide: (a) above all, strive for clarity; (b) do not use a hyphen
unless it is necessary; and (c) where possible, follow established usage (for
instance, consult the Oxford English Dictionary). Some commonly-
encountered compound words are set out in  paragraphs 1–3.5.5.3 and
1–3.5.5.4 of Appendix 1A.
1–3.5.5.1 The Hyphen: Compound Modifiers

The hyphen must be used in compound modifiers, that is, words
or phrases that modify or identify the meaning of other words
(eg, “winding-up petition”, “day-to-day affairs”).
1–3.5.5.2 The Hyphen: Compound Words with Prefixes

The hyphen should be used in a compound word with a prefix
such as anti–, counter–, non–, re–, pre– or post– if the word
would otherwise be difficult to read. If in doubt, consult the
Oxford English Dictionary.
A hyphen must be used with a prefix in the following situations:

• If the word to which the prefix is added begins with a capital
letter or numeral, eg, “non-EC countries”, “pre-1500
statutes”.
• If the prefix is added to a compound word that contains
spaces. In that case, the spaces must be replaced with
hyphens to prevent the compound word from becoming
unreadable, eg, “pre-20th-century legal principles”, “our
post-cold-war world”. Alternatively, it may be better to
rephrase the sentence to avoid the use of hyphenated
compound words.
1–3.5.5.3 The Hyphen: Compound Words That Should be

Hyphenated
See  Appendix 1A for a list of compound words that should
be hyphenated in Singapore Academy of Law publications.
1–3.5.5.4 The Hyphen: Compound Words That Should Not be

Hyphenated
See  Appendix 1A for a list of compound words that should
NOT be hyphenated in Singapore Academy of Law publications.
1–3.5.5.5 The Hyphen: Capitalisation of Hyphenated Words

If it is necessary to capitalise a hyphenated compound word with
a prefix, the part of the word after the hyphen should not be
capitalised, eg, “Re-amended Defence”, not “Re-Amended
Defence”. In other cases, all important elements of the
compound word should be capitalised, eg, “Left-of-Centre
Party”, “South-East Asia”.
1–3.5.6 The Dash

The dash (“–”) has two major uses, which are set out in  paragraphs 1–
3.5.6.1 and 1–3.5.6.2. In Singapore Academy of Law publications, a dash
should be typed using an en-dash. A lesser-used variety of the dash, the em-
dash, is discussed in  paragraph 1–3.5.6.3.
1–3.5.6.1 The Dash: Indicating a Strong Interruption

A pair of dashes separates a strong interruption from the rest of
a sentence. A strong interruption is one which violently disrupts
the flow of the sentence. A space should be typed before and
after each dash. No more than one pair of dashes should appear
in a sentence: if it is necessary to set off two separate
interruptions, parentheses should be used for one of the
interruptions ( paragraph 1–3.5.7.1). However, such usage
should generally be avoided.
As with bracketing commas ( paragraph 1–3.5.1.4), the first

or second dash in the pair may be omitted if the strong
interruption occurs at the beginning or end of the sentence
respectively. Dashes should not be overused, as this may give a
piece of writing a breathless and disjointed appearance.
1–3.5.6.2 The Dash: Indicating a Range of Numbers, etc

A dash may also be used to indicate a range of numbers such as
amounts and dates in the form “between X and Y” or “from X to
Y”. No spaces should be typed between the dash and the words
or numbers with which it appears. As the dash replaces the
words between… and… and from… to…, do not write “between
X–Y” or “from X–Y”. If it is desired to use the words between
and from, the range should be written in full (“between X and
Y”) and the dash should not be used.
When citing a range of numbers, set out the numbers in full; do

not merely retain the last one or two digits of the number. The
same rule applies when citing ranges of dates or years. Eg, “pp
110–112” is correct, and not “pp 110–12” or “pp 110–2”;
likewise for dates, “1995–1996” is correct, and not “1995–96”.
1–3.5.6.3 The Dash: The Em-Dash

The em-dash (“—”), which is longer than the en-dash, is used in
the Singapore Law Reports to separate catchword statements and
in quotations of pieces of legislation to separate section numbers
from subsection numbers or to introduce a list of subsections.
The em-dash is also used to indicate missing letters in a word.

No spaces should be typed between the dash and the existing
parts of the word. Type swear words using em-dashes unless
necessary in judgments where the exact words used were in issue
or important.
1–3.5.7 Parentheses and Brackets
1–3.5.7.1 Parentheses: Indicating Interruptions

The major use of parentheses, also called round brackets (“( )”),
is to set off strong or weak interruptions, like bracketing commas
( paragraph 1–3.5.1.4) or dashes ( paragraph 1–3.5.6.1).
As a rule, though, parentheses are preferred when the
interruption is an ‘aside’ from the writer to the reader – in other
cases, either bracketing commas or dashes should be used.
Unlike bracketing commas or dashes, both parentheses must
always be used, even if the interruption occurs at the beginning
or end of a sentence.
Parentheses may be used in combination with bracketing

commas or dashes where two sets of interruptions need to be set
off ( paragraph 1–3.5.6.1). However, such usage should
generally be avoided as it may be difficult to read.
Parentheses may be used to set off an entire sentence or series of

sentences if they constitute an appropriate interruption. In such
cases, the sentences are capitalised and punctuated in the usual
manner.
Parentheses are also used to set off interruptions which merely

provide additional information or a brief explanation of an
unfamiliar term.
Commas, semicolons, colons and dashes should not be typed

before an opening parenthesis. All punctuation that follows an
interruption in parentheses should be typed after the closing
parenthesis, except where an entire sentence or series of

sentences is placed in parenthesis.
For the use of parentheses in citations, see  paragraph 2–

1.1.2.
1–3.5.7.2 Brackets
The main use of brackets (“[ ]”), also known as square brackets,
is to enclose interpolations, corrections, explanations,
translations or editorial comments within quotations (
paragraph 1–2.6.4).
For the use of brackets in citations, see  paragraph 2–1.1.2.
1–3.5.8 Italics
Italics should be used for the following purposes:
(a) To emphasise words and phrases, eg, “The defendant’s fingerprints

were found inside the suitcase containing the drugs.” Do not use boldface
type or underlining for the purpose of first-level emphasis.
For rules on emphasising text, see  paragraph 1–2.1. For rules on

emphasising text in quotations, see  paragraph 1–2.6.3.
(b) To cite the names of cases, eg, “Ong Ah Chuan v PP”, “Brown v
Board of Education”. References to Anton Piller orders and Mareva
injunctions should not be italicised; italicise “Anton Piller” and “Mareva”
only when referring to the actual cases, eg, “in the Anton Piller case, the
court decided that …”.
(c) To cite the titles of books, journals, newspapers, television

programmes, films, musical compositions, etc, eg, “Cross and Tapper on
Evidence”, “Singapore Academy of Law Journal”, “The Straits Times”.
However, it is customary for the names of holy books to be set out in roman
type, eg, “the Bible”, “the Koran”.
(d) To cite the names of ships. Do not italicise the definite article The
unless it forms part of a ship’s name, eg, “The Ivanovo collided into El
Neputuno.” Do not use the abbreviation “mv” (for motor vessel) unless it
forms part of the ship’s name, in which case it should be italicised, eg, “the
mv Dong Hing”.
(e) To cite foreign words and phrases that have not been assimilated into
the English language: see  paragraph 1–3.6.
Where indicating the possessive form of an italicised word or phrase using

an apostrophe followed by the letter “s” (“ ’s ”), the “ ’s ” should not be
italicised, eg, “applying Ong Ah Chuan’s case”, “the RSS Morning Star’s
bow was damaged”.
Where a passage of text is already italicised and the passage contains a word
or phrase that would normally require italics, that word or phrase should be
set out in ordinary roman type, eg, “The famous case of Brown v Board of
Education was a landmark in American legal history.” Avoid doing this if
the words are to appear in second- or third-level headings (see  paragraph
1–2.1).
1–3.5.9 Capital Letters

Capital or uppercase letters are strictly not a form of punctuation, but it is
convenient to deal with them here. The following should be capitalised:
(a) The first word of a sentence – this rule applies even if the first word
is not normally capitalised, eg, ‘“Worldofsport.com” was registered by a
cybersquatter.’ If this is not desired, rephrase the sentence so that the word
that is not normally capitalised is not the first word.
(b) The first word, and each significant word, of a title of a case, piece
of legislation, treaty, book, journal, newspaper, television programme, film,
musical composition, etc. Small words like and, in, of, the and with need not
be capitalised unless it is the first word, eg, “Rylands v Fletcher”, “Sale of
Goods Act” (names of statutes and subsidiary legislation are not italicised),
“Singapore Civil Practice”, “Singapore Academy of Law Journal”, “The
Straits Times”, “Twelve Angry Men”.
(c) The first word of a direct quotation repeating someone else’s exact
words, if the quotation is a complete sentence, eg, “Thomas Edison
famously observed, ‘Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per
cent perspiration.’”. No capital letter is used if the quotation is not a
complete sentence, eg, “The Minister described the latest unemployment
figures as ‘disappointing’.”
(d) The name of a day, month, holiday or historical period, eg,

“Tuesday”, “November”, “New Year’s Eve”, “the Japanese Occupation”.
(e) The name of a language, nationality, ethnic group, a word expressing

a connection with a place, or a religion, eg, “Tamil”, “Australian”,
“Cantonese”, “British and American government officials”, “Islam”.
(f) Proper names, that is, names or titles that refer to an individual
person, place, institution or event, eg, “President S R Nathan”, “Sundaresh
Menon CJ”, “Professor Robert Miller”, “Raffles Square”, “the Supreme
Court”, “Singapore”, “the Internet”, “the World Wide Web”,
“Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2003”.
(g) Manufacturer’s brand names and products (if they have not become
generic labels for classes of objects), and trade marks, eg, “Microsoft
Windows XP”, “Sony Discman”, “Coca-Cola”.
When a hyphenated compound word requires capitalisation, the portion of

the word after the hyphen should also be capitalised.
1–3.5.9.1 Capital Letters: Words and Phrases That Should be

Capitalised
For Singapore Academy of Law publications, the following
words and phrases should be capitalised:
All courts, including “Disciplinary Committee/Tribunal” and
“Inquiry Committee”, eg, “Inquiry Committee of the Law
Society”, or “Inquiry Committee of the Public Service
Commission”. But use lowercase if it is a passing/one-off
reference to a non-specific inquiry committee or
disciplinary committee/tribunal, eg, “the question arose as
to whether an inquiry committee would have decided ...”,
or if it is used in the context of the expression “this court”/
“the court”.
References to the parties in a criminal proceeding, namely,
“Public Prosecutor”, “the Prosecution” and “the Defence”,
eg, “the Defence contended that …”.
References to “the State” when referring to a country
considered as an organised political community. Do not
capitalise when using “state” as an adjective or verb, eg,
“state immunity”.
the Executive, the Judiciary, and the Legislature (when
referring to the various branches in the separation of powers)
the Registrar (of the Supreme Court) (do not capitalise if the
word “registrar” is used to refer to an assistant registrar, a
deputy registrar, etc)
“Registrar”, when used to refer to the Registrar as a party,
even where it refers to a Registrar that is not the Registrar
of the Supreme Court. So “Registrar of the Land Titles
Registry” and “the Registrar” accordingly.
“Government”, when it is a reference to the government as a
party, ie, “the Singapore Government contended that ...”
and “the position of the South African Government was
...”, but “government official”, “government department”,
etc. References to names (of publications or entities)
should be in capitals, eg, “… the Government Gazette was
printed by the Singapore Government Printers …”.
the Bar, the Bench
President (of the Syariah Court)
Member of Parliament
National Service
1–3.5.9.2 Capital Letters: Words and Phrases That Should Not be

Capitalised
For Singapore Academy of Law publications, the following
words and phrases should not be capitalised:
(a) Words or titles that do not refer to any specific person or

thing, eg, “The company hired a new managing director in
September” and “Marion Wong was the managing director of the
company”, but “Marion Wong, Managing Director of ABC
Company”. Also, while Public Prosecutor is always capitalised,
“Deputy Public Prosecutor” is subject to this same rule, ie,
“Mr XX is a deputy public prosecutor …” but “Mr XX, Deputy
Public Prosecutor, contended that …”.
(b) References to the parties to proceedings, eg, “the second

defendant”, not “the Second Defendant”. However, when
referring to the opposing sides in criminal proceedings,
capitalise “the Prosecution” and “the Defence” (see 
paragraph 1–3.5.9.1).
(c) References to currencies, eg, “Singapore dollar notes”,

“five 20-sen coins”, “an account denominated in pound sterling”.
(d) References to “court” in the context of the expression

“this court”/ “the court” should be in lowercase, unless defined
otherwise in the judgment. However, references to specific
courts should be capitalised (see  paragraph 1–3.5.9.1).
(e) Court documents will not be capitalised when referring

to a category or type of document. However, a specific reference
to a particular document will be capitalised.
Example 1:
The plaintiff has not yet filed any statement of claim.
The Statement of Claim (Amendment No 1) contained

allegations of a breach of fiduciary duties.
Example 2:
While the point was not raised by the plaintiff in the pleadings,
it was alluded to in her written submissions.
In the plaintiff’s Written Submissions dated 16 September

2019, she contended that the defendant had breached his
fiduciary duties owed to the company.
This rule also applies to other official documents.
Example 3:
The subcontractor submitted a payment claim.
The subcontractor submitted Payment Claim No 5.
Capitalisation rules as a whole are subject to context and the

specific contrary preferences of the judge.
(f) Where the word “master” (of a ship) is used in the

judgment, it should be in lowercase (ie, “master” not “Master”),
unless the judge has defined it using uppercase the first time it
appears. Also, the first time “master” appears, there should be
words such as “of the ship” following it, so that the context is
made clear. The same goes for “captain” (of a ship).
(g) References to medical terms should be in lowercase (eg,

“coronary artery bypass graft”, “adjustment disorder with
depressed mood”, “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder”,
“Asperger’s syndrome” (only the name is capitalised)), unless
the particular term concerned is defined in uppercase the first
time it appears.
1–3.5.10 Quotation Marks

Apart from their use in quotations (see  paragraph 1–2.6.1), quotation
marks should be used in the following situations:
(a) To cite English words or short phrases that are being talked about,
eg, ‘The phrase “wrongful gain” is defined in s 23 of the Penal Code
(Cap 224, 2008 Rev Ed) as meaning “gain by unlawful means of property
to which the person gaining it is not legally entitled”.’
(b) To cite the names of trade marks, eg, ‘the plaintiff’s trade mark
“Breez” ’.
1–3.5.11 Other Punctuation Marks
1–3.5.11.1 The Ampersand

The ampersand (“&”) is an abbreviation for the word and. It
should generally not be used except if it appears in the names of
companies and firms or case names, eg, “Allen & Gledhill”,
“Ong & Co”, “Smith & Jones v Walker”.
1–3.5.11.2 The Solidus

The solidus (“/”), also known as the oblique, slant, slash or
virgule, can be used to separate alternatives, eg, “each visitor was
required to produce his/her identity card”.
The solidus may also be used to represent a period of time, eg,

“the accounting records for financial year 1995/1996 were
missing”. When doing so, set out the numbers in full; do not
merely retain the last one or two digits of the number. In
Singapore Academy of Law publications, the use of an en-dash
( paragraph 1–3.5.6.2) is preferred in such cases.
1–3.6 Foreign Words and Phrases
The specific foreign words and phrases in the table Foreign Words and Phrases in 
Appendix 1A should be italicised. Accents and diacritics should not be omitted, eg,
“fiancée”, “raison d’être”, “vis-à-vis”.
If a foreign word or phrase is not listed in the table in Appendix 1A, the drafter or editor
should ensure consistency in the way the foreign word or phrase appears throughout
that judgment (ie, either italicised or unitalicised throughout).
1–3.7 Miscellaneous Rules of Expression
1–3.7.1 Corporate and Unincorporated Entities

When using terms like plaintiff, defendant, appellant and respondent in
reference to corporate and unincorporated entities, including associations,
bodies corporate, companies, partnerships, societies and statutory boards,
use the singular forms of the terms. The plural forms plaintiffs, defendants,
appellants and respondents should be used for multiple parties.
1–3.7.2 Multiple Parties

The first to tenth parties in a matter should be referred to thus: “the first
plaintiff”, “the fourth third party”. From the 11th party onwards, the ordinal
number in the party’s designation may be abbreviated, thus: “the 12th
accused person”, “the tenth to 20th defendants”.
1–3.7.3 Names of Law Lords

Where the name of a Lord of Appeal of the House of Lords bears a place-
name, the first occurrence of the judge’s name should include the place-
name, eg, “Lord Bingham of Cornhill”, thereafter “Lord Bingham”.
1–3.7.4 Names of Ships

The names of ships should be set out in italics. Do not italicise the definite
article The unless it forms part of a ship’s name, eg, “The Ivanovo collided
into El Neputuno.” (See  paragraph 1–3.5.8(d).)
1–3.7.5 Names of Trade Marks

The names of trade marks should be cited in quotation marks, eg, ‘the
plaintiff’s trade mark “Breez” ’. (See  paragraph 1–3.5.10(b).)
1–3.7.6 Decision by Judge in Previously Different Judicial Capacity

Where there is reference to a case that was decided by a judge in a previously
different judicial capacity, the words “(as he/she then was)” may be added
after the judge’s name.
PART 2: CITATION RULES
(Refer to  Appendix 1B for Examples on Citation Rules)
2–1 CITATION OF CASES
2–1.1 Citation of Reported Cases
A reported case should generally be cited in the following format:
Case name [year] or (year) volume number(issue number) law report first
page number at [paragraph number] or page number [(court,
jurisdiction)]
For United States cases, use the following format:
Case name volume number law report first page number at page number
(court, year)
Refer to the table in  Appendix 1B for specific guidance on the citation style, years,
and volume numbers of some common law reports.
Ensure that the correct case title, year, volume number and starting page number are
cited. If unsure as to how a particular law report series should be cited, refer to the first
few pages of the hardcopy law report (the citation convention for that series, if
available, can usually be found within those pages).
2–1.1.1 Case Name

Cite the main case title in full, as it appears at the beginning of the judgment.
Follow the exact wording and spelling, including words found in brackets:
• do not leave out any part of the case title, for example, words like “Pte
Ltd”, or “and others”;
• do not use the title found in the running head (ie, the case title found in
smaller font at the top of each page or side of the law report), or (for
Canadian cases) the “indexed as” case title.
This rule applies to all case authorities cited, ie, including cases reported in
the Singapore Law Reports or Singapore Law Reports (Reissue) as well as
foreign case authorities.
Use the main case title in full, even if it is very long compared to the title in
the running head, or is different from the title in the running head. Refer to
the table in  Appendix 1B for guidance.
Part 2: Citation Rules … 29
• In such instances, if the case is not subsequently referred to in the

judgment, the citation to the case can be followed by an insertion stating
its more common title, eg, M’alister (Or Donoghue) (Pauper) v
Stevenson [1932] AC 562 (more commonly known as “Donoghue v
Stevenson”).
• If a case is frequently referred to in the judgment, an abbreviated title
can be defined after the first mention of the full citation and the case can
be subsequently referred to using its abbreviated title. Refer to the table
in  Appendix 1B for guidance.
The only exception to citing the main case title in full concerns foreign
judgments whose main case titles consist of multiple case names. For such
foreign judgments, it is sufficient to cite in full only the first case name
which appears at the beginning of the report (as opposed to citing all the
case names). Refer to the table in  Appendix 1B for guidance.
The word versus (Latin: “against”) in a case name should be abbreviated to

an italicised “v”. Do not type a full stop after the “v”.
When the name of a case differs in its procedural history, indicate it as

follows: “Great W United Corp v Kidwell 577 F 2d 1256 (5th Cir, 1978),
reversed on appeal sub nom Leroy v Great W United Corp 443 US 173
(1979)”.
2–1.1.2 Year
The year of the case should either be in parentheses (“( )”) or brackets (“[ ]”)
depending on the practice used by the law report.
In general:
• Parentheses are used when the law reports series is published by
volume number, in which case the year identifies when the case was
decided (eg, (1992) 175 CLR 1).
• Brackets are used when the series of reports is organised by year of
publication – in such cases, the year is a component of the citation
needed to locate the case (eg, [2010] 1 SLR 1).
• For Indian and Scottish cases, the year is not enclosed in parentheses or
brackets.
If a case is reported well after the year in which it was decided, the latter can
be placed in parentheses before the case citation (eg, “Thompson v Cremin
(1941) [1956] 1 WLR 103”).
Some law reports (eg SLR, All ER, MLJ) use brackets but have a volume
number as well. The volume number indicates which volume of a particular
year’s law reports should be consulted. As the year is required to find the
case, it should be placed in brackets.
Although cases reported in the Malayan Law Journal from 1932 to 1965
were formerly cited by a year in parentheses and a volume number, cite
these using brackets only, thus: “Re Ong Yew Teck [1960] MLJ 67”, not “Re
Ong Yew Teck (1960) 26 MLJ 67”.
For cases by the courts of Singapore, the United Kingdom and other
countries, place the year of the case before the volume number, law report
and first page number. For United States cases, follow the established
convention of placing the year after these citation elements.
Refer to the table in  Appendix 1B for guidance.
2–1.1.3 Volume Number

Where a case is published in a particular issue of a volume and the page
numbering restarts from one in each issue, indicate the issue number in
parentheses after the volume number with no space in between, eg, “King v
Walter [1992] 6(4) Est Gaz 245”. If the whole volume is numbered
continuously regardless of the number of issues, do not indicate the issue
number.
2–1.1.4 Law Report

Cases should be cited using a jurisdiction’s official, semi-official, preferred
or unofficial law report(s) (in that order of preference). (Cite from official
law reports whenever possible, and use neutral citations only if there are no
official/unofficial law reports available: see para 74(6) of the Supreme
Court Practice Directions.) Refer to the following categorised list of
common official, semi-official, preferred and unofficial law reports:
Jurisdiction Official, Semi-Official and Unofficial

Preferred Law Reports Law Reports
(Examples) (Examples)
Singapore Singapore Law Reports (SLR, Criminal Legal Aid
SLR(R)) Scheme News (CLAS
News)
Malayan Law Journal
(MLJ)
Australia Commonwealth Law Reports Australian Law Reports
(CLR) (ALR)
Federal Court Reports (FCR) Australian Law Journal
New South Wales Law Reports (ALJR)
Reports (NSWLR) Federal Law Reports
Victorian Reports (VR) (FLR)

Canada Official Reports Dominion Law Reports
Canada Supreme Court (DLR)
Reports/Canada Law Western Weekly
Reports: Supreme Court Reports (WWR)
of Canada (SCR)
Canada Federal Court
Reports (FC)
Exchequer Court of Canada
Reports/Reports of the
Exchequer Court of
Canada (Ex CR)
Semi-Official Reports
Alberta Reports (AR)
New Brunswick Reports
(NBR (2d))
Newfoundland & Prince
Edward Island Reports
(Nfld & PEIR)
Nova Scotia Reports (NSR
(2d))
Ontario Reports (OR (3d))
Recueils de jurisprudence du
Québec (RJQ)
Northwest Territories Reports
(NWTR)
England and The Law Reports All England Law
Wales Queen’s and King’s Bench: Reports (All ER)
LR QB, QBD, KB, QB Fleet Street Reports
Common Pleas: LR CP, CPD (FSR)
Exchequer: LR Ex, Ex D Lloyd’s Law Reports
Chancery: Ch D, Ch (Lloyd’s Rep)
Equity: LR Eq Reports of Patent Cases
Family: Fam (RPC)
Appeal Cases: AC
Privy Council: LR PC
Probate: LR P&D, PD, P
Admiralty and Ecclesiastical
Cases: LR Adm & Eccl
Weekly Law Reports (WLR)


