How does the Constitution affect you?

On 10th December 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Many countries had enshrined the principles in this Declaration in their own constitution. In Singapore, these rights are found in Part IV of the Constitution entitled "Fundamental Liberties".

One noticeable absence in the Singapore Constitution is the "right to property". This could be because land in Singapore is scarce and for the good of the general population, land may have to be compulsorily acquired by the Singapore government.

These Fundamental Liberties ensure that you have the same rights as any other citizen of Singapore. However, almost all of these liberties are not absolute. These liberties can be denied if it is done according to specific provisions in the Constitution. As an example, if there is a National Emergency.

Fundamental Liberties

These fundamental liberties are set out in brief below. They are:-

1. Liberty of the Person
2. Slavery and Forced Labour Prohibited
3. Protection Against Retrospective Laws and Repeated Trials
4. Equality
5. Prohibition Of Banishment And Freedom Of Movement
6. Freedom of Speech, Assembly and Association
7. Freedom of Religion
8. Rights in Respect of Education