page_title: Remedies in Singapore constitutional law
section_title: Supremacy of the Constitution
hierarchical_section_title: Remedies in Singapore constitutional law / Supremacy of the Constitution
caption_attribution_description: English: Article 4 of the 1999 Reprint of the Constitution of Singapore, also known as the supremacy clause, which states: "This Constitution is the supreme law of the Republic of Singapore and any law enacted by the Legislature after the commencement of this Constitution which is inconsistent with this Constitution shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void."
context_page_description: The remedies available in a Singapore constitutional claim are the prerogative orders – quashing, prohibiting and mandatory orders, and the order for review of detention – and the declaration. As the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore is the supreme law of Singapore, the High Court can hold any law enacted by Parliament, subsidiary legislation issued by a minister, or rules derived from the common law, as well as acts and decisions of public authorities, that are inconsistent with the Constitution to be void. Mandatory orders have the effect of directing authorities to take certain actions, prohibiting orders forbid them from acting, and quashing orders invalidate their acts or decisions. An order for review of detention is sought to direct a party responsible for detaining a person to produce the detainee before the High Court so that the legality of the detention can be established.
  The High Court also has the power to grant declarations to strike down unconstitutional legislation.
context_section_description: The Constitution of the Republic of Singapore is the supreme law of the land. This is supported by Article 4 of the Constitution, which provides:
  This Constitution is the supreme law of the Republic of Singapore and any law enacted by the Legislature after the commencement of this Constitution which is inconsistent with this Constitution shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.
  The court has the power and duty to uphold the provisions in the Constitution. As the Constitution is supreme, the judiciary can hold any law laid down by Parliament, subsidiary legislation issued by a minister, or rules derived from common law as unconstitutional, and therefore void. The constitutionality of decisions and orders of public authorities can be challenged as well, as the Court of Appeal held in Eng Foong Ho v. Attorney-General (2009).
caption: Article 4 appears at the top of the left-hand page in this copy of the Constitution of Singapore (1985 Revised Edition, 1999 Reprint)
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