India Preferred Reports –
All India Reporter (AIR)
Indian Law Reports (ILR)
Supreme Court Cases (SCC)
Supreme Court Reports
(SCR)
Supreme Court Weekly
Reporter (SCWR)
Allahabad Law Journal (ALJ)
Bombay Law Reporter (Bom
LR)
Calcutta Weekly Notes
(CWN)
Gujarat Law Reporter (GLR)
Karnataka Law Journal (Kant
LJ)
Kerala Law Journal (Ker LJ)
Madras Law Times (MLT)
Maharashtra Law Journal
(MLJ)
Malaysia Malayan Law Journal (MLJ) All Malaysian Reports
(AMR)
Malaysian Current Law
Journal (CLJ)
New Zealand New Zealand Law Reports –
(NZLR)
United States United States Reports (US) Supreme Court
of America Federal Reporter (F 3d) Reporter (S Ct)
Federal Supplement (F Supp) Lawyer’s Edition (L Ed
Atlantic Reporter (A) 2d)
California Reporter
(Cal Rptr)
New York Supplement (NYS)
North Eastern Reporter (NE)
North Western Reporter
(NW)
Pacific Reporter (P)
South Eastern Reporter (SE)
Southern Reporter (So)
South Western Reporter (SW)
The title of a law report should be abbreviated as indicated in the report or,
if no indication is given, as it is commonly abbreviated. Dictionaries of legal
abbreviations should be consulted. Refer to the table in  Appendix 2 for
guidance on the abbreviations of some common law reports. A list of
abbreviations of law reports and other works containing Singapore and
Malaysian cases appears in  Appendix 3.
If a stipulated abbreviation is not well known, give the full name of the law
reports in italics in brackets after the abbreviation, thus: “David v Smith &
Partners (2002) 24 PC [Professional Conveyancer] 196”. If there is no
stipulated abbreviation for an uncommon law report, set out the name of the
report in full in italics.
Where parallel citations are provided, they should be separated from each
other by semicolons.
2–1.1.5 Pinpoint Citation

As far as possible, pinpoint citations to paragraph numbers or pages within
reported judgments and cases should be given to aid readers in locating
references. Give citations to page numbers only if paragraph numbers are
not indicated.
• Citation to a Paragraph – the paragraph number should be in

brackets, eg, “[2001] 3 SLR 10 at [16]”.
• Citation to a Page – eg, “(1908) 12 SSLR 120 at 122”, “[1985] 2

All ER 243 at 250” (page numbers of cases cited are stated without being
preceded by “p” or “pp” or “page(s)”).
Separate consecutive paragraph or page references by an en-dash, stating all

page numbers in full, eg, “253–262”. Separate non-consecutive numbers by
commas.
Where a report is divided into columns, such as Lloyd’s Law Reports or the
Malayan Law Journal, the abbreviations “LHC” (‘left-hand column’) and
“RHC” (‘right-hand column’) may be used to indicate which column the
cited text appears in, eg, “[1993] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 85 at 90 LHC”, “[1971] 2
MLJ 43 at 49 RHC”.
2–1.1.6 Court and Jurisdiction

Indicate the court and/or jurisdiction of a case only if it is not evident from
the title of the law report, eg, if both a judgment at first instance and the
judgment on appeal are cited and the judgments have the same name.
If required, indicate the court and/or jurisdiction where the case was heard,
using the abbreviations in the tables in  Appendix 1B.
For United States cases, apply the following rules:
• Federal Courts – a citation to a decision of the Supreme Court does

not require the name of the court. Courts of Appeals should be referred to
by the numbered circuit (eg, “1st Cir”, “2nd Cir”); Courts of Appeals for the
District of Columbia should be cited “DC Cir” and Courts of Appeals for
the Federal Circuit should be cited “Fed Cit”. For district court cases, give
only an abbreviated name for the district.
• State Courts – indicate the state and court of the decision, but do
not name the court if it is the highest court in the state. Do not include the
state if it is obvious from the law report.
2–1.2 Citation of Unreported Judgments and Cases
Do not insert “(unreported)”. Unreported cases should be cited in accordance with the
rules below.
2–1.2.1 Cases with Neutral Citations

Unreported cases to which neutral citations have been assigned should be
cited as follows:
Case name neutral citation at [paragraph number] or page number

[(court, jurisdiction)]
Refer to  Appendix 1B for the neutral citations used in Singapore.
2–1.2.2 Cases without Neutral Citations

Unreported cases not assigned neutral citations should be cited as follows:
Singapore cases:
Case name suit or application indicator and number (where available) (date
of judgment) [(court, jurisdiction)] at [paragraph number] or page
number
Foreign cases:
Case name (date of judgment, court) (jurisdiction) at [paragraph number]

or page number
For Singapore cases:
• When referring to a particular court matter, the court matter should

be referred to by its case reference as reflected in e-Litigation (ie, as
“CA/CA 1/2019” instead of as “Civil Appeal No 1 of 2019”), unless
the judge otherwise directs.
• The case number on the cover page and first page of the judgment
should however be spelt out in full.
• Examples of case numbers which are more commonly referred to are

set out in the table in  Appendix 1B.
2–1.2.3 Pinpoint Citation

Pinpoint citations to paragraphs in unreported cases should be in the same
format as for reported cases ( paragraph 2–1.1.5).
2–1.3 Citation of Cases Published in Electronic Form
A citation to a case published in electronic form should only be given if the case has
not been published in print version, or if the print version of the case cannot be
conveniently accessed locally.
2–1.3.1 Cases from Electronic Databases

Cases should be cited as indicated in  paragraphs 2–1.2.1 and 2–1.2.2,
followed by the database identifier. Pinpoint citations should be to
paragraphs of the case, if available. If not, give references to screen or page
numbers stated in the database preceded by an asterisk:
Case citation, database identifier at [[paragraph number] or *database

screen or page number]
2–1.3.2 Cases from the Internet

Judgment should be exercised when citing Internet sources as they vary in
their reliability and may be transient in nature. Cases should be cited as
indicated in  paragraph 2–1.2.1 and 2–1.2.2 (omitting the pinpoint
citation) followed by the uniform resource locator (URL) of the webpage
containing the case and the date when the webpage was accessed. The
pinpoint citation should be given at the end:
Case citation (without pinpoint citation) <uniform resource locator>

(accessed date) at [paragraph number] or page number
If the URL of a webpage is excessively long, set out the URL of a parent
webpage or the home page.
2–1.4 Citation of Digests of Cases
An unreported judgment or case should not be cited solely by reference to a digest.

However, a digest of a case may be added to a citation of an unreported case in the
following format:
Case citation, digested at volume number digest [(editionth Ed, year) or

date,] [at [paragraph number] or at page number]
2–1.5 Subsequent References
After the first reference, a case may be cited by a short title. If it is desired to refer to a
case by one party, the non-government-related party’s name should generally be used.
Subsequent references to cases cited in earlier paragraphs should be set out in the
following format: ([paragraph number] supra) at pinpoint.
The word “supra” is to be used for cross-references to citations of cases only. For other
cross-references to judgment text, the word “above” should be used.
Supra cross-references are to be used at subsequent references to a case which appear

more than six paragraphs after the first citation of that case or the previous supra
reference to that case.
A supra reference to the case need only be included once in a single paragraph. Thus,
if the case is referred to multiple times in a single subsequent paragraph which appears
more than six paragraphs after the first citation of that case or the previous supra
reference to that case, the supra reference should be used once, at the first mention of
the case in that subsequent paragraph.
Example
1 … The case of ANJ v ANK [2015] 4 SLR 1043 (“ANJ”)

stands for the proposition that …
8 As was discussed in ANJ ([1] supra) … [A supra

reference is necessary as the case is cited more than six
paragraphs after the first citation at [1].]
…
15 ANJ ([1] supra) stated that … [A supra reference is

necessary as the case is cited more than six paragraphs
after the previous supra reference at [8].] The court in
ANJ further highlighted that … [A supra reference is not
necessary as a supra reference to the case need only be
included once in a single paragraph.]
20 This point was raised in ANJ at [32]. [A supra

reference should not be added as the case is cited within
six paragraphs from the previous supra reference at
[15].]
23 ANJ is therefore … [Even though the case is cited

more than six paragraphs after the previous supra
reference at [15], a supra reference is not necessary as
the case is cited within six paragraphs from the previous
citation at [20].]
35 The court in ANJ ([1] supra) … [A supra reference is

necessary as the case is cited more than six paragraphs
after the previous citation at [23].]
2–2 CITATION OF LEGISLATION
2–2.1 Citation of Singapore Legislation 1
2–2.1.1 Constitution
Cite the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore as follows:
Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (year of revised

edition Rev Ed, year of reprint Reprint) Art article
number
As at the date of this version of the Style Guide, the current reprint of the
Constitution of the Republic of Singapore is the 1999 Reprint of the 1985
Revised Edition.
2–2.1.2 Statutes
2–2.1.2.1 Unrevised Statutes
Statutes applicable to Singapore that are not part of a revised
edition of statutes should be cited according to the following
formats:
Period Status of Citation Format
Singapore
22 November Part of Straits Title of Act (Indian Act
1834 – Settlements under
1 April 1867 Indian No number of year)
administration pinpoint
[Indicate the Act number
in Arabic, not Roman,
numerals.]
1 April 1867 – Part of Straits Short Title of
15 February 1942 Settlements under
British Act/Ordinance year
administration (SS Ord No number of
year) pinpoint
[Statutes were
erroneously termed ‘Acts’
in 1867 only.]
1
See, generally, Interpretation Act (Cap 1, 2002 Rev Ed) ss 8(1)(a) and 8(1)(b) (as amended by Act 4 of 2021
wef 1 March 2021).

Singapore
15 February 1942 Under Japanese –
– Military
15 August 1945 Administration
15 August 1945 – Under British Name of Proclamation
31 March 1946 Military
Administration (Procl No number,
date) pinpoint
1 April 1946 – Crown Colony Short Title of Ordinance

2 June 1959
year (No number of
year) pinpoint
3 June 1959 – State Short Title of Ordinance

8 August 1965
(State in the year (No number of
Federation of year) pinpoint
Malaysia from 16
September 1963 –
8 August 1965)
9 August 1965 – Republic Short Title of Act year
present
(Act number of year)
pinpoint
Parts of statutes should be cited from the largest part to the

smallest, eg, “Administration of Justice (Protection) Act 2016
(Act 19 of 2016), The Schedule, Pt 1”.
2–2.1.2.2 Revised Statutes

(a) Where the statute is a revised edition published before
1 March 2021, it should be cited as follows:
Short Title of Statute ([SS] Cap chapter number,

year Rev Ed) pinpoint
smallest, eg, “Supreme Court of Judicature Act (Cap 322,
2007 Rev Ed), First Schedule, para 19”.
(b) Where the statute is a revised edition published on or after

1 March 2021, it should be cited as follows:
Short Title of Statute [which would include the year of

enactment or consolidation] (year Rev Ed)
pinpoint

smallest, eg, “Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1969
(2020 Rev Ed), First Schedule, para 19”. See also 
Appendix 1B paragraph 2–2.1.2.2
This would apply to the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts when

it comes into operation. 2
2–2.1.3 Subsidiary Legislation
2–2.1.3.1 Unrevised Subsidiary Legislation

Singapore subsidiary legislation that is not part of a revised
edition of subsidiary legislation should be cited according to the
following formats:
Singapore
22 November 1834 – Part of Straits Short Title of Subsidiary
15 February 1942 Settlements under
Indian and British Legislation year (GN
administration No S number/year)
pinpoint
[‘GN’ stands for ‘Gazette
Notification’.]
15 February 1942 – Under Japanese –
31 March 1946 Military
Administration and
British Military
Administration
1 April 1946 – Crown Colony
2 June 1959
2
Tentatively on 31 December 2021.

Singapore
3 June 1959 – State Short Title of Subsidiary
8 August 1965
Legislation year (GN
No S number/year)
pinpoint
3 June 1959 – State Short Title of Subsidiary

31 December 1959
No S (NS) number/year)
pinpoint
[‘NS’ stands for ‘New
Series’.]
1 January 1959 – State Short Title of Subsidiary
15 September 1963
No S number/year)
pinpoint
16 September 1963 – State in the Short Title of Subsidiary

8 August 1965 Federation of
Malaysia Legislation year (GN Sp
No S number/year)
pinpoint
[‘Sp’ stands for
‘Singapore’.]
9 August 1965 – Republic Short Title of Subsidiary
present
Legislation year
pinpoint
[To cite according to the
title as provided in
the unrevised subsidiary
legislation.]
Set out all years in four-digit format. Where a piece of subsidiary

legislation lacks a descriptive title, provide one in brackets.
Parts of subsidiary legislation should be cited from the largest

part to the smallest, eg, “Active Mobility (Electronic Service
System) Regulations 2019, First Schedule, Pt 1”.
2–2.1.3.2 Revised Subsidiary Legislation

Singapore subsidiary legislation that is part of a revised edition
should be cited as follows:
Short Title of Subsidiary Legislation (year Rev Ed) pinpoint
Parts of subsidiary legislation should be cited from the largest

part to the smallest, eg, “Rules of Court (2014 Rev Ed),
Appendix A, Form 46”. See also  Appendix 1B paragraph 2–
2.1.3.2
2–2.1.4 Bills
Bills should be cited as follows:
Short Title of Bill (Bill No number/year) cl clause number
2–2.1.5 Other Materials Published in the Government Gazette

Originally, all Singapore bills, notices and subsidiary legislation were
published in one undivided Government Gazette (acts and ordinances had
been published in a separate volume since 1867). Subsequently, additional
supplementary volumes were published. Currently, the Republic of
Singapore Government Gazette is published in the following parts:
• Government Gazette;
• Government Gazette Supplement (1976– );
• Government Gazette Acts Supplement;
• Government Gazette Bills Supplement (1963– );
• Government Gazette Industrial Relations Supplement (1963– );
• Government Gazette Subsidiary Legislation Supplement (1941– ); and
• Government Gazette Treaties Supplement (1968– ).
(The Government Gazette Trade Marks Supplement was published 1980–

1998, after which it was superseded by the Trade Marks Journal (1999– )
published by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS). IPOS
also publishes the Patents Journal (1995– ) and Designs Journal (2001– ).)
Statutes, subsidiary legislation and bills published in the Gazette should be

cited as instructed in  paragraphs 2–2.1.2 to 2–2.1.4, while treaties
should be cited as instructed in  paragraph 2–7.1.
Material not assigned a Gazette Notification number should be cited as

follows:
Title of Material (Title of Gazette, date) at page number
Other material should be cited in the following format, modified to suit the
nature of the material:
Title of Material ([SS] GN Gazette indicator No number/year)
Where material lacks a descriptive title, provide one in brackets. For the
Gazette indicator, use the following abbreviations:
Government Gazette Indicator Abbreviation
Collective Agreement (in the CA
Industrial Relations Supplement)
Gazette Notification Number GN No
Gazette Notification Supplement Number GN Supp No
Government Gazette Govt Gazette
Industrial Relations Supplement IR
Straits Settlements SS
Treaties Supplement T
2–2.1.6 Pinpoint Citations

Citations to parts of legislation, such as articles, orders, paragraphs, rules,
regulations, sections and subsections, should use the abbreviations set out
in  paragraph 1–3.2.2.
When citing sub-provisions that use lowercase letters, italicise the letters to
conform with how they are set out in legislation and to distinguish them
from Roman numerals, as follows: “s 5(1)(a)”, “regs 14(3)(l) to 14(3)(n)”.
When citing a range of provisions, set out the beginning and ending
provisions in the range and separate them by an en-dash. If the parts of
legislation are numbers, set out the ending provision in full; do not merely
retain the last one or two digits of the number, eg, “ss 510–513”, not
“ss 510–13” or “ss 510–3”.
Separate non-consecutive numbers by commas. Where commas are used to

separate sub-provisions, semicolons should be used to separate the
provisions, as follows: “O 14 rr 1, 2, 4; O 15 rr 1, 2”.
Where several sub-provisions of the same provision of a piece of legislation

are referred to, the main provision number should not be omitted, ie,
“ss 5(1), 5(3), 5(4)” and not “ss 5(1), (3), (4)”; and “Sections 25(1)(a) and
25(1)(b)” rather than “Section 25(1)(a) and (b)”. This ensures that readers
consulting electronic versions of Singapore Academy of Law publications
will be able to locate relevant cases by using these sub-provisions as search

criteria.
2–2.2 Citation of Foreign Legislation
A piece of foreign legislation should be cited as it is usually cited in its country of

origin, except that full stops after abbreviations and formatting styles such as italics
should be omitted. The jurisdiction should be placed in parentheses at the end of the
citation before the pinpoint. Jurisdictions (save for Canadian jurisdictions) should be
abbreviated as shown in  paragraph 2–1.1.6 of Appendix 1B. For abbreviations of
Canadian jurisdictions in Canadian legislation, see the table as shown in  paragraph
2–2.2.2.2 of Appendix 1B.
In the absence of any clear indication of how the legislation of a particular foreign
jurisdiction should be cited, adapt the citation method used for Singapore legislation
(see  paragraph 2–2.1).
2–2.2.1 Australia and New Zealand Legislation
Short title of statute year (jurisdiction) pinpoint

Short title of subsidiary legislation year (jurisdiction) pinpoint
Use the following abbreviations:
Word or Phrase Abbreviation
chapter ch
schedule (Australian legislation; do not abbreviate for sch
New Zealand legislation)
Statutory Regulation (New Zealand) SR
2–2.2.2 Canadian Legislation
Short title of statute, statute volume jurisdiction year, c chapter

number (Can), pinpoint
Short title of revised regulation, CRC, c chapter number (Can),
pinpoint (year)
Appendix App
article(s) (in Quebec codes) art(s)
chapter c
Revised Statutes, Re-enacted Statutes RS

Schedule Sch
Sessional Volume S
Supplement Supp
2–2.2.2.1 Statute Volume

Cite either the Revised Statutes or Re-enacted Statutes (“RS”) in
preference to the sessional or annual volumes (“S”).
2–2.2.2.2 Jurisdiction
Jurisdictions should be abbreviated as shown in  paragraph
2–2.2.2.2 of Appendix 1B.
2–2.2.2.3 Revised Regulations

“CRC” refers to the Consolidated Regulations of Canada. For
citation of unrevised federal regulations, and provincial and
territorial regulations, refer to the Canadian Guide to Uniform
Legal Citation.
2–2.2.3 Malaysian Legislation
Short title of statute year (No [A]Act number of year) (M’sia)

pinpoint
Short title of subsidiary legislation [year] (PU(A/B) subsidiary
legislation number/year) (M’sia) pinpoint
Malaysian federal legislation is published in two series, one for general Acts
and the “A” supplementary series for amending Acts and Acts of temporary
duration. Similarly, more important subsidiary legislation is published in
the “PU(A)” series, and other subsidiary legislation in the “PU(B)” series.
2–2.2.4 United Kingdom Legislation
Short title of statute year (c chapter number) (UK) pinpoint

Short title of subsidiary legislation year (SI year No statutory
instrument number) (UK) pinpoint
Appendix App
article(s) art(s)
chapter c

Order Ord
Statutory Instrument SI
Schedule Sch
2–2.2.4.1 Year
Regnal years, traditionally cited for all UK legislation enacted
before 1 January 1963, may be omitted.
2–2.2.5 United States Legislation
US Constitution Art/Amend article or amendment number in

Roman numerals § section number cl clause number
Title of statute division of code (if applicable) USC (US)

§ section number (year)
Title of rule or regulation title number CFR (US) § section

number (year)
2–2.2.5.1 Statutes
Cite statutes to the official federal code, the United States Code
(USC), in preference to codes by private publishers, reporters of
session laws and looseleaf services. Once a statute has been
codified, it is not usually referred to by its original title unless it
is commonly known by that name. For citation of sources other
than the USC, refer to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of
Citation.
2–2.2.5.2 Rules and Regulations

Where possible, cite federal rules and regulations to the Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR). Indicate the title of a rule or
regulation when it is commonly known under that name. For
citation of sources other than the CFR, refer to The Bluebook: A
Uniform System of Citation.
After the first reference, legislation may be referred to using an abbreviation. If an

abbreviation is to be used, it should be indicated in parentheses following the first
citation of the legislation, eg, “Misuse of Drugs Act (Cap 185, 2008 Rev Ed)
(“MDA”)”.
Do not use the terms ibid, id, op cit, see above or supra in subsequent references to
legislation as the full citations of legislation may be ascertained from the list of
legislation referred to.
2–3 CITATION OF GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS
2–3.1 Citation of Parliamentary Debates
Singapore parliamentary debates should be cited in one of the following formats:
Straits Settlements (1 August 1867 – 14 February 1942)

Straits Settlements, Colony of Singapore, Proceedings of the [First/
Second] Legislative Council [, sessionth Sess] [, year] (date of
debate) at page number(s) [(speaker’s full name, speaker’s position
in government or opposition)]
Colony of Singapore (1 April 1946 – 2 June 1959);

State of Singapore (3 June 1959 – 8 August 1965)
Colony/State of Singapore, Legislative Assembly Debates, Official Report
(date of debate) [, vol volume number] at col(s) column number(s)
[(speaker’s full name, speaker’s position in government or
opposition)]
Republic of Singapore (9 August 1965 –)

Singapore Parliamentary Debates, Official Report (date of debate) [, vol
volume number] at col(s) column number(s) [, <universal resource
locator> at page number(s) (accessed date)] [(speaker’s full name,
speaker’s position in government or opposition)]
Parliamentary debates published from 2002 onwards are available from the Parliament
reports database on the Parliament of Singapore website at
https://www.parliament.gov.sg/parliamentary-business-official-reports-(parl-
debates). Optionally, when writing for a foreign audience that may not have convenient
access to the print version of the Parliamentary Debates, Official Report, a citation to
this website may be included.
Parliamentary debates of other jurisdictions should be cited as follows:
Jurisdiction [(country)], legislative assembly, Title of Debates (date of

debate), [series, volume, etc] at [col(s) column number(s) or page
number(s)] [, <universal resource locator> at pinpoint (accessed
date)] [(speaker’s full name, speaker’s position in government or

opposition)]
2–3.2 Citation of Parliamentary Papers
Parliamentary papers should be cited as follows:
[Jurisdiction (country), government organ or department] Title of

Parliamentary Paper (type of parliamentary paper, reference
number, [date or year]) at [para paragraph number or p page
number] [(Chairman, Chairperson, etc: name)]
Omit the jurisdiction and country for Singapore parliamentary papers.
For United Kingdom command papers, use the following abbreviations for the
reference number:
Series Year Command Paper Abbreviation
Numbers
1st series 1833–1869 1–4222 c
2d series 1870–1899 1–9550 C
3d series 1900–1918 1–9239 Cd
4th series 1919–1956 1–9889 Cmd
5th series 1957– 1– Cmnd
2–4 CITATION OF BOOKS
2–4.1 Citation of Bound Books
A bound book should be cited as follows:
Author(s), Title of Book [(series No series number, institution)]

(compiler(s)/editor(s) comp(s)/ed(s)) (publisher, editionth Ed, year)
at [para paragraph number or p page number]
In judgments, cite the title, author/editor, publisher, edition, year of publication and
pinpoint. If it is not possible or feasible to ascertain all of this information, cite the
information available.
2–4.1.1 Authors, Compilers or Editors

Omit honorifics and titles of authors. If there are two or three authors,
compilers or editors, separate with an ampersand the names of the authors,
or of the second and third authors, as the case may be. If there are more than
three authors, compilers or editors, give the name of the first person
followed by “et al”.
2–4.1.2 Title of Book

Book titles should be in italics and capitalised according to the rules in 
paragraph 1–3.5.8(b).
2–4.1.3 Edition
For the first edition of a book, do NOT indicate “1st Ed”.
2–4.1.4 Pinpoint
Paragraph numbers should not be enclosed in brackets and should instead
be preceded by “para” or “paras” respectively depending on whether a single
paragraph or multiple paragraphs are referenced. Page numbers should
likewise not be enclosed in brackets and should instead be preceded by “p”
or “pp” respectively depending on whether a single page or multiple pages
are referenced.
2–4.2 Citation of Bound Books that are Part of a Set
A bound book that is one volume in a set should be cited as follows:
Title of Set or Abbreviation Specified in Work vol volume number

(compiler(s)/editor(s) comp(s)/ed(s)) (publisher, editionth Ed, year)
at [para paragraph number or p page number]
2–4.3 Citation of Looseleaf Books
A looseleaf book should be cited in the same way as a bound work, except that the date
of release of the particular pages or parts referred to should be indicated after the year
of publication of the entire work. This information usually appears printed on the
relevant pages or parts.
After the first reference, a book may be cited by its author’s surname, a combination of
the author’s surname and a short version of the book’s title, or a short version of the
title. In judgments, do not use the terms ibid, id, op cit, see above or supra in subsequent
references to books or articles.
2–5 CITATION OF ARTICLES
2–5.1 Citation of Articles in Law Journals or Reviews
An article from a law journal or review should be cited as follows:
Author(s), [article type,] “Title of Article” [year] or (year) volume

number(issue number) law journal or review first page number at
[para paragraph number or page number]
An article from a collection of articles published in a book should be cited as follows:
Article author(s), “Title of Article” in Title of Book (compiler(s)/editor(s),

comp(s)/ed(s)) (publisher, editionth Ed, year) ch chapter number at
p page number
Apply to articles the rules in  paragraphs 2–1.1.2, 2–1.1.3 and 2–4.1.
2–5.1.1 Article Type

