Women’s Charter (Protection of Women and Girls) Rules

Women’s Charter

(Chapter 353, Section 180(1))

R 2

REVISED EDITION 1998

(15th June 1998)

[1st July 1974]

Citation

1. These Rules may be cited as the Women’s Charter (Protection of Women and Girls) Rules.

Definitions

2. In these Rules —

“Board” means a Board of Visitors appointed by the Minister under section 178 of the Act;

“Chairman” means the Chairman of the Board;

“Dental Officer” means a Dental Officer appointed under rule 57;

“Deputy Chairman” means the Deputy Chairman of the Board;

“Medical Officer” means a Medical Officer appointed under rule 55;

“paramedic” includes —

(a)	a member of the Singapore Civil Defence Force raised and maintained under the Civil Defence Act 1986 who is a paramedic;
(b)	an ambulance paramedic as defined by regulation 9(8) of the Healthcare Services (Emergency Ambulance Service and Medical Transport Service) Regulations 2022 (G.N. No. S 2/2022); and
(c)	an emergency medical technician as defined by regulation 9(8) of the Healthcare Services (Emergency Ambulance Service and Medical Transport Service) Regulations 2022;

[S 901/2024 wef 02/01/2025]

“psychiatrist” means a medical practitioner who is registered as a psychiatrist in the Register of Specialists under the Medical Registration Act 1997;

[S 901/2024 wef 02/01/2025]

“registered dentist” means a person registered as a fully registered dentist under section 14(1) or (2) of the Dental Registration Act 1999;

[S 901/2024 wef 02/01/2025]

“registered medical practitioner” has the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Medical Registration Act 1997;

[S 901/2024 wef 02/01/2025]

“registered nurse” has the meaning given by section 2 of the Nurses and Midwives Act 1999;

[S 901/2024 wef 02/01/2025]

“superintendent” means a person appointed to be in charge of a place of safety.

[S 901/2024 wef 02/01/2025]

PART I

BOARD OF VISITORS

Composition of Board

3.—(1) The Board shall consist of such number of persons as the Minister may determine.

(2) The Minister may at any time revoke the appointment of any member of the Board.

Tenure of office

4. Every member of the Board shall hold office for a period of not more than 2 years from the date of his appointment and shall be eligible for reappointment on completion of that period unless he resigns during his period of office or unless his appointment is revoked by the Minister under rule 3(2).

Duty of Board

5.—(1) Members of the Board shall satisfy themselves that the health, maintenance, recreation, discipline, training and education of the girls in places of safety are satisfactory and that an efficient standard is maintained throughout each place of safety but shall not be concerned with the general administrative matters of the places of safety.

(2) Members of the Board shall send their comments and recommendations regarding the places of safety to the Director-General.

[S 530/2020 wef 01/07/2020]

Visits to places of safety

6. Not less than 2 members of the Board shall visit each place of safety in respect of which they are appointed at least once a month.

Chairman of Board

7.—(1) The Chairman shall be appointed by the Minister from amongst the members of the Board.

(2) The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Board.

Deputy Chairman of Board

8.—(1) A Deputy Chairman shall be elected by the Board from amongst its members.

(2) The Deputy Chairman may, in the absence of the Chairman, preside at meetings of the Board and when so doing shall exercise all the powers and functions of the Chairman.

Secretary to Board

9.—(1) The Chairman shall appoint a Secretary to the Board.

(2) The Secretary shall not be a member of the Board and shall not be entitled to vote at a meeting of the Board.

Cessation of appointment

10. A person appointed as a member of the Board shall cease to hold such appointment —

(a)	on his death, resignation or absence from Singapore for more than 3 months without the prior permission of the Minister; or
(b)	if the Minister revokes the appointment.

Vacancies in Board

11.—(1) A vacancy occurring in the Board shall be filled by a fresh appointment made by the Minister, and the person appointed to fill such vacancy shall hold office for so long as the member in whose place he is appointed would have held office.

(2) The Board shall not be incapable of acting by reason only of there being any vacancy in the membership of the Board.

Quorum

12.—(1) The quorum at every meeting of the Board shall be half the total number of members of the Board, and shall include the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman.

(2) No business shall be transacted or discussed at a meeting of the Board unless a quorum is present.

Resolutions

13. Resolutions at any meeting of the Board shall be passed by a majority of votes and in the case of an equality of votes, the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman, presiding at the meeting, shall have a second or casting vote.

Meetings

14.—(1) Meetings of the Board shall be called by the Chairman or the Secretary of the Board as and when necessary but in any case at intervals not exceeding 3 months.

(2) A meeting of the Board shall be called upon the requisition in writing of not less than 3 members of the Board.

(3) At least 7 days’ notice in writing shall be given of meetings of the Board and the notice convening the meeting shall include the agenda for such meeting.

(4) The Secretary shall keep the minutes of every meeting and a copy of the minutes shall be sent to all members of the Board as soon as possible after each meeting.

(5) The minutes shall be confirmed at the next following meeting of the Board and when confirmed shall be signed by the Chairman, or the Deputy Chairman, presiding at that meeting.

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