Optionally, indicate the type of article between the author and the title of the
article, eg, “Book Review”, “Case Note”, “Editorial”, “Legislation Note”,
“Note”.
2–5.1.2 Law Journal or Review

Set out the names of law journals or reviews as specified in those
publications, or as they are commonly abbreviated. Dictionaries of legal
abbreviations should be consulted. Examples of citations of selected law
journals and reviews published in Singapore and Malaysia are set out in
 Appendix 4.
2–5.2 Citation of Articles in Serial Publications
An article from a serial publication such as a magazine or newspaper should be cited as

follows:
Author(s)/journalist(s), “Title of Article”, Serial Publication [(city,

country)] (date) at p page number
2–5.3 Citation of Articles Published in Electronic Form
A citation to an article published in electronic form should only be given if the article
has not been published in a print version, or if the print version cannot be conveniently
accessed locally.
2–5.3.1 Articles Available in Electronic Databases

An article available in an electronic database should be cited as follows:
Article citation, available in database, database identifier
2–5.3.2 Articles from the Internet

Judgment should be exercised when citing Internet sources as they vary in
their reliability and may be transient in nature. Articles should be cited as
indicated in  paragraphs 2–5.1 and 2–5.2 (omitting the pinpoint citation)
followed by the uniform resource locator (URL) of the webpage containing
the case and the date of publication of the article or the date when the
webpage was accessed. The pinpoint citation should be given at the end:
Article citation (without pinpoint citation) <uniform resource

locator> ([article date] or [accessed date]) at
para paragraph number
If the URL of a webpage is excessively long, set out the URL of a parent webpage
or the home page.
After the first reference, an article may be cited by its author’s surname, or a
combination of the author’s surname and a short version of the article’s title. In
judgments, do not use the terms ibid, id, op cit, see above or supra in subsequent
references to books or articles.
2–6 CITATION OF UNPUBLISHED, FORTHCOMING AND OTHER TYPES OF

MATERIALS
2–6.1 Citation of Unpublished Materials
2–6.1.1 Manuscripts
Cite manuscripts that are unpublished or not formally published, and which
are not scheduled for publication, as follows:
Author(s), Title of Manuscript, conference or lecture, venue

[city, country] (date or year) at pinpoint (unpublished,
archived at location)
2–6.1.2 Dissertations, Essays and Theses

Cite an unpublished dissertation, essay or thesis written in fulfilment or
partial fulfilment of a degree in the same manner as a manuscript, but
indicate the type of work, the degree for which the work was prepared, and
the institution that awarded the degree as follows:
Author(s), Title of Dissertation, Essay or Thesis (date or year)

at pinpoint (unpublished degree
dissertation/essay/thesis, institution, archived at
location)
2–6.1.3 Letters, E-mails and Memoranda

In citing unpublished letters, e-mails and memoranda, indicate the writers
and addressees by their names, titles and institutional affiliation, if any, as
follows:
Letter/E-mail/Memorandum from writer’s name, title, institution, to

addressee’s name, title, institution (date) at [para paragraph number
or p page number]
2–6.1.4 Interviews
An unpublished in-person, telephone or e-mail interview should be cited by
indicating the title and institutional affiliation, if any, of the interviewee and,
for an in-person interview, the location of the interview, as follows:
[Telephone/E-mail] interview with interviewee’s name, title,

institution, [in city, country] (date)
When the author has not personally conducted the interview, the name of
the interviewer should be indicated:
Interviewer’s name, [telephone/e-mail] interview with

interviewee’s name, title, institution, [in city, country]
(date)
2–6.1.5 Speeches and Press Releases

Where possible, cite a speech or press release by reference to a print or
Internet source, as follows:
Author/speaker, title, institution, “Title of Speech/Press

Release”, opening address, speech, press release, etc at
occasion (date), in Publication, reference number, first
page number at pinpoint [, <universal resource locator>
(accessed date)]
If the URL of a webpage is excessively long, set out the URL of a parent
webpage or the home page.
Cite an unpublished speech or press release as follows:
Speaker’s name, title, institution, “Title of Speech”, [opening

address, speech, etc, at occasion] or [press release, press
statement, etc, on subject] (date)
2–6.2 Citation of Forthcoming Materials
A work scheduled for forthcoming publication should be cited in a similar manner to

the published piece, except that no first page number is stated following the title of the
journal or book; the designation “forthcoming” is included; and the month of
publication, if available, should be included in addition to the year:
Author(s), “Title of Article” volume number(issue number) law journal or

review (forthcoming, month year) (manuscript at pinpoint)
Author(s), “Title of Article” in book author(s), Title of Book

(compiler(s)/editor(s), comp(s)/ed(s), forthcoming, month year)
(manuscript at pinpoint)
2–6.3 Citation of Law Reform Working Papers and Reports
Working papers and reports issued by law reform commissions should be cited as
follows:
[Jurisdiction (country),] institution, Title of Working Paper or Report

([Working Paper, Report, etc] reference number, [date or year]) at
[para paragraph number or p page number] [(Chairman,
Chairperson, etc: name)]
Omit the jurisdiction and country for papers from Singapore, and if the information is
clear from the name of the institution.
2–7 CITATION OF INTERNATIONAL MATERIALS
2–7.1 Citation of Treaties
Conventions, treaties or other bilateral or international agreements should be cited in

the following format:
Treaty’s Name (date), [parties], treaty series, pinpoint (entered into force
date [, accession by Singapore date]) [, database identifier
<universal resource locator>] (“Short Title”)
2–7.1.1 Name of Treaty

Indicate the nature of the instrument, eg, “Agreement”, “Convention”,
“Protocol”, “Treaty”, “Understanding”.
2–7.1.2 Date
If parties can accede to the treaty, cite the full date the treaty was opened for
signature, thus: “opened for signature date”.
In other cases, cite the date the treaty was signed. When an agreement or
exchange of notes between two parties has more than one date of signing,
give the first and last dates, thus: “(12 August – 23 September 2002)”. If a
treaty between three or more parties is not signed on a single date, use the
date on which the treaty is opened for signature, done, approved or adopted,
and indicate the significance of the date, eg, “(adopted on 6 May 1999)”.
2–7.1.3 Parties
If the parties to a bilateral treaty are not specified in the name of the treaty,
list them after the date separated by an en-dash. Shorten the names to reflect
common usage but do not abbreviate them, ie, “United Kingdom”, not
“United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” or “UK”; “United
States”, not “United States of America” or “US”.
The parties to a multilateral treaty need not be given.
2–7.1.4 Treaty Series

Where applicable, cite the treaty series in the following order:
• Primary official international treaty series, eg, United Nations
Treaty Series (UNTS), League of Nations Treaty Series (LNTS),
European Treaty Series (Eur TS).
• Singapore Government Gazette Treaties Supplement, if the
treaty is published in it.
• Official treaty series of the other state party.
• Other unofficial international treaty series and parallel citations,
eg, International Legal Materials (ILM).
Singapore does not have an official treaty series. Only a limited number of
treaties to which Singapore is a party are published in the Government
Gazette Treaties Supplement. The Singapore Treaties Database managed by
the Attorney-General’s Chambers which is available on the Legal
Prospector section of LawNet at https://www.lawnet.sg contains
information on treaties to which Singapore is a party, as well as the full text
of selected treaties or hyperlinks to such full text available elsewhere on the
Internet. Selected free trade agreements to which Singapore is a party are
available on the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s website at
https://www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/non-financial-assistance/for-singapore-
companies/free-trade-agreements/ftas/singapore-ftas.
Use the following citation formats:
Treaty Series Period Citation Format

Official International Treaty Series
League of Nations Treaty 1920–1945 Volume number LNTS
Series
first page number
United Nations Treaty 1946– Volume number UNTS

Series
first page number
European Treaty Series 1948– Eur TS No number
Official National Treaty Series

Singapore Government 1968– GN No T number/year
Gazette Treaties
Supplement
[Included for convenience

though not an official
treaty series: see text
above.]
Australia Treaty Series 1947– Year Aust TS No number
Canada Treaty Series 1925– Year Can TS No number
Great Britain/United 1883– Year GBTS/UKTS No

Kingdom Treaty Series
number
Treaty Series Period Citation Format

United States Statutes at – Volume number Stat
Large
number
United States Treaties and 1945– TIAS No number

Other International Acts
Series
United States Treaties and 1950– Volume number UST No
Other International
Agreements number
Unofficial Treaty Series

Consolidated Treaty published Volume number Cons TS
Series 1969–1981
first page number
International Legal published Volume number ILM first

Materials 1962–
page number
Nouveau Recueil Général 1494–1943 Volume number Martens

des Traités
Nouveau Recueil series
first page number
2–7.1.5 Database Identifier and Universal Resource Locator

Where the full text of a treaty is available on the Internet, a reference may
be given to the website where it can be accessed. For treaties that are
available in their full text on the Singapore Treaties Database on LawNet,
the database identifier should be either “Bilateral Treaty No Bnumber” or
“Multilateral Treaty No Mnumber”.
2–7.2 Citation of International Cases
2–7.2.1 International Court of Justice and Permanent Court of International

Justice
Cite cases and pleadings of cases before the Permanent Court of
International Justice (PCIJ) (1922–1940) (also known as the World Court)
and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) (1945– ) as follows:
Name of Case/Pleading [(Claimant v Respondent)] [(nature or

phase of action)] [year] PCIJ (ser series) No case
number at pinpoint
Name of Case [(Claimant v Respondent)] [(nature or phase of

action)] [year] ICJ first page number at pinpoint [,
<universal resource locator> (accessed date)]
Name of Pleading [(Claimant v Respondent)] [year] ICJ

Pleadings (volume number Name of Case) first page
number at pinpoint [, <universal resource locator>
(accessed date)]
2–7.2.1.1 Case Name and Names of Claimant and Respondent

Set out the case name as found in the report, omitting the
introductory word The. Include the names of the claimant and
respondent in parentheses if not already in the case name. Do not
include the names of the claimant and respondent in advisory
opinions.
2–7.2.1.2 Nature or Phase of Action

Where applicable, the nature (eg, “(Advisory Opinion)”) or phase
of the action (eg, “(Jurisdiction)”, “(Merits)”) should be
indicated.
2–7.2.1.3 Name of Publication

Decisions and other documents of the Permanent Court of
International Justice were published in six series, A through F.
These series must be indicated in citations to PCIJ documents.
International Court of Justice opinions are published in Reports

of Judgments, Advisory Opinions and Orders (“ICJ”), while
pleadings are published in Pleadings, Oral Arguments,
Documents (“ICJ Pleadings”). Optionally, a parallel citation may
be given to the International Court of Justice website at
https://www.icj-cij.org.
2–7.2.2 Court of Justice of the European Union

Cases decided by the Court of Justice of the European Union (formerly, the
“Court of Justice of the European Communities”) were, prior to 2011,
published in the Report of Cases Before the Court of Justice and the General
Court (“ECR”). The Court of Justice of the European Union has since
adopted the European Case-Law Identifier (ECLI) system and assigned an
ECLI to all decisions delivered by the Courts of the European Union since
1954 and to the Opinions and Views of the Advocates General.
For cases that were reported in the ECR, cite to the ECR in the following
format. Note that beginning with 1990 Part I, page numbers in the ECR
begin with a “I” or “II” before the number.
Case name Case number/year, [(year) volume number or

[year]] ECR first page number at pinpoint [, parallel
citation] [, <https://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html>
(accessed date)] [, Ct First Instance]
For cases not reported in the ECR, cite the case using the ECLI system. Note
that the abbreviation “ECLI” is omitted when citing decisions of the Court
of Justice, the General Court and the Civil Service Tribunal.
Case name Case number/year, [ECLI:]EU:code of originating

court:year of decision:sequential number at pinpoint [,
parallel citation] [, <https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/homepage.html> (accessed date)] [, Ct
First Instance]
2–7.2.2.1 Case Name

Where the EU Commission, Council or Parliament is one of the
parties, give its name as “Commission”, “Council” or
“Parliament”.
2–7.2.2.2 Law Report Series and Parallel Citation

Optionally, include not more than one parallel citation to an
unofficial law report series, eg, Common Market Law Reports
(“CMLR”), Common Market Reporter (“CM Rep”) or European
Community Cases (“CEC”), and/or a citation to Eur-Lex, the
European Union law portal, at https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/hompage.html.
Where a case is before the Court of First Instance, indicate “Ct
First Instance” at the end of the citation.
2–7.2.3 European Court and European Commission of Human Rights

Cite cases before the European Court of Human Rights as follows (where
the said information is available):
Case name (year) volume number Eur Ct HR (ser A/B) at

pinpoint, (year) volume number EHRR first page
number at pinpoint [, <https://hudoc.echr.coe.int>
(accessed date)]
Case name (year) volume number YB Eur Conv HR first page

number at pinpoint, (year) volume number EHRR first
page number at pinpoint, Eur Ct HR [,
<https://hudoc.echr.coe.int> (accessed date)]
Cases that were before the European Commission of Human Rights should
be cited as follows:
Case name (year) volume number Eur Comm HR CD/Eur

Comm HR DR first page number at pinpoint, (year)
volume number EHRR first page number at pinpoint [,
Case name (year) volume number YB Eur Conv HR first page

number at pinpoint, (year) volume number EHRR first
page number at pinpoint, Eur Comm HR [,
2–7.2.3.1 Law Report Series

Where possible, cite European Court of Human Rights cases to
the official European Court of Human Rights, Series A (“Eur Ct
HR (ser A)”) and European Commission of Human Rights cases
to the Collections of Decisions of the European Commission of
Human Rights (1960–1974) and Decisions and Reports of the
European Commission of Human Rights (1975–1998) (“Eur
Comm HR CD” and “Eur Comm HR DR”).
Otherwise, cite to the Yearbook of the European Convention on

Human Rights (“YB Eur Conv HR”) or the European Human
Rights Reporter (“EHRR”) and include the designation “Eur Ct
HR” or “Eur Comm HR” at the end of the citation.
Provide a parallel citation to the European Human Rights

Reports (“EHRR”) if available. Optionally, include a citation to
HUDOC, the Human Rights Documents website managed by the
European Court of Human Rights, at https://hudoc.echr.coe.int.
2–7.3 Citation of United Nations Materials
2–7.3.1 United Nations Charter

Cite the United Nations (UN) Charter as follows:
UN Charter (26 June 1945) art article para paragraph
2–7.3.2 Official Records

United Nations (UN) official records should be cited as follows:
Author(s), Title of Document, resolution indicator Res

resolution number, UN UN organ abbreviationOR
[committeeth Comm], sessionth Sess, Pt part, [Annex
number/Supp No supplement number,] [meetingth
mtg/Agenda Item number] at [para paragraph number or
p page number], UN Doc document number, [UN Sales
No number,] (year) [, volume ILM first page number at
pinpoint]
Information on UN official records such as resolution numbers and dates of

resolutions can be obtained from the UN Documentation Centre website at
https://www.un.org/en/sections/general/documents/index.html.
2–7.3.2.1 Author and Title of Document

Include the name of the author only if it is not apparent from the
title of document.
2–7.3.2.2 Resolution Number and UN Organ and Committee

Use the following abbreviations for resolution indicators and the
official records (OR) of UN organs:
UN Organ Resolution UN Official

Indicator Record
Abbreviation Abbreviation
General Assembly GA Res GAOR
Security Council SC Res SCOR
Economic and Social ESC Res ESCOR
Council
Abbreviate Committee to “Comm”.
2–7.3.2.3 Session Number

The session number is sometimes indicated in Roman numerals
in parentheses after the resolution number, eg “GA Res 217
(III)”. If this is the case in any source, set out the session number
in the citation as shown above in  paragraph 2–7.3.2.
2–7.3.2.4 Sub-divisions
Within a single volume of UN official records there may be su-
divisions that are separately paginated. These sub-divisions
should be indicated thus:
• Meeting Records – “meetingth mtg”.

• Annexes – “Agenda Item number [, addendum pt
part]”.
• Supplement Volumes – “Supp No supplement
number” or “Supp for month–month year” (since
1948, Security Council supplements have been
denominated by the time periods they cover).
Plenary meeting should be abbreviated “plen mtg”.
2–7.3.2.5 UN Document Number and Sales Number

Records of debates before 1951 do not have UN document
numbers.
If a UN document is available for sale to the public and has been

assigned a sales number, this may be included after the UN
document number.
2–7.3.2.6 Parallel Citation to International Legal Materials

To aid in the finding of UN materials, wherever possible provide
a parallel citation to International Legal Materials (ILM) at the
end of the citation.
2–7.3.3 Yearbooks and Periodicals

UN yearbooks and periodicals contain summaries of the work of subsidiary
organisations and related documents. References to yearbooks and
periodicals should be as follows:
Author, “Title of Article” citation to UN yearbook or periodical

at [para paragraph number or p page number], UN Doc
document number, [UN Sales No number]
Material reprinted in yearbooks from other UN documents should be cited

to the original source or the official records of a UN organ, as follows:
Author, “Title of Article”, Citation to UN official records,

reprinted in citation to UN yearbook or periodical at
[para paragraph number or p page number], UN Doc
document number, [UN Sales No number]
2–7.4 Citation of European Union Materials
2–7.4.1 Legislation
Cite directives, regulations and decisions of the European Parliament,
Council and Commission as follows:
[Title or Descriptive Name of Directive/Regulation/Decision],

EU/EC Council/Commission/Parliament
Directive/Regulation/Decision directive/
regulation/decision number/sequential number of
document) [Art article or at p page number], [Doc
document number,] [year] OJ L volume number/first
page number at pinpoint [, <universal resource locator>
(accessed date)]
2–7.4.1.1 Descriptive Name of Directive, Regulation or Decision

Descriptive names of directives, regulations and decisions are
optional. Set out either the short title by which a piece of
legislation is commonly known (eg, “E-Commerce Directive”),
or provide a descriptive name based on the official title of the
legislation.
2–7.4.1.2 Sequential numbers

With effect from 1 January 2015, unique sequential numbers (in
the standardised form “(domain) YYYY/N”) are assigned to
documents published in the L (Legislation) series of the Official
Journal of the European Union (OJ).
2–7.4.1.3 Official Journal Abbreviation

EU (formerly “EC”) regulations, directives, decisions, debates
and other documents are published in the Official Journal of the
European Union. Abbreviate the Official Journal of the
European Union: Legislation to “OJ L”.
2–7.4.1.4 Internet Citation

Optionally, include a citation to Eur-Lex, the European Union
law portal, at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/hompage.html.
2–7.4.2 Parliamentary Documents
2–7.4.2.1 Parliamentary Debates

Cite debates of the European Parliament as follows:
European Parliament, Debates (date) [year] OJ D

volume number/first page number at pinpoint [,
<https://www.europarl.europa.eu> (accessed
date)] [(speaker’s full name, speaker’s position)]
Abbreviate the Official Journal of the European Communities:

Debates of the European Parliament to “OJ D”. Optionally, if
the debates are available on the European Parliament website at
https://www.europarl.europa.eu, the URL of the debates may be
included.
2–7.4.2.2 Other Parliamentary Documents

Cite reports and other parliamentary documents as follows:
European Parliament, [committee or other institution],

Title of Document (year), document reference
number at pinpoint [,
<https://www.europarl.europa.eu> (accessed
date)]
Optionally, if a document is available on the EUROPARL

website, the URL of the webpage on which the document
appears may be indicated at the end of the citation.
2–7.4.3 Other Publications

Cite other EU/EC publications (eg, proposed Regulations, Directives and
Decisions; and information and notices), as follows:
EU/EC Council/Commission/other institution, Descriptive Title

of Publication, [Art article number or at page number,]
[year] OJ C volume number/first page number at
pinpoint [, <universal resource locator> (accessed date)]
Abbreviate the Official Journal of the European Union: Information and

Notices to “OJ C”.
Books and serials published by the EU should be cited as indicated in 

paragraphs 2–4 and 2–5.
2–7.5 Citation of Council of Europe Materials
2–7.5.1 Parliamentary Debates

Cite debates of the Parliamentary Assembly (formerly known as the
Consultative Assembly) of the Council of Europe to the Official Report of
Debates as follows:
Council of Europe, PA/CA, sessionth Sess, partth Pt [(year)

Debates, vol volume number at pinpoint [(date of
debate), <https://assembly.coe.int> (accessed date)]
[(speaker’s full name, speaker’s position)]
Abbreviate Parliamentary Assembly to “PA” and Consultative Assembly to

“CA”. Optionally, give a citation to the Council of Europe Parliamentary
Assembly website at https://assembly.coe.int.
2–7.5.2 Other Parliamentary Documents

Cite other publications of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly to
Texts Adopted by the Assembly, Orders of the Day and Minutes of
Proceedings, Documents: Working Papers or Information Bulletin on Legal
Affairs as follows:
Texts Adopted by the Assembly

Council of Europe, PA/CA, sessionth Sess, partth Pt, [Title of
Text Adopted] (year) Texts Adopted, Rec
recommendation number at pinpoint [, Rec/Res/Op/Ord
recommendation/resolution/opinion/ order number
(date) <https://assembly.coe.int> (accessed date)]
Orders of the Day and Minutes of Proceedings

Council of Europe, PA/CA, sessionth Sess, partth Pt, [Title of
Order or Minutes] [(year) Orders, sittingth Sitting at
pinpoint [, Ord order number (date)
<https://assembly.coe.int> (accessed date)]
Working Documents and Papers

Council of Europe, PA/CA, sessionth Sess, partth Pt, Title of
Working Paper [(year) Documents, vol volume number,
Doc document number at pinpoint [, Doc document
number (date) <https://assembly.coe.int> (accessed
date)]
Information Bulletin on Legal Affairs

Council of Europe, Council of Europe organ, ‘Title of
Document’ (year) volume number Inf Bull first page
number at pinpoint
Optionally, provide a citation to the Parliamentary Assembly’s website at

https://assembly.coe.int.
2–7.6 Citation of WTO and GATT Materials
2–7.6.1 Panel Decisions, Rulings and Recommendations

If World Trade Organisation (WTO) and General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade (GATT) panel decisions, rulings and recommendations are published
in Basic Instruments and Selected Documents (BISD), cite to this work as
follows:
[WTO/GATT organ], Title of Panel Decision, Ruling or

Recommendation, WTO/GATT [CP] Dec/Rec
decision/recommendation number of date, sessionth
Sess [(year) BISD (supplementth Supp) first page
number at pinpoint [, parallel citation] or (document
date) <https://docs.wto.org> (accessed date)]
Abbreviate Contracting Parties to “CP”, Decision to “Dec” and

Recommendation to “Rec”. Optionally, provide a parallel citation or citation
to the WTO Documents Online website at https://docs.wto.org.
2–7.6.2 Reports and Minutes of Meetings

Cite reports and minutes of meetings that are assigned WTO or GATT
document numbers as follows:
WTO/GATT, WTO/GATT organ, Title of Report, WTO/GATT

Doc document number [(year) BISD (supplementth
Supp) first page number at pinpoint [, (date)
<https://docs.wto.org> (accessed date)]
WTO, WTO organ, Minutes of Meeting, WTO Doc document

number (held on meeting date), <https://docs.wto.org>
(accessed date)
Cite reports that are printed independently without WTO or GATT

document numbers as books: see  paragraph 2–4.
APPENDIX 1A
EXAMPLES FOR PART 1: GENERAL RULES
1–2 FORMATTING RULES ..................................................................................................................... 71

1–2.5 NUMBERING LEVELS ................................................................................................................................ 71
1–2.5.2 Punctuation of Items in a Numbered List ................................................................................. 71
1–2.6 QUOTATIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 71
1–2.6.1 Quotations within a Sentence .................................................................................................. 71
1–2.6.2 Quotations in a Separate Block ................................................................................................ 72
1–2.6.3 Emphasis in Quotations ........................................................................................................... 73
1–2.6.4 Changes to Quotations............................................................................................................. 77
1–2.6.5 Errors in Quotations ................................................................................................................. 77
1–3 RULES OF EXPRESSION .................................................................................................................. 78
1–3.2 ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................................................................... 78
1–3.2.1 Words and Phrases That May be Abbreviated After the First Occurrence ............................... 78
1–3.2.2 Words and Phrases That May Always be Abbreviated ............................................................ 81
1–3.3 DATE AND TIME ..................................................................................................................................... 87
1–3.5 PUNCTUATION ....................................................................................................................................... 87
1–3.5.1 The Comma .............................................................................................................................. 87
1–3.5.1.1 The Listing Comma .............................................................................................................................. 87
1–3.5.1.2 The Joining Comma ............................................................................................................................. 88
1–3.5.1.3 The Gapping Comma........................................................................................................................... 88
1–3.5.1.4 Bracketing Commas ............................................................................................................................ 89
1–3.5.2 The Colon.................................................................................................................................. 89
1–3.5.3 The Semicolon .......................................................................................................................... 90
1–3.5.4 The Apostrophe ........................................................................................................................ 91
1–3.5.5 The Hyphen .............................................................................................................................. 91
1–3.5.5.1 The Hyphen: Compound Modifiers ..................................................................................................... 91
1–3.5.5.2 The Hyphen: Compound Words with Prefixes .................................................................................... 92
1–3.5.5.3 The Hyphen: Compound Words That Should be Hyphenated ............................................................ 92
1–3.5.5.4 The Hyphen: Compound Words That Should Not be Hyphenated ..................................................... 93
1–3.5.6 The Dash................................................................................................................................... 94
1–3.5.6.1 The Dash: Indicating a Strong Interruption ......................................................................................... 94
1–3.5.6.2 The Dash: Indicating a Range of Numbers, etc ................................................................................... 94
1–3.5.6.3 The Dash: The Em-Dash ...................................................................................................................... 94
1–3.5.7 Parentheses and Brackets ........................................................................................................ 95
1–3.5.7.1 Parentheses: Indicating Interruptions................................................................................................. 95
1–3.6 FOREIGN WORDS AND PHRASES ................................................................................................................ 96
Appendix 1A: Examples for General Rules … 71
1–2 FORMATTING RULES
1–2.5 Numbering Levels
1–2.5.2 Punctuation of Items in a Numbered List

• If the items in the list are incomplete sentences, each item should begin
with a lowercase letter and end with a semicolon. The second-last item
in the list should end with a semicolon followed by a conjunction, such
as and or or.
Example
The following items were found in the accused’s bag:

(a) a lipstick;
(b) chequebooks from the following banks:
(i) POSB;
(ii) Citibank; and
(iii) Standard Chartered Bank;
(c) a bunch of keys; and
(d) a penknife.
• If the items in the list are complete sentences or consist of more than one
sentence, each item should begin with an uppercase letter and end with
a full stop or a question mark, as the case may be.
Example
In order to succeed in establishing that the defendant acted

negligently, the plaintiff must prove the following:
(a) A duty of care was owed by the defendant to her. The existence
of a duty of care depends in part on whether it is just and
reasonable to impose a duty in the circumstances.
(b) The defendant breached the duty in that he did not achieve the
standard of care required of him.
(c) The breach of duty caused damage to the plaintiff. Among
other things, the damage must not be too remote.
1–2.6 Quotations
1–2.6.1 Quotations within a Sentence

Examples
Section 2(m) of the Schedule includes “any lecture, talk, address, debate
or discussion” as an activity that would be a public entertainment.
In addition, s 2 also states that these activities must be done “in any place
to which the public or any class of the public has access whether
gratuitously or otherwise”. [Full stop after the closing quotation mark as
the quotation is not a complete sentence.]
When asked what was in the bag, the defendant told the narcotics officer,
“I am carrying Chinese medicine.” [Full stop within the quotation marks
as a complete sentence is quoted; no additional full stop required after the
closing quotation mark.]
In relation to the interpretation of “a likelihood of confusion on the part of

the public”, Phang J held at [97] of Nation Fittings that “[t]he case law
appears to suggest that the ‘average consumer’ need not, depending on the
specific facts, necessarily mean the general public”.
1–2.6.2 Quotations in a Separate Block

Example
The court stated:

77 If the defendant knew that the statement was
untrue when he or she made it, it is almost invariably
conclusive evidence of malice. That is because a defendant
who knowingly publishes false and defamatory material
almost certainly has some improper motive for doing so,
despite the inability of the plaintiff to identify the motive.
…
…
98 … A deliberate defamatory falsehood ‘could not
have been for a purpose warranted by any privilege; and
hence it is unnecessary to determine what the exact
purpose was in order to ascertain whether the privilege
has been lost for the particular defamatory statement
which has been proved to be wilfully false’. …
1–2.6.3 Emphasis in Quotations
Added emphasis: first-level emphasis
Example A: Where the quotation is in-line in the judgment text (note

where the full-stops are placed)
The pertinent clause in question states: “Failing such amicable

settlement … controversies and conflicts arising out of … this
Agreement … shall be settled by arbitration by a three (3)
member arbitration board …” [emphasis added]. I shall
consider these words in greater details below.
OR
The pertinent clause in question states: “All parties agree to

subject any dispute arising out of this agreement to arbitration
in Singapore.” [emphasis added]. I shall consider these words
in greater details below.
Example B: Where the quotation is set out in a separate “quotation

block”
The clause in issue was:
(a) …
(b) Failing such amicable settlement, any and all
disputes, controversies and conflicts arising out of or in
connection with this Agreement or its performance
(including the validity of this Agreement) shall be
settled by arbitration by a three (3) member arbitration
board which will hold its sessions in Singapore in
English under the SIAC (Singapore International
Arbitration Centre) Rules. The tribunal of three (3)
arbitrators shall be appointed by each party with the
third member appointed by the Chairman of the SIAC.
[emphasis added]
Added emphasis: second-level emphasis
Example
The pertinent clause in question states:
Failing such amicable settlement, any and all

disputes, controversies and conflicts arising out of or
in connection with this Agreement or its performance
(including the validity of this Agreement) shall be

settled by arbitration by a three (3) member
arbitration board which will hold its sessions in
Singapore in English under the SIAC (Singapore
International Arbitration Centre) Rules. The tribunal
of three (3) arbitrators shall be appointed by each
party with the third member appointed by the
Chairman of the SIAC. [emphasis added in italics and
bold italics]
Original emphasis mixed with added emphasis
Example
Redfern and Hunter at para 1–36, concisely sums up the tension

between the efficient disposal of seemingly indefensible claims and
the rigorous and scrupulous enforcement of agreements to arbitrate:
The problem arises when one party has what it

regards as an ‘open and shut’ case, to which there is
no real defence. For example, a party who is faced
with an unpaid cheque or bill of exchange may take
the view that there cannot be any genuine dispute
about liability and that, if legal action has to be taken
to collect the money which is due, he or she should
be entitled to go to court and ask for summary
judgment. …
The expedient adopted in certain countries, including
England, when legislating for the enactment of the
New York Convention was to add words that were not
in that Convention, so as to allow the court to deal
with the case if the judge was satisfied ‘that there is
not in fact any dispute between the parties with
regard to the matter agreed to be referred’. Thus it was
possible to avoid a reference to arbitration and to
obtain summary judgment if the court was satisfied
that there was no arguable defence. English law
has now followed the strict wording of the New
York Convention. It can no longer be argued in
England that there is not a genuine dispute, so
that the matter should not be referred to
arbitration; but such an argument may still
remain sustainable in other countries.
[emphasis in original in italics; emphasis added in
bold italics]
Original emphasis only
Example A: Where the quotation is in-line in the judgment text:
As the court in Narindar Singh Kang elucidated at [41] of its

judgment, the further question to be asked once the Court is
satisfied that an applicant is fully rehabilitated, is whether the
“restoration of the applicant concerned [would] diminish
public confidence in the general reputation and standing of
the legal profession? A negative answer to this question is, in
our view, necessary before the applicant can be restored to the
roll.” [emphasis in original] (see [19] above).
Example B: Where the quotation is in “quotation block”
format):
This is a view that has supporters. As part of their review of

the ETA, on 25 June 2004, the Infocomm Development
Authority of Singapore and the Attorney-General’s Chambers
released a public consultation paper dealing with the
exclusions under s 4 of the ETA. Paragraphs 2.1.3 and 2.1.5
of the consultation paper state:
2.1.3 The effect of section 4 is that, in such excluded
transactions, one cannot rely on the provisions in the
ETA that enable electronic records and signatures to
satisfy legal requirements for writing and signature.
For example, sections 6 and 7 of the Civil Law Act
impose legal requirements for writing and signature
in the case of certain land transactions and for trusts
respectively.
…
2.1.5 Even where legal form requirements apply,
exclusion under section 4 of the ETA may not
necessarily prevent such transactions from being
done electronically. Electronic records or
signatures could still possibly satisfy the legal
requirements without reliance on the provisions
of the ETA. It would be a matter for legal
interpretation whether an electronic form satisfies a
particular legal requirement for writing or signature.
Some legislative provisions, by reason of their detailed
specifications, would clearly exclude the use of
electronic means even if the ETA were applicable. ...
[emphasis in original]
Omitting original emphasis and adding own emphasis
Example:
This is a view that has supporters. As part of their review of the ETA,
on 25 June 2004, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
and the Attorney-General’s Chambers released a public consultation
paper dealing with the exclusions under s 4 of the ETA. Paragraphs
2.1.3 and 2.1.5 of the consultation paper state:
2.1.3 The effect of section 4 is that, in such excluded
transactions, one cannot rely on the provisions in the
ETA that enable electronic records and signatures to
satisfy legal requirements for writing and signature.
For example, sections 6 and 7 of the Civil Law Act
impose legal requirements for writing and signature
in the case of certain land transactions and for trusts
respectively.
…
2.1.5 Even where legal form requirements apply,
exclusion under section 4 of the ETA may not
necessarily prevent such transactions from being done
electronically. Electronic records or signatures could
still possibly satisfy the legal requirements without
reliance on the provisions of the ETA. It would be a
matter for legal interpretation whether an electronic
form satisfies a particular legal requirement for writing
or signature. Some legislative provisions, by reason of
their detailed specifications, would clearly exclude the
use of electronic means even if the ETA were
applicable. ...
[emphasis in original omitted; emphasis added in
italics]
Retaining emphasis previously added to second-level quotation and

adding own emphasis
Example:
As also articulated by this court in Low Cze Hong v Singapore

Medical Council [2008] 3 SLR(R) 612 (“Low Cze Hong”) at [36]:
… The importance of maintaining the highest level of
professionalism and ethical conduct has been duly
acknowledged by the [Singapore Medical Council] in
the Introduction section of the [Singapore Medical
Council] Ethical Code (at p 1):
The medical profession has always been held
in the highest esteem by the public, who look
to their doctors for the relief of suffering and
ailments. In modern medical
practice, patients and society at large
expect doctors to be responsible both to
individual patients’ needs as well as to the
needs of the larger community. Much trust
is therefore endowed upon doctors to do
their best by both. This trust is contingent on
the profession maintaining the highest

standards of professional practice and conduct.
…
[High Court’s emphasis in Low Cze Hong in italics;
emphasis added in bold italics]
1–2.6.4 Changes to Quotations

Example
The contract specified that “property in the goods shall not pass to the
Buyer [ie, the plaintiff] until payment in full has been received by the
Vendor [ie, the defendant]”.
The witness explained that: “The point about the influence, which [Tan]
had exercised over me at the time being undue, is that I had no say in
the running of the company and never had.”
He clearly “intend[ed] to take dishonestly” the cheque out of the

plaintiff’s possession.
It was argued that “[t]his was a … monumental failure on the defendant’s

part”.
The Judge made the following observation: “The manner of the attack was
vicious and very destructive. … [T]here can have been no excuse.”
1–2.6.5 Errors in Quotations

Example
He cannot have had [sic] been unaware of the presence of the clause.
He cannot have … been unaware of the presence of the clause.
The trial judge took the view that the case was governed by the principle
in Rylance [sic] v Fletcher.
The trial judge took the view that the case was governed by the principle
in [Rylands] v Fletcher.
1–3 RULES OF EXPRESSION
1–3.2 Abbreviations
Example
“Airedale N.H.S. Trust v Bland; Buona Maritima S.A. v Karl Schuhfabrik G.m.b.H.”
should be edited as “Airedale NHS Trust v Bland; Buona Maritima SA v Karl
Schuhfabrik GmbH”
But
“Coco v A. N. Clark (Engineers) Ltd” should be edited as “Coco v A N Clark

(Engineers) Ltd” (non-breaking spaces between A and N, and between N and
Clark).
1–3.2.1 Words and Phrases That May be Abbreviated After the First
Occurrence
Honorifics and forms of address commonly used in relation to judicial
proceedings
Word or Phrase to be Spelt in Full Abbreviation

on First Occurrence
The Honourable the Chief Justice The Chief Justice or
Sundaresh Menon or Sundaresh Menon CJ
Menon CJ
The Honourable the Acting Chief Justice The Acting Chief Justice
Tan Ah Tah or Tan Ah Tah Ag CJ or Tan Ag CJ
The Honourable Justice of the Court of Phang JCA
Appeal Andrew Phang Boon Leong or
Andrew Phang Boon Leong JCA
The Honourable Justices of the Court of Prakash JCA and Tay JCA
Appeal Judith Prakash and Tay Yong
Kwang or Judith Prakash JCA and Tay
Yong Kwang JCA
The Honourable Judge of the Appellate Ang JAD
Division Belinda Ang Saw Ean or
Belinda Ang Saw Ean JAD
The Honourable Judges of the Appellate Woo JAD and Loh JAD
Division Woo Bih Li and Quentin Loh
or Woo Bih Li JAD and Quentin
Loh JAD
The Honourable Judge of the High Court Chua J
Chua Lee Ming or Chua Lee Ming J

on First Occurrence
The Honourable Judges of the High Court Pang J and Lim J
Pang Khang Chau and Audrey Lim or
Pang Khang Chau J and Audrey Lim J
The Honourable Senior Judge Andrew Ang Ang SJ
or Andrew Ang SJ
The Honourable International Judge Roger Giles IJ
Giles or Roger Giles IJ
The Honourable Judicial Commissioner Maniam JC
Andre Maniam or Andre Maniam JC
Presiding Judge Vincent Hoong Presiding Judge Vincent
Hoong
Deputy Presiding Judge Jennifer Marie Dy Presiding Judge
Jennifer Marie
Registrar Christopher Tan Pheng Wee Registrar Christopher Tan
Pheng Wee
Senior District Judge Bala Reddy SDJ Reddy
Principal District Judge Toh Han Li PDJ Toh
District Judge Ng Peng Hong DJ Ng
Deputy Registrar DR
Senior Assistant Registrar SAR
Assistant Registrar AR
Senior Deputy Registrar SDR
Attorney-General AG
Solicitor-General SG
Public Prosecutor PP
Deputy Public Prosecutor DPP
Assistant Public Prosecutor APP
Senior State Counsel Snr State Counsel
(do not abbreviate State
Counsel or Principal
Senior State Counsel)
Investigating Officer IO
Narcotics Officer NO
Mademoiselle Mlle
Ranks of personnel in the Singapore Police Force and the Singapore Armed
Forces

on First Occurrence
Ranks in the Police Force
Commissioner Commr
Deputy Commissioner Dy Commr
Senior Assistant Commissioner Snr Asst Commr
Assistant Commissioner Asst Commr
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dy Asst Commr
Superintendent Supt
Deputy Superintendent DSP
Assistant Superintendent ASP
Inspector Insp
Senior Station Inspector SSI
Station Inspector SI
Senior Staff Sergeant SSSgt
Staff Sergeant SSgt
Sergeant Sgt
Corporal Cpl
Constable PC
Ranks in the Singapore Army and Republic of Singapore Air Force

Lieutenant-General Lt-Gen
Major-General Maj-Gen
Brigadier-General Brig-Gen
Colonel Col
Lieutenant-Colonel Ltc
Major Maj
Captain Capt
Lieutenant Lta
Second Lieutenant 2Lta
Senior Warrant Officer SWO
Master Warrant Officer MWO
First Warrant Officer WO1
Second Warrant Officer WO2
Master Sergeant MSgt
Staff Sergeant SSgt
First Sergeant 1Sgt

on First Occurrence
Second Sergeant 2Sgt
Third Sergeant 3Sgt
Corporal Cpl
Lance Corporal Lcp
Private Pte
Recruit Rec
Ranks in the Republic of Singapore Navy

Vice-Admiral Vice-Adm
Rear Admiral (2-star and 1-star) RAdm
Colonel Col
Lieutenant-Colonel Ltc
Major Maj
Captain Capt
Lieutenant Lta
Second Lieutenant 2Lta
Midshipman Mids
Senior Warrant Officer SWO
Master Warrant Officer MWO
First Warrant Officer WO1
Second Warrant Officer WO2
Master Sergeant MSgt
Staff Sergeant SSgt
First Sergeant 1Sgt
Second Sergeant 2Sgt
Third Sergeant 3Sgt
Corporal Cpl
Lance Corporal Lcp
Private First Class Pfc
1–3.2.2 Words and Phrases That May Always be Abbreviated

Parts of company/corporation names that may always be abbreviated
ABC AG Austrian, German and Swiss entities. Abbreviate
“Aktiengesellschaft” (public limited company)
to “AG”.

ABC AS Norwegian and Turkish entities. Abbreviate
“Aksje Selskap” (Norwegian: limited company)
and “Anonim Sirketi” (Turkish: joint stock
company) to “AS”.
ABC A/S Danish and Latvian entities. Abbreviate
“Aktieselskab/Akcijas Sabiedriba” (joint stock
company) to “A/S”.
ABC BV Dutch entities. Abbreviate “Besloten
Vennootschap” (private limited company) to
“BV”.
ABC Co Pte Ltd Usually Singapore entities. Abbreviate as
follows:
• “Company” – “Co”.
• “Private” – “Pte”.
• “Limited” – “Ltd”.
ABC Corp Abbreviate “Corporation” to “Corp”.
ABC GmbH Austrian, German and Swiss entities.
or Abbreviate “Gesellschaft mit beschränkter

Haftung” (private limited company) to “GmbH”.
ABC
Schiffahrtsgesellschaft If Gesellschaft forms part of the company name,
mbH abbreviate only “mit beschränkter Haftung” to
“mbH”.
ABC Inc United States entities. Abbreviate “Incorporated”
to “Inc”.
ABC LLC United States entities. Abbreviate “Limited
Liability Corporation” to “LLC”.
ABC LLP United States entities. Abbreviate “Limited
Liability Partnership” to “LLP”.
ABC NV Dutch entities. Abbreviate “Naamloze
Vennootschap” (limited liability company) to
“NV”.
ABC plc United Kingdom entities. Abbreviate “public
limited company” to “plc”.
PT ABC Indonesian entities. Abbreviate “Perseroan
Terbatas” or “Perusahaan Terbatas” to “PT”.
ABC Pty Ltd Australian entities. Abbreviate “Proprietary” to
“Pty”.
ABC SA Belgian, French, Luxemborg, Portuguese and
Spanish entities. Abbreviate “Société
Anonyme/Sociedade Anónima/Sociedad
Anónima” to “SA”.

ABC Sarl French or Portuguese entities. Abbreviate
“Société anonyme à responsabilité limitée”
(French) or “Sociedade Anónima de
Responsabilidade Limitada” (Portuguese)
(private limited liability company) to “Sarl”.
ABC Sdn Bhd Malaysian or Singapore entities. Abbreviate as
follows:
• “Sendirian” (Malay for “Private”) – “Sdn”.
• “Berhad” (Malay for “Limited”) – “Bhd”.
ABC SpA Italian entities. Abbreviate “Società per Azioni”
(public limited company) to “SpA”.
Forms of address that may always be abbreviated

Mister (correctly Master) Mr
Missus (correctly Mistress) Mrs – “Ms” may be used instead
Madam Mdm – “Ms” may be used instead
Messrs (correctly Messieurs) M/s
Doctor Dr
Professor Prof
Associate Professor Assoc Prof
Assistant Professor Asst Prof
Queen’s Counsel QC – only after counsel’s name
Senior Counsel SC – only after counsel’s name
Baron B
Lord Chancellor LC
Lord Justice(s) LJ(J)
Lord President LP
Master of the Rolls MR
Vice Chancellor VC
Units of measurement that may always be abbreviated

Units of Measurement: Length
millimetre(s) mm
centimetre(s) cm
metre(s) m
kilometre(s) km
inch(es) – where used in combination with in (eg, “5ft 11in”)
“ft” to express precise lengths BUT: when used to
express mere inches, do

NOT abbreviate (eg,
“11 inches”).
foot/feet ft
Units of Measurement: Area
square millimetre(s) mm2
square centimetre(s) cm2
square metre(s) m2
square kilometre(s) km2
hectare(s) ha
square feet sq ft – type a non-breaking
space between the numeral
and “sq” and between “sq”
and “ft”, eg, “4 sq ft”.
BUT: “per square foot”

should be spelt out in full,
eg, “$3 per square foot”
Units of Measurement: Volume
cubic centimetre(s) cm3
cubic metre(s) m3
millilitre(s) ml
litre(s) l – italicise the “l” so that
it is not mistaken for a
“one” (“1”)
Units of Measurement: Weight
microgram(s) µg (often seen in
breathalyser tests)
milligram(s) mg (often seen in blood
alcohol level tests)
gram(s) g
kilogram(s) kg
metric tonne(s) mt
ounce(s) oz
pound(s) lb – italicise so that the “l”
is not mistaken for a “one”
(“1”)
Units of Measurement: Time
hour(s), minutes(s), second(s) – where used hr, min, sec (without any
in some combination to indicate precise plural “s”), eg, “1hr
timing 7min”, “7min 30sec”

hour(s), minutes(s), second(s) – where used hour(s), minutes(s),
on its own seconds(s), eg, “one hour”,
“seven minutes”,
“30 seconds”
Units of Measurement: Speed
kilometres per hour km/h
miles per hour mph
Units of Measurement: Temperature
degrees Celsius °C
degrees Fahrenheit °F
Units of Measurement: Others
revolutions per minute Rpm
degrees degrees (unless the
references appear in
sufficient
number/concentration that
it would be more
conducive for readability
to use the symbol °)
Currencies that may always be abbreviated

Singapore dollar $
(or, if necessary for
clarity, S$)
Australian dollar A$
Deutsch mark (Germany) DM
Euro (European Monetary Union) €
New Zealand dollar NZ$
Pound sterling (United Kingdom) £
Renminbi (People’s Republic of China) RMB
Ringgit Malaysia RM
United States dollar US$
Yen (Japan) ¥
Citation words/phrases that may always be abbreviated

article(s) (of articles of association, Art(s)
constitutions, contracts, model laws
and treaties)

chapter (of legislation) Cap
chapter(s) (of a book) ch(s)
clause(s) cl(l)
compiler(s) comp(s)
confer (Latin: “compare”) cf
Division(s) (of legislation) Div(s)
editor(s), general editor(s) ed(s), gen ed(s)
edition (of a book or of legislation) Ed
et alii or et alia et al
(Latin: “and other persons”)
et cetera (Latin: “and others”) etc
et sequentes et seq
(Latin: “and those that follow”)
exempli gratia (Latin: “for example”) eg
exhibit(s) Exh(s)
figure(s) fig(s)
(and the pages) following ff
ibidem (Latin: “in the same place”) ibid
id est (Latin: “that is”) ie
idem (Latin: “the same”) id
illustration(s) illus
note(s) (references to footnotes within an n(n)
article)
Notification Number (subsidiary N
legislation)
number(s) (in legislation citations or suit or No(s)
application numbers)
order(s) (eg of the Rules of Court) O – for “orders”, use,
eg, “O 3 and O 4”
Order Number (subsidiary legislation) O
paragraph(s) and sub-paragraph(s) (of para(s), sub-para(s) –
court documents, letters, legal texts, do not use the ¶ symbol.
etc) For references to
paragraphs
of case reports and
judgments, use brackets:
see  paragraph 2–1.1.6.
Part(s) (of legislation) Pt(s)
regulation(s) reg(s)

Regulation Number (subsidiary legislation) Rg
Revised Edition (of a book or of Rev Ed
legislation)
rule(s) r(r)
Rule Number (subsidiary legislation) R
Schedule(s) (of foreign legislation) sch or Sch (see 
paragraph 2–2.2 and
(In respect of Singapore legislation, the relevant sub-paragraphs
word “schedule” should be spelt out in for the various foreign
full) jurisdictions)
section(s) and subsection(s) s(s), sub-s(s) –

do not use the § symbol
except when referring to
US legislation: see 
paragraph 2–2.2.5
translator(s) trans
versus (Latin: “against”) v
videlicet (Latin: “namely”) viz
Other words and phrases that may always be abbreviated

cargo, insurance and freight CIF
free on board FOB
1–3.3 Date and Time
Examples
The notice to quit was given on Thursday, 26 September 2002. [Note the comma
between the day of the week and the day of the month.]
On Tuesday, 11 November 2003, the lessor exercised his right of re-entry into the
premises. [Note the second comma after the year of the date which is often
incorrectly omitted.]
1–3.5 Punctuation
1–3.5.1 The Comma

1–3.5.1.1 The Listing Comma
Examples
The defamatory statement was published in The Straits Times,

The Business Times, Berita Harian and Lianhe Zaobao.
[Note that the commas should not be italicised.]
The plaintiff, the defendant, and their lawyers were in the

midst of an attempt to settle the matter. [A comma is
needed after the word defendant to make it clear that the
phrase their lawyers refers to the lawyers of both the
plaintiff and the defendant, and not just those of the
defendant.]
1–3.5.1.2 The Joining Comma

Examples
Norway has applied to join the EC, and Sweden is expected to

do the same.
Millions of dollars were pumped into the project, yet there was
apparently nothing to show for this colossal expenditure.
1–3.5.1.3 The Gapping Comma

Examples
In Singapore there are 18 such schools; in Malaysia, 20; and

in China, three. [The commas take the place of the words
there are… such schools.]
Margaret was known for her leadership qualities, Zulkifli, for

his administrative skills, and Jeswindar, for her marketing
ability. [The commas after Zulkifli and Jeswindar take the
place of the words was known for his/her.]
Margaret was known for her leadership qualities, Zulkifli for

his administrative skills, and Jeswindar for her marketing
ability. [Gapping commas may be omitted if the meaning
of the sentence is clear without them.]
1–3.5.1.4 Bracketing Commas

Examples
These findings, I would suggest, cast doubt upon his evidence.
The defendant, of course, immediately gave notice to

terminate the contract.
He looked around and, seeing no one nearby, slipped the

cufflinks into his jacket pocket.
The plaintiff was a determined, even ruthless, businessman.
Because of problems with the test, all the people who were told
that they were HIV-negative had to be recalled. [No
bracketing commas used around the clause “who were
told that they were HIV-negative”, as without this clause
it would not be evident which people were being referred
to.]
The case of Ong Ah Chuan v PP has provided an interpretation

of the expression “save in accordance with law” in Article
9(1) of the Constitution which is now generally accepted.
[No bracketing commas used with the phrase “which is
now generally accepted”.]
Unlike most nations, Britain has no written constitution. [The

weak interruption “unlike most nations” appears at the
beginning of the sentence, so the first comma is omitted.]
The incident occurred along Penang Lane, which was usually

deserted at that time of night. [The weak interruption
appears at the end of the sentence, so the second comma is
omitted.]
1–3.5.2 The Colon

Examples
Although her testimony was not always clear, she was sure of one thing:
she did not intend to enter into a contract with him. [Identifies the one
thing she was sure of.]
There were several potential candidates for the position: Tan Lay Geok,
Ravinder Singh and Peter Wong. [Identifies the potential candidates.]
The rule may be stated thus: An appellate court will be slow to overturn
findings of fact of the trial judge, especially when an assessment of
credibility and veracity of witnesses is made.
The question was: Why did the plaintiff not report the matter to the
authorities?
A colon may also be used after a word, phrase or sentence in the middle of
a text which introduces a list or series.
Example
In order to succeed in establishing that the defendant acted negligently,

the plaintiff must prove that:
(a) a duty of care was owed by the defendant to her;
(b) the defendant breached the duty in that he did not achieve the
standard of care required of him; and
(c) the breach of duty caused damage to the plaintiff.
A colon may be used to introduce a quotation. Alternatively, either use a

comma or do not use any punctuation mark.
Examples
The accused stood up in court and shouted: “I am not guilty!”
The accused stood up in court and shouted, “I am not guilty!”
The accused stood up in court and shouted “I am not guilty!”
1–3.5.3 The Semicolon

Examples
The report was published in November 2002; a supplement followed in

January 2003.
It was believed that the existence of the will was known only to the
deceased’s widow; however, it is now evident that this is not the case.
The people present were the surgeon, Dr Sunita Prakash; the attending
nurse, Mr Tan Khaw Bee; and the defendant. [If only commas were
used, it would not be clear how many people were present.]
1–3.5.4 The Apostrophe

Examples
The general rule

the accused’s girlfriend
children’s rights
a week’s notice
the bus’s arrival
St James’s Park
Thomas’s job
Exception (a)
the appellants’ costs
the two Malaysians’ passports
two months’ imprisonment
Exception (b)
Reuters’ journalists.
Socrates’ philosophy
the United States’ next move
1–3.5.5 The Hyphen

1–3.5.5.1 The Hyphen: Compound Modifiers
Examples
The husband and wife were married two and a half years ago
and they have a four-year-old son.
A far-ranging investigation was launched by the police.
It was a long-standing practice for the company accounts to be

internally audited.
It is evident that a rough-and-ready approach was taken on a

day-to-day basis.
The winding-up petition was filed in time, and the liquidator

has since completed the winding up of the company.
1–3.5.5.2 The Hyphen: Compound Words with Prefixes

Examples
anti-aircraft (not antiaircraft) but antisocial

counter-argument (not counterargument) but counterclaim
non-negotiable (not nonnegotiable) but nonentity, nonverbal
pre-empt (not preempt) but prejudge, prerequisite
re-examine (not reexamine) but repaint
1–3.5.5.3 The Hyphen: Compound Words That Should be

Hyphenated
Compound words that should be hyphenated in Singapore
Academy of Law publications
co-operate, co-operation, co-operative
(but non-cooperation, as “non-co-operation” looks
awkward – avoid this compound word as far as possible)
co-respondent
coffee-house
day-to-day (adj)
court-martial
cross-examination
e-mail
evidence-in-chief
examination-in-chief
father-in-law, mother-in-law, etc
getting-up (for a case)
lock-up (noun)
month-to-month tenancy (adj)
officer-in-charge
re-examination
set-off (noun)
time-barred (adjective)
sub-agent
sub-manager
sub-rule – short form is sub-r(r)
sub-trial
winding-up (of a company) (adj)
1–3.5.5.4 The Hyphen: Compound Words That Should Not be

Hyphenated
Compound words that should not be hyphenated in
Singapore Academy of Law publications
backdate (verb)
bypass, bystander, byword (but by-election, by-product, by-
law)
car park
case law
charterparty
coastguard
coffee shop
common sense (but a common-sense answer, or
commonsensical)
counterclaim
creditworthy, creditworthiness
down payment
ill effects, ill health, ill will
judge in chambers
misstatement
motor car
motorcycle
next of kin
ongoing
online
prerequisite, precondition
rehearing
registrar in chambers, summons in chambers
set off (verbal phrase)
ship repairer
shophouse
subcharter, subcharterer,
subcharterparty
subcontract, subcontractor
subcommittee
subject matter
sublease, sublet, sublessee
sublicence
Compound words that should not be hyphenated in

Singapore Academy of Law publications
subsection
subtenant, subtenancy
takeover (noun)
tenants in common
time bar (noun)
webpage, website
wind up, winding up (of a company) (noun)
well founded, well known (but a well-founded argument, a
well-known actor)
workplace, workflow, workforce, workday
worldwide
1–3.5.6 The Dash

1–3.5.6.1 The Dash: Indicating a Strong Interruption
Examples
Is it possible – or, more precisely, probable – that the injury

could have been caused by a fall from a height?
The witness conceded that the plan was bold and unusual –
bold and unusual in the sense that it would require more
money than he had. [Only first dash required as the strong
interruption occurs at the end of the sentence.]
1–3.5.6.2 The Dash: Indicating a Range of Numbers, etc

Examples
She was an undergraduate at the Nanyang Technological

University 1993–1996.
The supermarket was open 10.00am–9.00pm.
The sample contained at least 14.5–15.5g of morphine.
His alibi was that he was on a Kuala Lumpur–Singapore flight

when the incident occurred.
1–3.5.6.3 The Dash: The Em-Dash

In quotations of pieces of legislation to separate section numbers
from subsection numbers or to introduce a list of subsections.
Examples
72.—(1) The Council shall make rules —

(a) as to opening and keeping by solicitors of accounts at
banks for clients’ money;
…
To indicate missing letters in a word.

Examples
On bursting into the room, he began swearing “F— you, you

b—.”
As best as I can discern, the signature at the end of the will,

which was largely illegible, was “Tan T— Sh—”.
1–3.5.7 Parentheses and Brackets

1–3.5.7.1 Parentheses: Indicating Interruptions
Examples
On the (rare) occasion when an English case before 1700 is

cited, it is best to provide a parallel citation to the English
Reports.
The defendant was not (as the shareholders mistakenly

believed) a director of the company.
The witness’s evidence – which had already been interrupted

repeatedly by the accused’s interjections (the last of which
involved the use of obscenities) – was incomprehensible,
to say the least. [Parentheses and dashes used in
combination.]
It appears that 33% of girls aged 16–18 smoke regularly, but

that only 28% of boys in this age bracket do so. (These
figures are provided by a survey published in The Straits
Times on 21 January 1999.) [Complete sentence in
parentheses. Note that the full stop appears before the
closing parenthesis.]
The legal maxim ex turpi causa non oritur actio (a right of

action does not arise out of a base cause) applies in this
case. [The interruption in parentheses provides a brief
explanation of a term that may be unfamiliar.]
1–3.6 Foreign Words and Phrases
Foreign words and phrases to be italicised

Foreign Word or Phrase English Meaning / Remarks
a fortiori (Latin) by even greater force of logic, even more so
a posteriori (Latin: “from what comes after”) inductively, from
the particular to the general, from known effects to
their inferred causes
a priori (Latin: “from what is before”) deductively, from the
general to the particular
ab initio (Latin) from the beginning
actus reus (Latin: “guilty act”) wrongful deed that comprises
the physical components of a crime and that
generally must be coupled with mens rea to
establish criminal liability
ad hoc (Latin: “for this”) arranged or formed for this
purpose
ad idem (Latin) to the same point or matter, of the same
mind
ad infinitum (Latin: “without limit”) to an indefinite extent
ad valorem (Latin: “according to value”) (of a tax) proportional
to the value of the thing taxed
administration cum (Latin: “with the will annexed”) administration
testamento annexo granted where the testator’s will does not name any
executor or where the executor named is
incompetent to act, is deceased or refuses to act
administration de bonis non (Latin) administration granted for the purpose of
settling the remainder of an estate not administered
by the previous executor or administrator
administration durante (Latin: “during absence”) administration granted in
absentia the absence of either the executor or the person who
has precedence as administrator
administration durante (Latin) administration granted during the minority
minore aetate of either the executor or the person who has
precedence as administrator
administration pendente lite (Latin) administration granted during the pendency
of a suit concerning a will’s validity
aliter (Latin) otherwise, it would be otherwise
aliunde (Latin) from another source, from elsewhere
allocatur (Latin) it is allowed

amicus curiae; (Latin: “friend of the court”) a person, not being a
plural amici curiae representative of a party to the proceedings,
permitted to argue a point of law or fact before a
court
audi alteram partem (Latin: “hear the other side”) no one should be
condemned unheard or without prior notice of
allegations against him
autrefois acquit (Law French) formerly acquitted
autrefois convict (Law French) formerly convicted
bona fide, bonae fidei (Latin) in good faith
bona fides (Latin) good faith
bona vacantia (Latin: “vacant goods”) property not disposed of by
will and to which no relative is entitled under
intestacy laws; ownerless property
causa causans (Latin) immediate or effective cause
causa sine qua non (Latin) a necessary cause, the cause without which
the thing cannot be or the event could not have
occurred
caveat emptor (Latin) let the buyer beware
caveat venditor (Latin) let the seller beware
cestui que trust; (Law French) one who possesses equitable rights in
plural cestuis que trust property and receives the rents, issues and profits
from it; a beneficiary
ceteris paribus (Latin) other things being equal
certiorari (Law Latin: “to be more fully informed”) formerly
a prerogative writ directed to an inferior court
commanding it to “certify”; now an order on an
application for judicial review to quash a judgment,
order or conviction
compos mentis/ (Latin: “master of one’s mind”) of sound mind/not
non compos mentis of sound mind
confer (cf) (Latin) compare
consensus ad idem (Latin) agreement of parties to the same thing,
meeting of minds
contra (Latin: “against”) (in citations) the cited authority
supports a contrary view
contra proferentem (Latin: “against the offeror”) the doctrine that, in
interpreting documents, ambiguities are to be
construed unfavourably to the drafter
coram (Latin) before, in the presence of

corpus; (Latin: “body”) capital of a fund, as contrasted with
plural corpora the income
cy près (Law French: “as near as”) an equitable doctrine
under which a court interprets a written instrument
with a gift to charity as closely to the donor’s
intention as possible so that the gift does not fail
de bene esse (Latin: “of well being”) as conditionally allowed for
the present, in anticipation of a future need
de facto (Latin: “in point of fact”) having effect though not
formally or legally recognised
de jure (Latin: “as a matter of law”) existing by right or
according to law
de minimis non curat lex (Latin) the law does not concern itself with trifles
de novo (Latin) anew
dictum [see obiter dictum]
donatio inter vivos; (Latin) gift made during the donor’s lifetime and
plural donationes inter delivered with the intention of irrevocably
vivos surrendering control over the property; an absolute
gift
donatio mortis causa; (Latin) gift in contemplation of immediate death
plural donationes mortis
causa
ejusdem generis (Latin: “of the same kind or class”) a canon of
construction that when a general word or phrase
follows a list of specific persons or things, the
general word or phrase will be interpreted to include
only persons or things of the same type as that listed
en banc (Law French: “on the bench”) with all judges
present and participating, in full court
en bloc (French) as a whole, as a unit
en ventre sa mere (Law French: “in the womb of the mother”) (of a
fetus) in the mother’s womb
ergo (Latin) therefore
et alii or et alia (et al) (Latin) and other persons
et cetera (etc) (Latin: “and others”) and other things
et sequentes (et seq) (Latin) and those (pages, sections, etc) that follow
ex abundanti cautela (Latin: “from abundant caution”) out of an excess
of caution, to be on the safe side

ex aequo et bono (Latin) according to what is equitable and good (a
decision-maker authorised to decide ex aequo et
bono, especially in international law, is not bound
by legal rules and may instead follow equitable
principles)
ex debito justitiae (Latin: “from or as a debt of justice”) as a matter of
right, in accordance with the requirements of justice
ex facie (Latin: “from the face”) apparently, evidently
ex gratia (Latin: “by favour”) as a favour, not legally
necessary
ex officio (Latin: “from the office”) by virtue of one’s office
ex parte (Latin: “from the part”) on or from one party only,
usually without notice to or argument from the
adverse party
ex post facto (Latin: “from a thing done afterward”) after the
fact, retroactively
ex propio motu (Latin) of one’s own accord
ex turpi causa non oritur (Latin) from an immoral consideration an action
actio does not arise (a party does not have a right to
enforce performance of an agreement founded on a
consideration that is contrary to the public interest)
exempli gratia (eg) (Latin) for example, for instance
expressio unius est exclusio (Latin) a canon of construction holding that to
alterius express or include one thing implies the exclusion of
the other or of the alternative
forum conveniens (Latin: “a suitable forum”) a court in which an
action is most appropriately brought, considering the
best interests and convenience of the parties and
witnesses
forum non conveniens (Latin: “an unsuitable court”) the doctrine that an
appropriate forum, even though competent under
law, may divest itself of jurisdiction if, for the
convenience of litigants and witnesses, it appears
that the action should proceed in another forum in
which the action might originally have been brought
functus officio (Latin: “having performed one’s office”) (of an
officer or official body) without further authority or
legal competence because the duties and functions
of the original commission have been fully
accomplished

habeas corpus (Latin: “have the body [brought before the judge]”)
writ requiring a prisoner to be brought into court for
a judge to decide if the imprisonment is legal
ibidem (ibid) (Latin) in the same place – used in legal citation to
denote that the reference is to a work cited
immediately before, and that the cited matter
appears on the same page of the same book
id est (ie) (Latin) that is
idem (id) (Latin) the same – used in legal citation to refer to
the authority cited immediately before
ignorantia juris non excusat (Latin: “ignorance of the law is no excuse”) lack of
knowledge about a legal requirement or prohibition
is never an excuse to a criminal charge
in camera (Latin: “in a chamber”) in the courtroom with all
the spectators excluded
in extenso (Latin) in full, unabridged
in futuro (Latin) in the future
in globo (Latin) as an undivided whole rather than separately
in limine (Latin) preliminarily, at the outset
in loco parentis (Latin: “in the place of a parent”) acting
temporarily as the guardian of a child
in pari delicto (Latin: “in equal fault”) equally at fault
in pari materia (Latin” in the same matter”) in an analogous case,
on the same subject, referring to the same matter
in personam (Latin: “against the person”) involving or
determining the personal rights and interests of the
parties
in praesenti (Latin) at present, right now
in re (Latin: “in the matter of”) (of a judicial proceeding)
not formally including adverse parties, but rather
involving something, such as an estate
in rem (Latin: “against a thing”) involving or determining
the status of a thing, and thus the rights of persons
generally with respect to that thing
BUT: When the term appears as the name of a suit,
it is not italicized, and the “R” is capitalised, eg,
“Admiralty in Rem No 729 of 1976”.
in situ (Latin) in place
in specie (Latin: “in kind”) in the same or like form

in terrorem (Latin: “in order to frighten”) by way of threat, as a
warning
infra (Latin) below – used in legal citation to refer to a
later-cited authority in the text
inter alia (Latin) among other things
inter alios (Latin) among other persons
inter partes (Latin: “between the parties”) between two or more
parties, with two or more parties in a transaction
inter se (Latin: “between or among themselves”) between
parties rather than in relation to others
inter vivos (Latin: “between the living”) of or relating to
property not conveyed by will or in contemplation
of an imminent death but during the conveyor’s
lifetime
in toto (Latin: “in whole”) completely, as a whole
intra vires (Latin: “within the powers of”) of or referring to an
action taken within the scope of authority
ipse dixit (Latin: “he himself said it”) something asserted but
not proved
ipsissima verba (Latin: “the very (same) words”) the exact words
used by somebody being quoted
ipso facto (Latin: “by the fact itself”) by the very nature of the
situation
ipso jure (Latin: “by the law itself”) by the operation of the
law itself
jus cogens (Latin: “compelling law”) a mandatory norm of
general international law from which no two or
more nations may exempt themselves or release
each other
jus dispositivum (Latin: “law subject to the disposition of the
parties”) a norm created by the consent of
participating nations, as by an international
agreement, and binding only on nations that agree to
be bound by it
jus gentium (Latin: “law of nations”) international law
jus soli (Latin: “right of the soil”) the rule that a child’s
citizenship is determined by place of birth
kadi (Malay) judge
lex causae (Latin) the applicable law

lex domicilii (Latin: “law of the domicile”) the law of the
country where a person is domiciled
lex fori (Latin: “law of the forum”) the law of the
jurisdiction where the case is pending
lex loci (Latin) the law of the place
lex loci celebrationis (Latin: “law of the place of the ceremony”) the law
of the place where a contract, especially a marriage,
is made
lex loci contractus (Latin: “law of the place of the contract”) the law of
a place where a contract is executed or to be
performed
lex loci delicti or lex loci (Latin: “law of the place of the wrong” or “law of
delicti commissi the place of commission of the wrong”) the law of
the place where a tort was committed
lex loci solutionis (Latin: “law of the place of solution”) the law of the
place where the contract is to be performed
(especially by payment)
lex mercatoria (Latin: “mercantile law”) the law merchant
lex situs (Latin: “law of the location”) the law of the place
where property is located
lex posterior derogat priori (Latin: “a later law derogates from an earlier one”)
the principle that a later statute negates the effect of
a prior one if the later statute expressly repeals or is
obviously repugnant to the earlier statute
lis (Latin) a piece of litigation, a controversy or dispute
lis pendens (Latin) a pending suit
locum tenens (Latin: “holding the place”) a deputy, a substitute, a
representative
locus actus (Latin: “place of the act”) the place where an act is
done, the place of performance
locus contractus (Latin: “place of the contract”) the place where a
contract is made
locus delicti (Latin: “place of the wrong”) the place where an
offence is committed; the place where the last event
necessary to make the actor liable occurs
locus in quo (Latin: “place in which”) the place where
something is alleged to have occurred

locus poenitentiae (Latin: “place of repentance”) the point at which it
is not too late for one to change one’s legal position;
the possibility of withdrawing from a contemplated
course of action, especially a wrong, before being
committed to it
locus standi (Latin: “place of standing”) right to bring an action
or to be heard in a given forum
mala fide (Latin) in bad faith
mala fides (Latin) bad faith
mandamus (Latin: “we command”) writ issued by a superior
court to compel a lower court or government officer
to perform mandatory or purely ministerial duties
correctly
mens rea; (Latin: “guilty mind”) state of mind that the
plural mentes reae prosecution, to secure a conviction, must prove that
a defendant had when committing a crime; criminal
intent
mesne profits (Law French: “intermediate” profits) profits which
have accrued while there was a dispute over land
ownership
modus operandi (Latin: “manner of operating”) method of operating
or a manner of procedure, especially a pattern of
criminal behaviour so distinctive that investigators
attribute it to the work of the same person
mutatis mutandis (Latin) all necessary changes having been made,
with the necessary changes
nemo dat quod non habet (Latin) no one can give what he does not have
nemo judex in causa sua (Latin) no one should be a judge in his own cause
nisi (Latin: “unless”) (of a court’s ruling or grant of
relief) having validity unless the adversely affected
party appears and shows cause why it should be
withdrawn
nolle prosequi (Latin) to abandon (a suit or prosecution); to have a
case dismissed by nolle prosequi
non est factum (Latin: “it is not his deed”) a denial of execution of
an instrument sued upon
non sequitur (Latin: “it does not follow”) inference or conclusion
that does not logically follow from the premises
noscitur a sociis (Latin: “it is known by its associates”) a canon of
construction holding that the meaning of an unclear
word or phrase should be determined by the words
immediately surrounding it

novus actus interveniens (Latin: “a new act intervening”) event that comes
between an initial event in a sequence and the end
result, thereby altering the natural course of events
that might have connected a wrongful act to an
injury
nudum pactum (Latin: “bare agreement”) agreement unenforceable
as a contract because it is not “clothed” with
consideration
nulla poena sine lege (Latin) no punishment without a law authorising it
nunc pro tunc (Latin: “now for then”) having retroactive legal
effect through a court’s inherent power
obiter dictum; (Latin: “something said in passing”) a judicial
plural obiter dicta comment made during the course of delivering an
opinion but one that is unnecessary to the decision
of the case and therefore not precedential (though it
may be considered persuasive). Also obiter or
dictum.
pace (Latin) by the permission of
pacta sunt servanda (Latin: “agreements must be kept”) the rule that
agreements and stipulations, especially those
contained in treaties, must be observed
parens patriae (Latin: “parent of one’s country”) the state in its
capacity as provider of protection to those unable to
care for themselves
pari passu (Latin: “by equal step”) proportionately, without
preference
participis criminis (Latin: “partner in crime”) an accomplice or
accessory
passim (Latin: “here and there”) throughout (the cited
work)
pendente lite (Latin: “while the action is pending”) during the
proceedings or litigation; contingent on the outcome
of litigation
per (Latin) through, by
per alium (Latin) by means of another
per curiam (Latin) by the court as a whole
per incuriam (Latin) (of a judicial decision) wrongly decided,
usually because the judge or judges were ill-
informed about the applicable law
per se (Latin) of, in or by itself, standing alone, without
reference to additional facts

prima facie (Latin: “at first sight”) on first appearance but
subject to further evidence or information
pro forma (Latin: “for form”) made or done as a formality; (of
an invoice or statement) provided in advance to
describe items, predict results or secure approval
pro rata (Latin) proportionately; according to an exact rate,
measure or interest
pro tanto (Latin: “to that extent”) for so much, as far as it
goes
pro tempore (pro tem) (Latin) for the time being, appointed to occupy a
post temporarily
profit(s) à prendre (Law French: “right of taking”) right of persons to
share in the land owned by another.
pur autre vie (Law French: “for another’s life”) for or during a
period measured by another’s life
qua (Latin) in the capacity of, as
quaere (Latin) inquire, query, examine – used to show that
a point is doubtful or open to question
quantum meruit (Latin: “as much as one has deserved”) damages
awarded in an amount considered reasonable to
compensate a person who has rendered services in a
quasi-contractual relationship; a claim or right of
action for the reasonable value of services rendered
quantum valebant (Latin: “as much as they are worth”) an equitable
remedy to provide restitution for unjust enrichment
by awarding the reasonable value of goods and
materials supplied
quia timet (Latin: “because one fears”) a legal doctrine that
allows a person to seek equitable relief from future
probable harm to a specific right or interest
quid pro quo (Latin: “something for something”) thing that is
exchanged for another thing of more or less equal
value; a substitute
quo warranto (Latin: “by what authority”) a writ used to inquire
into the authority by which a public office is held or
a franchise is claimed
quoad (Latin) as regards, with regard to
quoad hanc (hunc) (Latin) so far as this woman (man) is concerned
(with reference to nullity of marriage or to sexual
impotence)

ratio decidendi; (Latin: “reason for deciding”) principle or rule of
plural rationes decidendi law on which a court’s decision is founded; rule of
law on which a later court thinks a previous court
founded its decision
re (Latin) regarding, in the matter of, in re
res; (Latin: “thing”) an object, interest or status, as
plural res opposed to a person; the subject matter of a trust, a
corpus
res gestae (Latin: “things done”) events at issue, or other
events contemporaneous with them
res integra (Latin: “an entire thing”) an undecided question of
law; a case of first impression
res inter alios acta, or res (Latin: “a thing done between others”) a doctrine
inter alios acta alteri holding that a contract cannot unfavourably affect
noncere non debet rights of a person not a party to the contract
res ipsa loquitur (Latin: “the thing speaks for itself”) a doctrine
providing that, in some circumstances, the mere fact
of an accident’s occurrence raises an inference of
negligence so as to establish a prima facie case
res judicata (Latin: “a thing adjudicated”) an issue definitively
settled by judicial decision; an affirmative defence
barring the same parties from litigating a second
lawsuit on the same claim, or any other claim arising
from the same transaction or series of transactions,
and that could have been but was not raised in the
first suit.
restitutio in integrum (Law Latin) restoration to the previous condition or
status quo
semble (Law French: “it seems”) used chiefly to indicate an
obiter dictum in a court opinion or to introduce an
uncertain thought or interpretation
sic (Latin: “so, thus”) used to indicate that the
preceding word or phrase in a quoted passage is
reproduced as it appeared in the original document
simpliciter (Latin: “simply”) in a simple or summary manner;
absolutely, unconditionally, per se
sine die (Latin: “without day”) with no day assigned (as for
resumption of a meeting or hearing)
sine qua non (Latin: “without which not”) an indispensable
condition or thing, something on which something
else necessarily depends
stricto sensu (Latin: “strict sense”) in its strict meaning

sub judice (Latin) under consideration
sub nomine (sub nom) (Latin: “under the name”) used in case citations to
indicate that there has been a name change from one
stage of the case to another
sub voce (Latin: “under the word”) under a specified word
subpoena ad testificandum (Law Latin: “for testifying under penalty”) order
directing a witness to appear in court and give
testimony
subpoena duces tecum (Law Latin) order directing a witness to appear in
court and bring specified documents or records
sui generis (Latin: “of its own kind”) of its own kind or class;
unique or peculiar
sui juris (Latin: “of one’s own right”) of full age and
capacity; possessing full social and civil rights
supra (Latin: “above”) earlier in the text – used in legal
citations to refer to a previously-cited authority in
the text
travaux préparatoires (French: “preparatory works”) materials used in
preparing the ultimate form of an agreement or
statute, especially of an international treaty;
materials constituting a legislative history
uberrima fides (Latin) utmost good faith
uberrimae fidei (Latin) of the utmost good faith
ultra vires (Latin: “beyond the powers of”) beyond the scope
of power allowed by a company charter or by law,
unauthorised
versus (v) (Latin) against
vice versa (Latin: “the position being reversed”) with the order
or correspondence reversed; the other way round
vide (Latin: “see”) used in legal citations for cross-
references
videlicet (viz) (Latin) to wit, that is to say, namely – used to point
out, particularise or render more specific what has
been stated in general (or more obscure) language
viva voce (Latin: “with living voice”) by word of mouth,
orally
voir (or voire) dire (Law French: “to speak the truth”) a preliminary
examination to test the competence of a witness or
evidence

volenti non fit injuria (Latin: “a person is not wronged by that to which he
or she consents”) the principle that a person who
knowingly and voluntarily risks danger cannot
recover for any resulting injury
APPENDIX 1B
EXAMPLES FOR PART 2: CITATION RULES
2–1 CITATION OF CASES ..................................................................................................................... 111

2–1.1 CITATION OF REPORTED CASES ................................................................................................................ 111
2–1.1.1 Case Name ............................................................................................................................. 111
Using abbreviated titles ............................................................................................................................ 112
Foreign judgments with multiple case names ........................................................................................... 112
United States cases ................................................................................................................................... 112
Indian cases ............................................................................................................................................... 113
Scottish cases ............................................................................................................................................ 113
2–1.1.5 Pinpoint citation ..................................................................................................................... 113
2–1.1.6 Court and Jurisdiction............................................................................................................. 114
2–1.2 CITATION OF UNREPORTED JUDGMENTS AND CASES .................................................................................... 115
2–1.2.1 Cases with Neutral Citations .................................................................................................. 115
2–1.2.2 Cases without Neutral Citations ............................................................................................. 116
2–1.3 CITATION OF CASES PUBLISHED IN ELECTRONIC FORM ................................................................................. 118
2–1.3.1 Cases from Electronic Databases ........................................................................................... 118
2–1.3.2 Cases from the Internet .......................................................................................................... 118
2–1.4 CITATION OF DIGESTS OF CASES .............................................................................................................. 118
2–1.5 SUBSEQUENT REFERENCES...................................................................................................................... 119
2–2 CITATION OF LEGISLATION ........................................................................................................... 119
2–2.1 CITATION OF SINGAPORE LEGISLATION ...................................................................................................... 119
2–2.1.1 Constitution ............................................................................................................................ 119
2–2.1.2 Statutes .................................................................................................................................. 119
2–2.1.2.1 Unrevised Statutes ............................................................................................................................ 119
2–2.1.2.2 Revised Statutes................................................................................................................................ 120
2–2.1.3 Subsidiary Legislation ............................................................................................................. 121
2–2.1.3.1 Unrevised Subsidiary Legislation....................................................................................................... 121
2–2.1.3.2 Revised Subsidiary Legislation .......................................................................................................... 121
2–2.1.4 Bills ......................................................................................................................................... 122
2–2.1.5 Other Materials Published in the Government Gazette ......................................................... 122
2–2.2 CITATION OF FOREIGN LEGISLATION ......................................................................................................... 122
2–2.2.1 Australia and New Zealand Legislation .................................................................................. 122
2–2.2.2 Canadian Legislation .............................................................................................................. 123
2–2.2.2.2 Jurisdiction ........................................................................................................................................ 123
2–2.2.2.3 Revised Regulations .......................................................................................................................... 123
2–2.2.3 Malaysian Legislation ............................................................................................................ 124
2–2.2.4 United Kingdom Legislation ................................................................................................... 124
2–2.2.4.1 Year ................................................................................................................................................... 124
2–2.2.5 United States Legislation........................................................................................................ 124
2–2.3 SUBSEQUENT REFERENCES (LEGISLATION) ................................................................................................. 125
2–3 CITATION OF GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS................................................................................. 125
2–3.1 CITATION OF PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES .................................................................................................... 125
2–3.2 CITATION OF PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS...................................................................................................... 126
2–4 CITATION OF BOOKS .................................................................................................................... 127
2–4.1 CITATION OF BOUND BOOKS................................................................................................................... 127
2–4.2 CITATION OF BOUND BOOKS THAT ARE PART OF A SET ................................................................................. 127
2–4.3 CITATION OF LOOSELEAF BOOKS .............................................................................................................. 127
2–4.4 SUBSEQUENT REFERENCES (BOOKS) ......................................................................................................... 128

2–5 CITATION OF ARTICLES................................................................................................................. 128
2–5.1 CITATION OF ARTICLES IN LAW JOURNALS OR REVIEWS ................................................................................ 128
2–5.2 CITATION OF ARTICLES IN SERIAL PUBLICATIONS ......................................................................................... 128
2–5.3 CITATION OF ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN ELECTRONIC FORM ............................................................................. 129
2–5.3.1 Articles Available in Electronic Databases ............................................................................. 129
2–5.3.2 Articles from the Internet ....................................................................................................... 129
2–5.4 SUBSEQUENT REFERENCES (ARTICLES) ...................................................................................................... 129
2–6 CITATION OF UNPUBLISHED, FORTHCOMING AND OTHER TYPES OF MATERIALS .......................... 130
2–6.1 CITATION OF UNPUBLISHED MATERIALS .................................................................................................... 130
2–6.1.1 Manuscripts ........................................................................................................................... 130
2–6.1.2 Dissertations, Essays and Theses ........................................................................................... 130
2–6.1.3 Letters, E-mails and Memoranda ........................................................................................... 130
2–6.1.4 Interviews ............................................................................................................................... 130
2–6.1.5 Speeches and Press Releases.................................................................................................. 131
2–6.2 CITATION OF FORTHCOMING MATERIALS .................................................................................................. 131
2–6.3 CITATION OF LAW REFORM WORKING PAPERS AND REPORTS ....................................................................... 131
2–7 CITATION OF INTERNATIONAL MATERIALS ................................................................................... 132
2–7.1 CITATION OF TREATIES ........................................................................................................................... 132
2–7.2 CITATION OF INTERNATIONAL CASES......................................................................................................... 133
2–7.2.1 International Court of Justice and Permanent Court of International Justice ........................ 133
2–7.2.2 Court of Justice of the European Union .................................................................................. 133
2–7.2.3 European Court and European Commission of Human Rights ............................................... 134
2–7.3 CITATION OF UNITED NATIONS MATERIALS ............................................................................................... 134
2–7.3.2 Official Records ...................................................................................................................... 134
2–7.3.3 Yearbooks and Periodicals ..................................................................................................... 134
2–7.4 CITATION OF EUROPEAN UNION MATERIALS .............................................................................................. 135
2–7.4.1 Legislation .............................................................................................................................. 135
2–7.4.2 Parliamentary Documents ..................................................................................................... 135
2–7.4.2.2 Other Parliamentary Documents ...................................................................................................... 135
2–7.4.3 Other Publications .................................................................................................................. 136
2–7.5 CITATION OF COUNCIL OF EUROPE MATERIALS ........................................................................................... 136
2–7.5.1 Parliamentary Debates .......................................................................................................... 136
2–7.5.2 Other Parliamentary Documents ........................................................................................... 137
2–7.6 CITATION OF WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION AND GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE MATERIALS ....... 138
2–7.6.1 Panel Decisions, Rulings and Recommendations ................................................................... 138
2–7.6.2 Reports and Minutes of Meetings .......................................................................................... 138
Appendix 1B: Examples for Citation Rules … 111
2–1 CITATION OF CASES
2–1.1 Citation of Reported Cases
2–1.1.1 Case Name

Examples:
(A) Ng Eng Ghee and others v Mamata Kapildev Dave and others
(Horizon Partners Pte Ltd, intervener) and another appeal [2009] 3
SLR(R) 109
(B) Ng Swee Lang and another v Sassoon Samuel Bernard and others
[2008] 2 SLR(R) 597
(C) Associated Newspapers Group Plc v Insert Media Limited and Others
[1991] FSR 380 (and not Associated Newspapers v Insert Media [1991]
FSR 380)
(D) Alpine Bulk Transport Co Inc v Saudi Eagle Shipping Co Inc (The
Saudi Eagle) [1986] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 221 (and not just The Saudi Eagle
[1986] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 221)
(E) A v B (No 2) [2007] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 358 (and not just A v B [2007] 1
Lloyd’s Rep 358)
(F) Rubber and Improvement Ltd v Daily Telegraph Ltd [1964] AC 234
(even though this case is more commonly known by its running head title,
ie, Lewis v Daily Telegraph Ltd [1964] AC 234)
(G) M’alister (Or Donoghue) (Pauper) v Stevenson [1932] AC 562

(even though this case is more commonly cited as Donoghue v Stevenson
[1932] AC 562)
Using abbreviated titles

Examples:
(A) M’alister (Or Donoghue) (Pauper) v Stevenson [1932] AC 562

(“Donoghue v Stevenson”)
(B) Rubber and Improvement Ltd v Daily Telegraph Ltd [1964] AC 234
(“Lewis v Daily Telegraph”)
(C) Alpine Bulk Transport Co Inc v Saudi Eagle Shipping Co Inc (The
Saudi Eagle) [1986] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 221 (“The Saudi Eagle”)
(D) Halpern v Toronto (City) (2003) 172 OAC 276 (“Halpern”)
Foreign judgments with multiple case names

Example:
The full main case title of the House of Lords case reported at [1999] 2 AC
349 appears in the hardcopy law report as follows:
KLEINWORT BENSON LTD

AND
LINCOLN CITY COUNCIL
SAME
AND
BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL
SAME
AND
SOUTHWARK LONDON BOROUGH COUNCIL
SAME
AND
KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA ROYAL LONDON BOROUGH
COUNCIL
For this case, its main case title should simply be cited as “Kleinwort
Benson Ltd v Lincoln City Council”.
United States cases

Examples:
(A) Loving v Virginia 388 US 1 (1967)
(B) Bradley v Harris Resources, Inc 275 F 3d 884 (9th Cir, 2001)
(C) Miller v Indiana Hosp 562 F Supp 1259 (WD Pa, 1983)
Indian cases
Example:
In re A K Gopalan AIR 1949 Mad 233
Scottish cases
Example:
James Gillepsie v Convoys, Limited 1939 SC 568
2–1.1.5 Pinpoint citation

Example where paragraph number cited:
… see, eg, the decision of this court in Ong Chay Tong & Sons
(Pte) Ltd v Ong Hoo Eng [2009] 1 SLR(R) 305 at [75]; the
Singapore High Court decision of Eng Bee Properties Pte Ltd v
Lee Foong Fatt [1993] 2 SLR(R) 778 at [26] …
Example where page number cited:
Citing the proposition in Halki Shipping Corporation v Sopex

Oils Ltd [1998] 1 WLR 726 (“Halki”) at 761, that “there is a
dispute once money is claimed unless and until the defendants
admit that the sum is due and payable”, the judge held …
Examples where a range of paragraph or page numbers cited:
(A) … heartily endorsed the remarks by Colman J in A v B (No 2) [2007]

1 Lloyd’s Rep 358 (“A v B (Costs)”) at [10]–[11] and [15].
(B) Woo J in Dalian at [39]–[40] helpfully quoted at length the

judgment of Swinton Thomas LJ in Halki at 754–756 and 761–763 …
(C) This extract echoed the essence of Lord Saville’s earlier more
comprehensive but no less forceful reasoning in Hayter v Nelson Home
Insurance Co [1990] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 265. It was observed at 267–269:
In some cases the suggestion seems to be made that if
it can be shown that a claim under a contract is
indisputable, i.e. a claim that simply cannot be resisted
on either the facts or the law, then there is no dispute
or difference within the meaning of the arbitration
clause in that contract. …
[quotation continues with various parts of Hayter from

267–269 being quoted]
2–1.1.6 Court and Jurisdiction

Abbreviations for courts
Court Abbreviation
Constitutional Court Const Ct
Constitutional Tribunal Const Trib
County Court County Ct
Court of Appeal CA
Court of Criminal Appeal CCA
District Court Dist Ct
Divisional Court Div Ct
Federal Court FC
Full Court Full Ct
High Court HC
House of Lords HL
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council PC
Magistrate’s Court MC
Supreme Court SC
Abbreviations for jurisdictions

Jurisdiction Abbreviation
Singapore S’pore
Australia Aust
Commonwealth of Australia Cth
Australian Capital Territory ACT
New South Wales NSW
Northern Territory NT
Queensland Qld
South Australia SA
Tasmania Tas
Victoria Vic
Western Australia WA
Canada Can
Alberta Alta
British Columbia BC
Manitoba Man
New Brunswick NB
Newfoundland and Labrador Nfld & Lab
Northwest Territories NWT
Nova Scotia NS
Nunavut Nvt
Ontario Ont
Prince Edward Island PEI
Québec Qc
Saskatchewan Sask
Yukon Y
Malaysia M’sia
New Zealand NZ
United Kingdom UK
England and Wales Eng
Northern Ireland NI
Scotland Scot
United States of America US
2–1.2 Citation of Unreported Judgments and Cases
2–1.2.1 Cases with Neutral Citations

Singapore neutral citations
Court Court Designator
Constitutional Tribunal SGCT
Court of Appeal SGCA†
High Court (Appellate Division) SGHC(A)†
High Court (before 2 January 2021) or SGHC†
High Court (General Division) (on or
after 2 January 2021)
High Court Registrar (before 2 January SGHCR†
2021) or High Court (General Division)
Registrar (on or after 2 January 2021)
Court Court Designator

District Court SGDC††,‡
Magistrates’ Court SGMC††
Small Claims Tribunal SGSCT††
Family Division of the High Court SGHCF‡
Family Courts SGFC‡
Youth Courts SGYC‡
Singapore International Commercial SGHC(I)
Court (SICC)
Court of Appeal (on appeal from SICC) SGCA(I)
†
Supreme Court Practice Directions para 74(8)
††
State Courts Practice Directions para 73
‡
Family Justice Courts Practice Directions para 93
Examples
Tan Kim Seng v Victor Adam Ibrahim [2003] SGCA 49
Diva XL Pte Ltd v Lalasis Trading Pte Ltd [2003] SGHC 97 at [11]
Royal Brompton Hospital NHS Trust v Hammond [2001] EWCA Civ 778
2–1.2.2 Cases without Neutral Citations

Examples
AB v CD HC/OS 1234/2018 (30 June 2019) at [10]
XX v YY (12 June 1980, CA) (NZ)
Examples of suit or application indicators that are more commonly referred

to (note that the appropriate prefix alphabets should be indicated before the
case reference to indicate the appropriate level of court, eg, FC, HC, HCF,
CA, SIC, and this can be checked on e-Litigation):
Suit or Application Case reference
Civil Applications
Suit No 1 of 2019 S 1/2019
Originating Summons No 1 of 2019 OS 1/2019
Admiralty in Rem No 1 of 2019 ADM 1/2019
Admiralty in Personam No 1 of 2019 ADM 1/2019
Companies Winding Up No 1 of 2019 CWU 1/2019
Bankruptcy No 1 of 2019 B 1/2019
Originating Summons (Bankruptcy) No 1 of 2019 OSB 1/2019

Bill of Costs No 1 of 2019 BC 1/2019
Summons No 1 of 2019 SUM 1/2019
Criminal Applications
Criminal Case No 1 of 2019 CC 1/2019
District Arrest Case No 1 of 2019 DAC 1/2019
Magistrate’s Arrest Case No 1 of 2019 MAC 1/2019
Criminal Revision No 1 of 2019 CR 1/2019
Criminal Motion No 1 of 2019 CM 1/2019
Criminal Reference No 1 of 2019 CRF 1/2019
Family Justice Court and Youth Court
Applications
Divorce Petition No 1 of 2019 D 1/2019
Divorce (Transferred) No 1 of 2019 DT 1/2019
Originating Summons No 1 of 2019 OSF 1/2019
OSN 1/2019*
OSP 1/2019°
OSG 1/2019^
*applicable to new
legislation cases
°applicable to probate
cases
^applicable to
Guardianship of Infants
Act cases
Maintenance Summons No 1 of 2019 MSS 1/2019
Appeals
Civil Appeal No 1 of 2019 CA 1/2019
Criminal Appeal No 1 of 2019 CCA 1/2019
District Court Appeal No 1 of 2019 DCA 1/2019
Magistrate’s Appeal No 1 of 2019 MA 1/2019
Registrar’s Appeal No 1 of 2019 RA 1/2019
Registrar’s Appeal from the State Courts No 1 of RAS 1/2019
2019
Registrar’s Appeal from the Family Justice RAS 1/2019
Courts No 1 of 2019
Youth Court Appeal No 1 of 2019 YA 1/2019
Tribunal Appeal No 1 of 2019 TA 1/2019
2–1.3 Citation of Cases Published in Electronic Form
2–1.3.1 Cases from Electronic Databases

Examples
United States v Carlisle No 90-2465SI, 1991 US App LEXIS 5863 at *3

(8th Cir, 10 April 1991)
Leong Ker Han v Baker Andrew Originating Summons No 23 of 1996, 14

June 1996, [1996] WL 675447 at [2]
2–1.3.2 Cases from the Internet

Examples
Bosanac v Commissioner of Taxation [2019] HCA 41

<https://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-
bin/viewdoc/au/cases/cth/HCA/2019/41.html> (accessed 2 December
2019) at [11].
Padilla v Rumsfeld Nos 03-2235 (L), 03-2438 (Con) (2nd Cir, 2003)
<http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-2nd-circuit/1423225.html> (accessed 2
December 2019)
2–1.4 Citation of Digests of Cases
Examples
… digested at Academy Digest, Supreme Court/Subordinate Courts Series, Issue No

A/B-24/2003, 4 December 2003 at 7 [if no paragraph number]
… digested at 3(2) Mallal’s Digest (4th ed, 2003 reissue) 1847
… digested at [2002] Mallal’s Digest (4th ed) 626
… digested at [2002] CLY 4554 [Current Law Yearbook]
… digested at [2003] 10 CL 345 [Current Law Monthly]
… digested at 46(2) Digest (2001, 2nd reissue) 4797

Examples
The principle established by Rylands v Fletcher ([14] supra) …
In the Reynolds case ([75] supra) at 423, Lord Bridge of Harwich commented…
2–2 CITATION OF LEGISLATION
2–2.1 Citation of Singapore Legislation
2–2.1.1 Constitution
Example
Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (1985 Rev Ed, 1999 Reprint)

Art 14(1)
2–2.1.2 Statutes
2–2.1.2.1 Unrevised Statutes
Examples
An Act to Extend the Indian Penal Code to the Straits

Settlements (Indian Act No 5 of 1867)
War Offences Ordinance 1941 (SS Ord No 68 of 1941)
Military Administration Proclamation (Procl No 1, 7

September 1945)
Criminal Justice (Temporary Provisions) Ordinance 1954 (No

20 of 1954)
Active Mobility Act 2017 (Act 3 of 2017)
Supply Act 2021 (Act 7 of 2021)

2–2.1.2.2 Revised Statutes

Examples
(a) Where the statute is a revised edition published before

1 March 2021:
Printing Presses Ordinance (SS Cap 208, 1936 Rev Ed)
Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act (Cap 53B,

2002 Rev Edition)
Misuse of Drugs Act (Cap 185, 2008 Rev Ed) s 2(1)
(b) Where the statute is a revised edition published on or after

1 March 2021, eg, when the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts
comes into operation:
Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 2001 (2020 Rev

Ed)
Misuse of Drugs Act 1973 (2020 Rev Ed) [where “1973”

is the year of enactment]
Innkeepers Act 1970 (2020 Rev Ed) [where “1970” is the

year of consolidation (ie, merger of two or more Acts)]
Active Mobility Act 2017 (2020 Rev Ed)

2–2.1.3 Subsidiary Legislation

2–2.1.3.1 Unrevised Subsidiary Legislation
Examples
Proclamation [of Martial Law Throughout the Settlement of

Singapore] (GN No S 894/1941) [Descriptive title added
editorially in brackets as subsidiary legislation lacks one.]
Singapore (Constitution) Order in Council 1958

(Responsibility of the Prime Minister) Notification 1959
(GN No S (NS) 8/1959)
Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore (State Constitutions) Order in

Council 1963 (GN Sp No S 1/1963)
Prevention of Pollution of the Sea (Oil) Regulations 1991 reg 3
Companies (Identical Names) Regulations 2015
Active Mobility Regulations 2018
2–2.1.3.2 Revised Subsidiary Legislation

Examples
Central Provident Fund (Investment Schemes) Regulations

(2006 Rev Ed)
Companies Regulations (1990 Rev Ed) reg 1
Rules of Court (2006 Rev Ed) O 14 r 1
Rules of Court (2014 Rev Ed) O 14 r 1

2–2.1.4 Bills
Examples
Intellectual Property Office of Singapore Bill (Bill No 1/2001)
Computer Misuse (Amendment) Bill (Bill No 22/2003)
Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill (Bill

No 10/2019)
2–2.1.5 Other Materials Published in the Government Gazette

Examples
Singapore Jury List (SS Govt Gazette, 19 November 1875) at 856–864

[No Gazette Notification number.]
Proclamation [Settlement of Malacca Subject to Preservation of Peace

Ordinance No VI of 1872] (SS GN No 303/1875) [Proclamation
lacks a descriptive title.]
War Offences (Amendment) Bill 1942 (SS GN No 251/1942)
List of Advocates & Solicitors who have Taken Out Practising

Certificates for the Practice Year Ending 31st March 2004 (as at 30th
April 2003) (GN Supp No 11/2003)
Shaw Theatres Cinema Supervisors’ Agreement 2002 (CA 251/ 2002, GN

No IR 410/2003)
2–2.2 Citation of Foreign Legislation
2–2.2.1 Australia and New Zealand Legislation

Examples
Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Cth) ss 518–520
Rules of Procedure in Miscellaneous Civil Proceedings 1988 (Vic) ch II

r 2.01
Employment Contracts Act 1991 (NZ)
Public Trust Regulations 2002 (SR 2002/198) (NZ) reg 17

2–2.2.2 Canadian Legislation

Canada C
Lower Canada LC
Upper Canada UC
Alberta A
British BC
Columbia
Manitoba M
New Brunswick NB
Newfoundland and Labrador NL
Northwest NWT
Territories
Nova Scotia NS
Nunavut Nu
Ontario O
Prince Edward Island PEI
Québec Q
Saskatchewan S
Yukon Y
2–2.2.2.3 Revised Regulations

Examples
Emergency Planning Act, SS 1989–90, c E-8.1 (Can)
Social Services Tax Act, RSBC 1979, c 388 (Can) s 2

2–2.2.3 Malaysian Legislation

Examples
Film Censorship Act 2002 (No 620 of 2002) (M’sia) s 5
Islamic Banking (Amendment) Act 2002 (No A1145 of 2002) (M’sia)
National Anthem (Modification of Tempo) Order 2003 (PU(A) 313/2003)

(M’sia)
Notice of Contested Election: Constituency of No 8 Indera Kayangan

(PU(B) 19/2002) (M’sia)
2–2.2.4 United Kingdom Legislation

2–2.2.4.1 Year
Examples
Statute Law Revision Act 1908 (c 49) (UK)
Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Act 2003 (c 27) (UK)

s3
Electronic Communications (Universal Service) Regulations

2003 (SI 2003 No 33) (UK)
2–2.2.5 United States Legislation

Examples
US Constitution Art III § 2 cl 3
US Constitution Amend XIV § 1
Non-Detention Act 18 USC (US) § 4001(a) (2000)
Americans with Disabilities Act 42 USC (US) § 12101 (1990)
3 CFR (US) §102.130 (2003)

2–2.3 Subsequent References (Legislation)
Examples
Constitution Art 14(1)
… : MDA s 2.
According to s 7(2) of the CPF Act, …
2–3 CITATION OF GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS
2–3.1 Citation of Parliamentary Debates
Examples
Colony of Singapore, Legislative Council Proceedings (21 September 1954) at B261
Singapore Parliamentary Debates, Official Report (31 October 2002) vol 75 at

cols 1424–1426 (David T E Lim, Acting Minister for Information, Communications
and the Arts)
Singapore Parliamentary Debates, Official Report (12 November 2012) vol 89 (Teo
Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security
and Minister for Home Affairs)
Commonwealth (Australia), House of Representatives, Parliamentary Debates

(4 December 2003) at 23769,
<https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlinfo/genpdf/chamber/hansardr/2003-12-04/2003-
12-04/0023/hansard_frag.pdf> (accessed 2 December 2019) (Peter Costello,
Treasurer)
United Kingdom, House of Lords, Parliamentary Debates (4 July 2003), vol 650 at
col 1148, <https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2003-07-04/debates/af8287cb-22e2-
429f-9227-
6ac566bb2521/HumanFertilisationAndEmbryology(DeceasedFathers)Bill>
(accessed 2 December 2019) (Baroness Pitkeathley)
United Kingdom, House of Commons, Parliamentary Debates (4 July 1947) vol 439
at col 1678, <https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1947-07-
04/debates/3406cdb1-a47f-478a-b1cf-d077fe457e73/CrownProceedingsBillLords>
(accessed 2 December 2019) (Sir Hartley Shawcross, Attorney General)
2–3.2 Citation of Parliamentary Papers
Examples
Report of the Select Committee on the Advance Medical Directive Bill (Bill No 40/95)
(Parl 1 of 1996, 11 March 1996)
Ministry of Home Affairs, The Jemaah Islamiyah Arrests and the Threat of Terrorism
(White Paper, Cmd 2 of 2003, 7 January 2003)
United Kingdom, Report of the Committee on Homosexual Offences and Prostitution

(Cmnd 247, 1957) at 42 (Chairman: Sir John Frederick Wolfenden)
2–4 CITATION OF BOOKS
2–4.1 Citation of Bound Books
Examples
Colin Tapper, Cross and Tapper on Evidence (Butterworths, 9th Ed, 1999) at p 74
Kevin Y L Tan, Yeo Tiong Min & Lee Kiat Seng, Constitutional Law in Malaysia
and Singapore (Malayan Law Journal, 1991)
Lee Poh Onn, The Water Issue Between Singapore and Malaysia: No Solution in
Sight? (Economics and Finance Working Paper No 1) (Institute of Southeast
Asian Studies, 2003)
Jaroslav Pelikan et al, The Idea of the University: A Reexamination (Yale University
Press, 1992)
Singapore Court Practice 2003 (Jeffrey Pinsler gen ed) (LexisNexis, 2003) at
para 74/2-3/1
Benjamin’s Sale of Goods (A G Guest gen ed) (Sweet & Maxwell, 6th Ed, 2002) at
para 10-039
2–4.2 Citation of Bound Books that are Part of a Set
Examples
Halsbury’s Laws of Singapore vol 5 (Butterworths Asia, 2001) at para 60.142
Butterworths’ Annotated Statutes of Singapore vol 6 (Butterworths Asia, 1997 issue)

at p 507
Halsbury’s Laws of England vol 8(3) (Butterworths, 4th Ed Reissue, 2003) at

para 405
2–4.3 Citation of Looseleaf Books
Examples
Malaysian and Singapore Company Law and Practice (CCH Company Law eds)
(1990, 2002 release) at para 20-090
Woodfall’s Law of Landlord and Tenant (Kim Lewison gen ed) (Sweet & Maxwell,
Looseleaf Ed, 1994, October 2000 release) at para 9.001
2–4.4 Subsequent References (Books)
Examples
Cane at p 45
Cane, Administrative Law at p 45
Cross and Tapper on Evidence at p 74
2–5 CITATION OF ARTICLES
2–5.1 Citation of Articles in Law Journals or Reviews
Examples
Peter Birks, “No Consideration: Restitution After Void Contracts” (1993)

23 UWALR 195 at 203
Walter Woon, “The Applicability of English Law in Singapore” in The Singapore

Legal System (Kevin Y L Tan ed) (Singapore University Press, 2nd Ed, 1999)
ch 6 at p 230
Mei-lan E Wong, Note, ‘The Implications of School Choice for Children with
Disabilities’ (1993) 103 Yale L J 827 at 830
2–5.2 Citation of Articles in Serial Publications
Examples
Ho Ka Wei & Ben Nadarajan, “Thwarting the Cyber Terrorist”, The Straits Times
(14 November 2003) at p H1
“Intellectual Property – The New Boundaries”, Inter Se (May–June 2002) at p 3
Michael Walsh, “Asia’s Different Drum”, Time (14 January 1991) at pp 17–18
Jeremy Summers, “We’re Innocent Until We’re Proved Guilty … or Until Our Assets
are Seized”, The Times (London) (29 November 2003) at p 34
2–5.3 Citation of Articles Published in Electronic Form
2–5.3.1 Articles Available in Electronic Databases

Examples
“Legality of Space Station Questioned”, UPI (31 October 2001) at 14,

available in LEXIS, Nexis Library, UPI File
“Justice Minister Calls for Solving Int’l Legal Conflicts”, Japan

Economic Newswire Plus (22 April 1991), available in DIALOG, File
No 612
2–5.3.2 Articles from the Internet

Examples
David Bainbridge, “Trademark Infringement, the Internet and

Jurisdiction” [2003] 1 JILT [Journal of Information, Law and
Technology] (4 July 2003) <https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/law/elj/jilt/
2003_1/bainbridge/> (accessed 2 December 2019)
Katherine Weston, “The Impact of TRIPs on Agricultural Economies in

the Developing World” (2003) 10(3) eLaw Journal
<https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/MurdochUeJILaw/2003/
24.html> (accessed 2 December 2019) at paras 25–27
Joanne Mariner, “Battlefield Chicago? In the Padilla Case, a Federal

Court Says No”, FindLaw, 23 December 2003 <https://
edition.cnn.com/2003/LAW/12/22/findlaw.analysis.mariner.padilla/>
(accessed 2 December 2019)
2–5.4 Subsequent References (Articles)
Examples
Woon at p 231
Woon, “Applicability of English Law” at p 231

2–6 CITATION OF UNPUBLISHED, FORTHCOMING AND OTHER TYPES OF

MATERIALS
2–6.1 Citation of Unpublished Materials
2–6.1.1 Manuscripts
Examples
John Smith, Copyright Law in North America (12 February 1998)

(unpublished, archived at McGill Law Journal)
Surinder Kaur Verma, Plant Genetic Resources, Biological Inventions

and Intellectual Property Rights: The Case of India, Intellectual
Property and Biological Resources Conference, Singapore (2003) at
p 5 (unpublished, archived at the Singapore Academy of Law)
2–6.1.2 Dissertations, Essays and Theses

Examples
S M Huang, Equality Before the Law: Article 8: Constitution of the

Federation of Malaya (1963) (unpublished LLM thesis, University of
Singapore, archived at the C J Koh Law Library, National University
of Singapore)
Michael Bryan, Aspects of Breach of Confidence (1976) (unpublished

PhD thesis, Oxford University, archived at the Bodleian Law Library)
2–6.1.3 Letters, E-mails and Memoranda

Examples
Letter from Jane Friedman, Senior Editor, American Civil Liberties Law
Review, to Martin Buerkle, Executive Editor, University of Kansas
Law Review (7 April 1996)
Memorandum from the Ad Hoc Committee on Women and Clerkships to

the Faculty of Oklahoma Law School (13 July 1993) at para 14
2–6.1.4 Interviews
Examples
Telephone interview with Paul Rolino, Editor, District of Columbia

Political Monthly (1 October 2001)
Michael Teo, interview with Patricia Hampton, Managing Partner, Burke,

Petersen & Smith, London, UK (15 August 1998)
E-mail interview with Dr Kenson Kwok, Director, National Heritage

Board (29 December 2002)
2–6.1.5 Speeches and Press Releases

Examples
Lee Boon Yang, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts,
“Towards a Global Media City”, lunch talk at the Singapore Press Club
Lunch (12 November 2003)
S R Nathan, President of Singapore, speech at the Opening Ceremony of the

8th General Assembly of the ASEAN Law Association (29 November
2003),
<https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/data/pdfdoc/2003112902.htm>
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “MFA Spokesman’s Comments”, press

statement on the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea judgment
(9 October 2003) <https://
www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/data/pdfdoc/2003100901.htm>
Goh Chok Tong, Prime Minister of Singapore, “Reshaping Alliances in the

New World Order”, keynote address at the Opening Dinner Speech for
the Europe/East Asia Economic Summit (12 October 1994), in
Singapore Government Press Release, No 18/OCTOBER/02-
1/94/10/12
Prime Minister’s Office, “Deployment of Senior Civil Servants”, press

statement (8 October 1994), in Singapore Government Press Release,
No 17/OCT/02-0/94/10/08
2–6.2 Citation of Forthcoming Materials
Examples
Donald Rublé, “Law and Psychology” 118 Harv L Rev (forthcoming, January 2004)
Kevin Y L Tan “A Short Legal and Constitutional History of Singapore” in Essays

in Singapore Legal History (Kevin Y L Tan ed, forthcoming, 2004) (manuscript
at para 3)
2–6.3 Citation of Law Reform Working Papers and Reports
Examples
Law Reform Committee, Singapore Academy of Law, Report of the Sub-Committee

on the Status of Children Born Through Artificial Conception (26 September
1997) at para 1.2 (Chairman: Jeffrey Chan Wah Teck)
Law Reform and Revision Division, Attorney-General’s Chambers, Proposed

Amendment to the International Arbitration Act on Rules of Arbitration: Report
(LRRD No 11/2002, 2 October 2002)
Report of the Constitutional Commission (1996) (Chairman: Wee Chong Jin)
Australian Law Reform Commission, Sentencing: Penalties (Discussion Paper

No 30, 1987) at para 286
Canada, Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies, Proceed with Care:

Final Report (1993)
United Kingdom, Royal Commission on Criminal Justice, Report (Cmnd 2263, 1993)
(Chairman: Viscount Runciman of Doxford)
2–7 CITATION OF INTERNATIONAL MATERIALS
2–7.1 Citation of Treaties
Examples
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms

(4 November 1950), Eur TS No 5, 312 UNTS 221, 1953 UKTS No 71, Art 6
(entered into force 3 September 1953) (“European Human Rights Convention”)
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (19 December 1966), 999 UNTS
171, 6 ILM 368, Arts 9–14 (entered into force 23 March 1976) (“ICCPR”)
Agreement Between the Government of the Republic of Singapore and the

Government of the Federal Republic of Germany on Maritime Transport (15 June
2000), GN No T 1/2002, Bilateral Treaty No B329 <https://www.lawnet. sg>
Free Trade Agreement Between the EFTA States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway &
Switzerland) and Singapore (26 June 2002), (entered into force 1 January 2003)
Bilateral Treaty No B348 <https://www.lawnet.sg>
United States–Singapore Free Trade Agreement (6 May 2003),

<https://www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/non-financial-assistance/for-singapore-
companies/free-trade-agreements/ftas/overview>
2–7.2 Citation of International Cases
2–7.2.1 International Court of Justice and Permanent Court of International

Justice
Examples
Chorzów Factory (Germany v Poland) (Jurisdiction) [1928] PCIJ (ser A)

No 17
Diversion of Water from the Meuse (Netherlands v Belgium) [1937] PCIJ

(ser A/B) No 70 at 7
Interpretation of Peace Treaties with Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania

(Advisory Opinion) [1950] ICJ 65
Case Concerning East Timor (Portugal v Australia) [1995] ICJ 90 at [35],

<https://www.icj-cij.org/files/case-related/84/084-19950630-JUD-
01-00-EN.pdf> (accessed 2 December 2019)
Memorial of the United Kingdom (UK v Albania) [1949] ICJ Pleadings

(1 Corfu Channel) 17 at [94]
Memorial of Denmark, Legal Status of Eastern Greenland (Denmark v

Norway) [1933] PCIJ (ser C) No 62 at 12
2–7.2.2 Court of Justice of the European Union

Examples
Elz v Commission Case 58/1969, (1970) 16 ECR 507
Etablissements Consten SARL v Commission Joined Cases 56 & 58/1964,

[1966] ECR 299
The Queen v Secretary of State for Transport ex parte Factortame Ltd

Case C-213/1989, [1990] ECR I-2433, [1990] 3 CMLR 1
Alfons Lütticke GmbH v Commission Case 4/1969, [1971] ECR 325,

[1971–1973 Transfer Binder] CM Rep ¶ 8136, <https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/homepage.html> (accessed 2 December 2019)
European Commission v Kingdom of Spain Case C‑269/09,

EU:C:2012:439, <https://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html>
Morgan Stanley & Co International plc v Ministre de l'Économie et des

Finances Case C-165/17, EU:C:2019:58, <https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/homepage.html> (accessed 30 December 2019)
2–7.2.3 European Court and European Commission of Human Rights

Examples
Sunday Times v United Kingdom (1979) 30 Eur Ct HR (ser A), 2 EHRR

245
Y v Netherlands (1982) 32 Eur Comm HR DR 345 at 358
Udo Walendy v Germany (1995) 38 YB Eur Conv HR 51, Eur Comm HR
Salgueiro da Silva Mouta v Portugal (2001) 31 EHRR 47, <https://

hudoc.echr.coe.int> (accessed 2 December 2019)
2–7.3 Citation of United Nations Materials
2–7.3.2 Official Records

Examples
GA Res 832, UN GAOR, 9th Sess, Supp No 21 at p 19, UN Doc A/2890

(1954)
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, GA Res 217A, UN GAOR,

3rd Sess, 183rd plen mtg, UN Doc A/Res/217A (1948)
UN GAOR Special Political Comm, 27th Sess, 806th mtg at p 5, UN

Doc A/SPC/SR.806 (1972)
SC Res 780, UN SCOR, 47th Sess, 3119th mtg, UN Doc S/Res/ 780
(1992), 31 ILM 1476
Permanent Missions to the UN: Report of the Secretary-General, UN

GAOR 6th Comm, 4th Sess, Annex, Agenda Item 50 at p 16, UN
Doc A/C.6/Annexes (1949)
2–7.3.3 Yearbooks and Periodicals

Examples
“Human Rights in the Union of Burma in 1953” [1953] YB on HR 31,

UN Sales No 1955.XIV.1
“Report of the International Law Commission to the General Assembly”,

UN GAOR, 19th Sess, Supp No 9 at 1, UN Doc A/5509 (1963),
reprinted in [1963] 2 YB Int’l L Comm’n 187, UN

Doc A/CN.4/SER.A/1963/Add.1
2–7.4 Citation of European Union Materials
2–7.4.1 Legislation
Examples
Framework Directive (Directive on a Common Regulatory Framework

for Electronic Communications Networks and Services), EC Council
Directive 2002/21/EC, [2002] OJ L 108/33, <https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/hompage.html> (accessed 2 December 2019)
Regulation Establishing the Standard Import Values for Determining the

Entry Price of Certain Fruits and Vegetables, EC Commission
Regulation No 15/95, [1995] OJ L 4/8
Regulation on Interim Measures Applicable After the Unification of

Germany, EC Council Regulation 2684/90, Art 4, [1990] OJ L 263/1
at p 2
Decision on the State Aid Implemented by Germany for Dessauer

Geräteindustrie GmbH, EC Commission Decision 2001/1/EC, Doc
No C(2000) 515, [2001] OJ L 1/1
Directive amending Directive 2008/9/EC laying down detailed rules for

the refund of value added tax, provided for in Directive 2006/112/EC,
to taxable persons not established in the Member State of refund but
established in another Member Stat, EU Council Directive
2010/66/EU, [2010] OJ L 275/1, <https://eur-
Regulation amending Regulation (EU) 2019/124 as regards certain

fishing opportunities, EU Council Regulation (EU) 2019/529, [2019]
OJ L 88/3, <https://eur-lex.europa.eu/hompage.html> (accessed
30 December 2019)
2–7.4.2 Parliamentary Documents

2–7.4.2.2 Other Parliamentary Documents
Examples
European Parliament, Committee on Development and Co-operation,

Report on the Commission Communication on the Update of the EC
Programme for Action: Accelerated Action on HIV/AIDS, Malaria
and Tuberculosis in the Context of Poverty Reduction; Outstanding

Policy Issues and Future Challenges (2003), COM (2003) 93 –
2003/2146(INI) at para 21, <https://www.europarl.europa.eu>
2–7.4.3 Other Publications

Examples
EC Court of Justice, Codified Versions of the Rules of Procedure, the

Supplementary Rules and the Instructions to the Registrar, Art 76,
[1982] OJ C 39/1 at 3, <https://eur-lex.europa.eu/hompage.html>
EC Commission, Amended Proposal for an Eleventh Council Directive

on Company Law Concerning Disclosure Requirements in respect of
Branches Opened in a Member State by Certain Types of Companies
Governed by the Law of Another State, [1988] OJ C 105/6,
<https://eur-lex.europa.eu/hompage.html> (accessed 30 December
2019)
European Central Bank, Opinion on a Proposal for a Directive of the

European Parliament and of the Council on Deposit Guarantee
Schemes (Recast) and on a Proposal for a Directive Amending
Directive 97/9/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on
Investor-Compensation Schemes, [2011] OJ C 99/1, <https://eur-
European Commission, Notice of Initiation of an Expiry Review of the

Countervailing Measures Applicable to Imports of Certain
Polyethylene Terephthalate Originating in India, [2018] OJ C 173/9,
<https://eur-lex.europa.eu/hompage.html> (accessed 30 December
2019)
2–7.5 Citation of Council of Europe Materials
2–7.5.1 Parliamentary Debates

Examples
Council of Europe, PA, 45th Sess (1994) Debates, vol 4 at p 747
Council of Europe, PA, 2002 Sess, 1st Pt (23 January 2002) (Mike Moore,
WTO Director-General)
Council of Europe, PA, 2013 Sess, 1st Pt (25 January 2013),

<https://assembly.coe.int> (accessed 2 December 2019)
2–7.5.2 Other Parliamentary Documents

Examples
Council of Europe, CA, 21st Sess, 3rd Pt (1970) Texts Adopted, Rec 585
at p 1
Council of Europe, PA, Iraq, 2003 Sess, 1st Pt, Res 1316 (30 January
2003)
Council of Europe, CA, 21st Sess, 2nd Pt, The Situation in

Czechoslovakia (1969) Orders, 10th Sitting at p 20
Council of Europe, PA, 2003 Sess, 2nd Pt, The Human Rights Situation
in the Chechen Republic, Ord 586 (2 April 2003)
Council of Europe, PA, 38th Sess, 3rd Pt, Written Declaration No 150 on
the Protection of the Archaeological Site of Pompeii (1987)
Documents, vol 7, Doc 5700 at p 1
Council of Europe, PA, 2004 Sess, 1st Pt, Situation of Palestinian

Refugees: Reply from the Committee of Ministers, Doc 10014
(9 December 2003)
Council of Europe, Committee of Ministers, ‘Recommendation R(82)1’

(1980) 12 Inf Bull 58
2–7.6 Citation of World Trade Organisation and General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade Materials
2–7.6.1 Panel Decisions, Rulings and Recommendations

Examples
Freedom of Contract in Transport Insurance, GATT CP Rec of 27 May

1959, 15th Sess (1960) BISD (8th Supp) 26
Accession of Guatemala, GATT CP Dec L/6824, 47th Sess, (1991) BISD

(38th Supp) 16
Committee on Anti-Dumping Practices, Recommendation Regarding

Annual Reviews of the Anti-Dumping Agreement, WTO Rec G/ADP/9
of 27 November 2002 (29 November 2002), <https://docs.wto.org>
Accession of Least-Developed Countries, WTO General Council

Dec WT/L/508 of 10 December 2002 (20 January 2003),
<https://docs.wto.org> (accessed 2 December 2019)
2–7.6.2 Reports and Minutes of Meetings

Examples
WTO, Report of the Working Party on the Accession of Bulgaria, WTO

Doc WT/ACC/BGR/5 (20 September 1996), <http://docs.wto.org>
GATT, Committee on Trade and Development, Report Presented to and

Adopted by the Contracting Parties on 4 December 1991, GATT
Doc L/6929 (1991) BISD (38th Supp) 24
WTO, Committee on Market Access, Minutes of Meeting, WTO

Doc G/MA/M/34 (held on 26 March 2003), <http://docs. wto.org>
APPENDIX 2: CITATIONS OF COMMON LAW REPORTS
[Paragraph 2–1.1.2]
Singapore
Singapore Law Reports

[the Official Reporter for Singapore cases from 2010 onwards]
Citation Style Years Volume Numbers
[year–year] SLR page [1965–1968], [1969–1971], –
[1972–1974], [1975–
1977], [1978–1979]
[year] SLR page [1986] to [1991] –
[year] vol SLR page [1992] 1 or 2
[1993] to [1998] 1, 2 or 3
[1999] to present 1, 2, 3 or 4
Singapore Law Reports (Reissue)

[the Official Reporter for Singapore cases from 1965 to 2009]
[year–year] SLR(R) page [1965–1967], [1968–1970], –
[1971–1973], [1974–
1976], [1977–1978],
[1979–1980], [1981–
1982], [1983–1984],
[1985–1986]
[year] SLR(R) page [1987] –
[year] vol SLR(R) page [1988] to [1991], [2002] 1 or 2
[1992] to [2001] 1, 2 or 3
[2003] to [2009] 1, 2, 3 or 4
Malaysia
Malayan Law Journal

[year] MLJ page [1932] to [1964] –
[year] vol MLJ page [1965] to [1987], [1992] 1 or 2
[1988] to [1991], [1993], 1, 2 or 3
[1994]
[1995] 1, 2, 3 or 4
[1996], [1997] 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5
[1998], [2000] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7
[1999], [2001] to [2004] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6
Canada
Dominion Law Reports

(year) DLR page (1912) to (1922) 1 to 70
[year] vol DLR page [1923] to [1954] 1, 2, 3 or 4
[1955] 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5
(year) vol DLR (2d) page (1956) to (1968) 1 to 70
(year) vol DLR (3d) page (1969) to (1984) 1 to 150
(year) vol DLR (4th) page (1984) to present 1 to 376, and so on
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Hong Kong Cases

[year–year] HKC page [1946–1972], [1973–1976], –
[1977–1979]
[year] HKC page [1980] to [1982], [1984], –
[1986], [1988]
[1983], [1985], [1989] to 1 or 2
[year] vol HKC page [1993]
[1987], [1994], [1995] 1, 2 or 3
[1996] to present 1, 2, 3 or 4
Hong Kong Law Reports

(year) vol HKLR page (1905) to (1956) 1 to 40
[year] HKLR page [1957] to [1987] –
Appendix 2: Abbreviations of Reports of Singapore and Malaysian Cases … 139
[year] vol HKLR page [1988] to [1996] 1 or 2

[year] HKLRD page [1997] –
[year] vol HKLRD page [1998] 1 or 2
[1999] to present 1, 2 or 3
United Kingdom
The Law Reports (published by the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England
and Wales)
Citation Style Full Name of Report Years Volume Nos
(year) LR vol A & E Admiralty & (1865) to (1875) 1 to 4
page Ecclesiastical Cases
(year) vol App Cas Appeal Cases (1875) to (1890) 1 to 15
page
[year] AC page Appeal Cases [1891] to [1915], –
[1917] to [1920],
[1923] to [1966],
[1968], [1970] to
[1982], [1984] to
[1989], [1993],
[1996] to [1998]
[year] vol AC page Appeal Cases [1916], [1921], [1922], 1 or 2
[1967], [1969],
[1983], [1990] to
[1992], [1994],
[1995], [1999] to
present
(year) LR vol Ch App Chancery Appeals (1865) to (1875) 1 to 10
page
(year) vol Ch D page Chancery Division (1875) to (1890) 1 to 45
[year] vol Ch page Chancery Division [1891] to [1894] 1, 2, 3
[1895] to [1924], 1 or 2
[1927], [1929] to
[1932], [1969]
[year] Ch page Chancery Division [1925], [1926], [1928], –
[1933] to [1968],
[1970] to present
(year) LR vol CP page Common Pleas (1865) to (1875) 1 to 10

(year) vol CPD page Common Pleas (1875) to (1880) 1 to 5
Division
(year) LR vol CCR Crown Cases Reserved (1865) to (1875) 1 to 2
page
(year) LR vol Eq page Equity Cases (1865) to (1875) 1 to 20
(year) LR vol Exch Exchequer Cases (1865) to (1875) 1 to 10
page
(year) vol Ex D page Exchequer Division (1876) to (1880) 1 to 5
[year] Fam page Family Division [1972] to present –
(year) LR vol HL English & Irish (1866) to (1875) 1 to 7
page Appeals
(year) LR vol PC page Privy Council Appeals (1865) to (1875) 1 to 6
(year) LR vol P & D Probate & Divorce (1865) to (1875) 1 to 3
page
(year) vol PD page Probate Division (1875) to (1890) 1 to 15
[year] P page Probate Division [1891] to [1971] –
(year) LR vol QB Queen’s Bench (1865) to (1875) 1 to 10
page Division
(year) vol QBD page Queen’s Bench (1875) to (1890) 1 to 25
Division
[year] vol QB page Queen’s Bench [1891] to [1900] 1 or 2
Division
[year] vol KB page King’s Bench Division [1901] to [1919] 1 or 2
[year] vol KB page King’s Bench Division [1920], [1921] 1, 2 or 3
[year] vol KB page King’s Bench Division [1922] to [1951] 1 or 2
[1952] 1 KB page King’s Bench Division
[1952] 2 QB page Queen’s Bench
Division
[year] vol QB page Queen’s Bench [1953] to [1972], 1 or 2
Division [1990], [1991]
[year] QB page Queen’s Bench [1973] to [1989], –
Division [1992] to present

(year) LR vol Sc & Scotch & Divorce (1866) to (1875) 1 to 2
Div page Appeals
Notes
 Generally, from 1865 to 1875, round brackets are used for the year and “LR” appears
in the citation, followed by the volume number.
 From 1875 to 1890, round brackets are used for the year and “D” usually appears, eg,
“Ch D”, “CPD”, “Ex D”, “QBD”
 From 1891 onwards, square brackets are used for the year.
All England Law Reports

Citation Style Full Name of Report Years Volume
Nos
[year–year] All ER All England Law [1895–1899], [1900– –
Rep page Reports Reprint 1903], [1904–1907],
[1908–1910], [1911–
1913], [1914–1915],
[1916–1917], [1918–
1919]
[year] All ER Rep All England Law [1920] to [1935] –
page Reports Reprint
[year] vol All ER page All England Law [1936], [1941], [1954] 1, 2 or 3
Reports to [1990]
[1937] to [1940], 1, 2, 3 or 4
[1991] to present
[1942] to [1953] 1 or 2
[year] vol All ER All England Law [1999] to present 1 or 2
(Comm) page Reports Commercial
Fleet Street Reports

[year] FSR page [1963] to [2000] –
[year] FSR case number [2001] onwards –
Lloyd’s Law Reports

Citation Style Full Name of Report Years Volume
Nos
(year) vol Ll L Rep Lloyd’s List Law (1919) to (1950) 1 to 84
page Reports
[year] vol Lloyd’s Rep Lloyd’s Law Reports [1951] to present 1 or 2

page
[year] Lloyd’s Rep Lloyd’s Law Reports [1998] to [2001] –
Bank page Banking
[year] Lloyd’s Rep Lloyd’s Law Reports [1998] to present –

Med page Medical
Reports of Patent, Design and Trade Mark Cases

(year) vol RPC page (1884) to (1955) 1 to 72
[year] RPC page [1956] to [2000] –
[year] RPC case number [2001] onwards –
APPENDIX 3: ABBREVIATIONS OF SELECTED LAW REPORTS AND
OTHER WORKS CONTAINING REPORTS OF SINGAPORE
AND MALAYSIAN CASES
[paragraph 2–1.1.4]
Law Reports and Other Works Period of Abbreviation

Reported Cases
All Malaysia Reports 1993– AMR
All Malaysia Reports: The Weekly Law Report on
Malaysian Cases (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia: Central
Law Book Corporation, 1993– )
Asia Intellectual Property Reports 1993–1996 AIPR
Chew Kherk Ying & Ang Kwee Tiang gen eds, Asia
Intellectual Property Reports: Being Reports of
Judgments from Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong,
Thailand and the Philippines (Singapore:
Butterworths Asia, 1993–1996)
Borneo High Court Reports – BHCR
Syed Ahmad Idid ed, Borneo High Court Reports
(Subang Jaya, Malaysia: Pelanduk, 1999)
Braddell’s Law of the Straits Settlements 1875–1931 BLSS
Roland Braddell, The Law of the Straits Settlements
(2nd Ed) (Singapore: Kelly & Walsh, 1931–1932).
2 vols. Contains judgments of the Privy Council on
appeal from the Straits Settlements.
Braddell’s Common Gaming Houses 1886–1925 BCGH
Roland Braddell, Common Gaming Houses: A
Commentary on Ordinance No 45 (Common Gaming
Houses) (Singapore: Kelly & Walsh, 1932). Contains
cases relevant to the interpretation of the Common
Gaming Houses Ordinance 1888 (No 5 of 1888).
Business Law Journal 1993–1996 BLJ
(Selangor, Malaysia: Malaysian Current Law Journal,
1993–1996). Continuation of Malaysian Tax Cases;
continued by Current Law Journal Supplementary
Series.
CLAS News 1981– CLAS News
(Singapore: Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, Law Society
of Singapore, 1981– ). Cite 1987–1992 issues by year
and issue number; cite issues from 1993 onwards by
year and volume number.

Reported Cases
Current Law Journal 1988– CLJ
Current Law Journal: CLJ (Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian
Current Law Journal, 1988– ). Continuation of
Malaysian Current Law Journal.
Current Law Journal Supplementary Series 1997– CLJ
(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Malaysian Current Law
Journal, 1997– ). Continuation of Business Law
Journal.
De Mello’s Manual of the Law of Extradition and 1877–1913 De Mello
Fugitive Offenders
Aloÿsius de Mello, A Manual of the Law of
Extradition and Fugitive Offenders Applicable to the
Eastern Dependencies of the British Empire (the
Straits Settlements, Hong-Kong, India, Ceylon and the
Protected States of Malaya and Borneo) (2nd Ed)
(Singapore: Printed at the Government Printing
Office, 1933)
Federated Malay States Law Reports 1906–1941 FMSLR
(Kuala Lumpur: the Government, 1922–1947;
reprinted Yeovil, Somerset: Legal Library
(Publishing) Services). volume numbers omitted from
1931 onwards.
Industrial Law Reports 1983– ILR
Journal, 1983– ). Continuation of Malaysian Labour
Law Reports.
Innes’ Registration of Title 1907–1913 Innes
J R (James Rose) Innes, A Short Treatise on
Registration of Title in the Federated Malay States:
With Reports of Cases Decided in the Supreme Court
under the Land and Mining Laws from 1907 to 1913
(Kuala Lumpur: Printed by the Government Printers,
1913; reprinted Yeovil, Somerset: Legal Library
(Publishing) Services)
Johore Law Reports 1915–1940 JLR
The Law Reports of the State of Johore (Singapore:
Printed by Lithographers, 1939–1941). 2 vols.
Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal – JMBRAS
Asiatic Society
(Singapore: Malayan Branch, Royal Asiatic Society,
1923–1964)

Reported Cases
Kyshe’s Reports
James William Norton-Kyshe ed, Cases Heard and
Determined in Her Majesty’s Supreme Court of the
Straits Settlements, 1808-1884 (Singapore: Printed at
the Singapore and Straits Printing Office, 1885-1890)
vol I: Civil Cases 1808–1884 1 Ky

vol II: Criminal Rulings, Admiralty, Bankruptcy, 1808–1884 2 Ky
Ecclesiastical and Habeas Corpus Cases (Crim, Adm,
(separate page numbering for each type of Bank, Eccl,
case) HC)
1808–1884 3 Ky
vol III: Magistrates’ Appeals 1885–1890 4 Ky
vol IV: Cases on all subjects
Magistrates’ Appeal Cases 1884–1893 MAC
Reports of cases in the Supreme Court of the Straits
Settlements, Settlement of Penang, 1884-1893
([Singapore?]: Straits Settlements Supreme Court,
[1894?]). Includes Magistrates’ Appeals from
Malacca and Singapore.
Malayan Cases
Bashir A Mallal & Nazir A. Mallal eds, Malayan 1908–1973 1 MC
Cases: Old and Important Cases Which are Still Law:
volume 1 (Singapore: Malayan Law Journal Office,
1939, 1958)
Bashir A Mallal ed, Malayan Cases: Important cases 2 MC

Hitherto Unreported: volume 2 (Singapore: Malayan
Law Journal Office, 1958)
Bashir A Mallal ed, Malayan Cases: Being a 3 MC

Collection of Important Cases Hitherto Unreported:
volume 3 (Singapore: Malayan Law Journal, 1964)
Al-Mansor Adabi comp, Malayan Cases: Being a 4 MC

Collection of Important Cases Hitherto Unreported:
volume 4 (Singapore: Malayan Law Journal, 1980)
Malayan Law Journal 1932– MLJ
(Singapore; Kuala Lumpur: Malayan Law Journal,
1932– )

Reported Cases
Malayan Law Journal 1948–49 Supplement 1948–1949 [1948–49]
(Singapore: Malayan Law Journal Ltd, 1957). MLJ Supp
Contains full reports of cases noted in [1949] MLJ
under ‘Notes of Cases’ and a few hitherto unreported
cases.
Malayan Law Journal 1949 Supplement 1949 [1949]
(Singapore: Malayan Law Journal Ltd, 1951). MLJ Supp
Contains full reports of a few cases noted in [1949]
MLJ under ‘Notes of Cases’.
Malayan Law Reports 1950–1954 MLR
Malayan Law Reports: Containing Reports of Cases
Decided in the Federation of Malaya and the Colony
of Singapore (Kuala Lumpur: Printed at the Federation
of Malaya Government Press, 1951–1956)
Malayan Union Law Reports 1946–1947 MULR
Morris Edgar ed, The Law Reports of the Malayan
Union (Kuala Lumpur: Printed by the Government
Press, 1948–1950). 2 vols.
Malaysian and Singapore Company and Securities 1950–2000 MSCLC
Law Cases
(Singapore: CCH Asia, 1998– )
Malaysian and Singapore Company and Securities – CSLR
Law Reports
Walter Woon Cheong Ming advisory ed (Singapore:
Butterworths Asia, 1994–1997)
Malaysian and Singapore Tax Cases 1950–1998 MSTC
(Singapore: CCH Asia, 1989– )
Malaysian Current Law Journal 1981–1988 CLJ
Journal, 1981–1988). Continued by Current Law
Journal.
Malaysian Labour Law Reports 1965–1982 MLLR
(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Industrial Court, 1976–
1987). Continued by Industrial Law Reports.
Malaysian Tax Cases 1985–1992 MTC
Malaysian Tax Cases: A Quarterly Journal (Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia: Malaysian Law Publishers, 1985–
1992). Continued by Business Law Journal.

Reported Cases
Military Court of Appeal Law Reports 1973–1995 1973–1995 MCALR
(Singapore: Legal Services, Ministry of Defence,
1997)
Privy Council Cases 1875–1990 PCC
Visu Sinnadurai (Kuala Lumpur: Professional Law
Books, 1990). 4 vols.
Quarterly Notes of Cases Decided in the Supreme 1 January 1926 – QN
Court of the Straits Settlements 30 September 1927
(Singapore: Printed by the Government Printing
Office, 1926–1927)
Singapore Law Reports
The Singapore Law Reports (Singapore: Printed by the 1946–1949 SLR
Government Printing Office, 1950–1951) 1953–1956
Colony of Singapore Law Reports (Singapore: Printed
by the Government Printing Office, 1953–1957)
The Singapore Law Reports (Singapore: Singapore 1992– SLR

Academy of Law, 1992– ) 1965–1991 SLR Rev Ed
(backset)
Singapore Property Tax Cases 1959–1986 SPTC
Leila bte Abdul Rahman comp, Singapore Property
Tax Cases: Being a Collection of Cases Decided by
the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the Court
of Appeal and the High Court, and the Valuation
Review Board of Singapore 1959–1986 (Singapore:
Malayan Law Journal, 1987)
Straits Law Journal
(Singapore: Walter Makepeace, 1888–1892)
vol I June 1888 – 1 SLJ

May 1889
vol II June 1889 – 2 SLJ
May 1890
vol III June 1890 – 3 SLJ
December 1890
vol IV January 1891 – 4 SLJ
June 1891
vol V July 1891 – See Straits
April 1892 Law Reports
(New Series)

Reported Cases
Straits Law Reports 1837–1875 Str LR Leic
Stephen Leicester, Straits Law Reports: Being a
Report of Cases Decided in the Supreme Court of the
Straits Settlements, Penang, Singapore and Malacca
(Penang: [sn], 1877).
Straits Law Reports (New Series) July 1891 – Str LR (NS)
(Singapore: Walter Makepeace, 1892). Issued in April 1892
connection with vol V of the Straits Law Journal.
Straits Settlements Law Reports
Old Series: Straits Settlements Law Reports 1884–1923 SSLR
(Singapore: Printed and published for the Committee
of the Singapore Bar by the ‘Straits Times’ Press,
c1893–1931) 1926–1942
New Series: Straits Settlements Law Reports
(Singapore: Printed by the Government Printing
Office, 1927–1950)
Straits Settlements Law Reports, Supplement No 1 1897–1899 SSLR Supp
(Singapore: Committee of the Singapore Bar, 1900).
Cases determined by the Court of the Judicial
Commissioner of the Federated Malay States.
Supreme Court Reports
Sarawak Supreme Court Reports: Pre-War, 1928-41; 1928–1941 SCR (Swk)

Post-War, 1946-51 (Kuching: Sarawak: Printed by the 1946–1951
Government Printing Office, 1955)
Supreme Court Reports (Kuching, Sarawak: Printed 1952–1963 SCR (Swk,

by the Government Printing Office, 1955–1964). NB, Bru)
Contains Sarawak, North Borneo and Brunei law
reports.
Supreme Court Reports – SCR
Reports of Cases Before the Supreme Court,
Malaysia; the Court of Appeal, Brunei Darussalam;
and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (on
Appeals from the Republic of Singapore and Brunei
Darussalam) (Kuala Lumpur: Professional Law
Books, 1988–1996)
Woods’ Oriental Cases 1835–1869 WOC
Robert Carr Woods jr, A Selection of Oriental Cases
Decided in the Supreme Courts of the Straits
Settlements (Penang: R C Woods, 1869)
APPENDIX 4: CITATION OF SELECTED LAW JOURNALS AND
REVIEWS PUBLISHED IN SINGAPORE AND MALAYSIA
[paragraph 2–5.1.2]
Law Journal Publication Citation Example

or Review Period
Asia Business Law Review 1993–2003 Sonja Golser, “Contracting via
(Singapore: Butterworths Internet: A Comparison Between the
Asia for School of Law of Singapore, Austria and the
Accountancy & Business, European Union” (2003) 41 AsiaBLR
Nanyang Technological 14
University)
CLAS News 1987– T K K Iyer, “Intoxication and
(Singapore: Criminal Legal Criminal Liability” [1992] No 6 CLAS
Aid Scheme, Law Society of News 4
Singapore). Cite 1987–1992
issues by year and issue Ng Tju Lik, “Alcoholic Drinks: How
number; cite issues from Much is Too Much?” [1993] 1 CLAS
1993 onwards by year and News 5
volume number.
Current Law Journal 1988– See Eng Teong, “The Bolam Test as it
(Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian has been Misunderstood” [2003] 2
Current Law Journal). CLJ v
Continuation of Malaysian
Current Law Journal (1981–
1988)
Fiat Justitia 1966–1967 Mohamed Suffian, “The Yang di-
(Singapore: Faculty of Law, Pertuan Agong, Rulers and
University of Singapore) Governors” [1967] 2 Fiat Justitia 101
Insaf: The Journal of the 1980– Kevin Kam Soon Aun, “The Role of
Malaysian Bar Fundamental Liberties in the
(Kuala Lumpur: Bar Council, Evolution of Malaysia as a
States of Malaya). Formerly Democratic Society” (2003) 32(2)
known as Insaf: The Insaf 50
Newsletter of the Bar Council
(1967–1974) and Insaf: The
Journal of the Bar Council
(1974–1980)
Journal of Malaysian and 1974– F A Trindade, “The Law of
Comparative Law (Jurnal Defamation in the New Millennium”
Undang-Undang) (2000) 27 JMCL 23
(Kuala Lumpur: Faculty of
Law, University of Malaya)

or Review Period
Law Times 1966–1983 Rajah Vijayakumar, “Civil
(Singapore: University of Jurisdiction: A Brief Examination of
Singapore Law Society) the English and Singapore Positions”
Law Times (1981/82) at 2
Malaya Law Review 1980–1990 Ng Siew Kuan, “The Spycatcher Saga:
(Singapore: Faculty of Law, Its Implications and Effect on the Law
National University of of Confidence” (1990) 32 Mal LR 1
Singapore). Continuation of
University of Malaya Law
Review; continued by
Singapore Journal of Legal
Studies.
Malayan Law Journal 1932– Ong Hock Thye, “Law and Justice
(Kuala Lumpur: Malayan Through the Cases” [1973] 2 MLJ
Law Journal Sdn Bhd) xxxv
Me Judice 1958–1962 Harry E Groves, “Some Principles of
(Singapore: Law Society, Constitutional Interpretation” (1962) 4
Faculty of Law, University of Me Judice 48
Singapore)
Singapore Academy of Law 2000– Tan Sook Yee & Tang Hang Wu,
Annual Review of Singapore “Equity, Trust and Restitution” (2001)
Cases 2 SAL Ann Rev 198
(Singapore: Singapore
Academy of Law)
Singapore Academy of Law 1988– Tan Boon Heng, “Property Rights in
Journal Human Tissue: Call ‘A Spade, A
(Singapore: Singapore Spade’” (2003) 15 SAcLJ 61
Academy of Law)
Singapore Journal of 1997–2003 Victor V Ramraj, “Comparative
International and Constitutional Law in Singapore”
Comparative Law (2002) 6 Sing JICL 302
(Singapore: Faculty of Law,
National University of
Singapore). Continued by
Singapore year Book of
International Law.
Singapore Journal of Legal 1991– Michael Hor, “Terrorism and the
Studies Criminal Law: Singapore’s Solution”
(Singapore: Faculty of Law, [2002] Sing JLS 30
National University of
Malaya Law Review.
Appendix 4: Citation of Law Journals and Reviews Published in Singapore and Malaysia … 151

or Review Period
Singapore Law Gazette 1992– Naresh Mahtani & Melissa Chen,
(Singapore: Law Society of “‘Without Prejudice’: Principles and
Singapore/LexisNexis) Myths”, Singapore Law Gazette
(October 2003) at 14
Singapore Law Review 1969–1972 Andrew Phang, “The Singapore Legal
(Singapore: Law Club, 1983– System – History, Theory and
National University of Practice” (2000–01) 21 Sing LR 23
Singapore)
Singapore year Book of 2004– Adrian Briggs, “Crossing the River by
International Law Feeling the Stones: Rethinking the
(Singapore: Faculty of Law, Law on Foreign Judgments” (2004) 8
National University of SYBIL 1
Singapore Journal of
International and
Comparative Law.
Supreme Court Journal 1988–1991 Harry Gibbs, “The Court as Guardian
(Kuala Lumpur: Professional of the Constitution: The Basic
Law Books Publishers) Principle” (1988) 1 SCJ 33
University of Malaya Law 1959–1961 L C Green, “The Right of Asylum in
Review International Law” [1961] UMLR 223
(Singapore: Law Department,
University of Malaya in
Singapore). Continued by
Malaya Law Review.

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Style Guide for the

SINGAPORE LAW REPORTS

© 2021 Singapore Academy of Law. All rights reserved.

PART 1: GENERAL RULES..................................................................................... 5

2–5.4 Subsequent References ............................................................................ 53

(Refer to  Appendix 1A for Examples on General Rules)

1–1 APPLICATION OF RULES

1–2 FORMATTING RULES

1–2.1 Styles and Emphasis

1–2.4 Paragraph Numbering

Each paragraph in a judgment should be sequentially numbered using an Arabic

1–2.5 Numbering Levels

1–2.5.1 Numbering Level System

First Level – (a), (b), (c), … (aa), (bb), (cc), etc.

Third Level – (A), (B), (C), … (AA), (BB), (CC), etc.

1–2.5.2 Punctuation of Items in a Numbered List

1–2.5.3 Numbering Items Listed in a Single Sentence

1–2.6.1 Quotations within a Sentence

Include punctuation within quotation marks only if a complete sentence is

1–2.6.2 Quotations in a Separate Block

1–2.6.3 Emphasis in Quotations

Where emphasis is added to quotations that contain originally emphasised

Where a first-level quotation (from “Text A”) contains a second-level

1–2.6.4 Changes to Quotations

If it is necessary to make interpolations, corrections, explanations,

When quoting text from the middle of a paragraph in the source in a

1–2.6.5 Errors in Quotations

1–2.6.6 Citations for Quotations

If the source of a quotation is a Supreme Court judgment which has been

1–2.7 Information Not to be Disclosed in Judgments

1–3 RULES OF EXPRESSION

The following preferred spellings should be especially noted.

Variant Spellings Preferred Spelling

Variant Spellings Preferred Spelling

Similarly, an abbreviation of a form of address may be used only in conjunction with

For abbreviations of the honorifics or terms of address of judges, judicial

1–3.2.2 Words and Phrases That May Always be Abbreviated

See the various tables in  Appendix 1A for abbreviations relating to Parts

For citation word abbreviations, a non-breaking space should be typed

As indicated in the example, “Number” is abbreviated as “No” only for

1–3.2.3 Words and Phrases That Should Not be Abbreviated

1–3.3 Date and Time

By definition “12.00am” denotes midnight and “12.00pm” denotes noon,

A period of time should be indicated as follows: “from 11.00am to 1.00pm”,

1–3.4.1 Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers

1–3.4.2 Numbers With Four or More Digits

Expressions of a million or a billion may be abbreviated to “m” and “bn”

1–3.4.4 Singapore Land Authority Lot Numbers

1–3.5.1 The Comma

1–3.5.1.1 The Listing Comma

1–3.5.1.2 The Joining Comma

1–3.5.1.3 The Gapping Comma

1–3.5.1.4 Bracketing Commas

To check if bracketing commas have been correctly used,

Bracketing commas should not be used with clauses that are

A weak interruption may occur at the beginning or end of a

Bracketing commas are to be used with the following

1–3.5.2 The Colon

A colon may be used to introduce a quotation. Alternatively, either use a

1–3.5.3 The Semicolon

However, certain connecting words do require a preceding semicolon. The

Where a sentence contains numerous commas, for clarity semicolons may

1–3.5.4 The Apostrophe