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Tuvalu Law Revision Act


Published: 2008-01-01

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Tuvalu Law Revision Act


2008 Revised Edition

CAP. 1.08






TUVALU LAW REVISION ACT

Tuvalu Law Revision Act CAP. 1.08 Arrangement of Sections





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TUVALU LAW REVISION ACT

Arrangement of Sections
Section

PART 1 — PRELIMINARY 5
1 Short title................................................................................................................ 5
2 Commencement ..................................................................................................... 5
3 Interpretation.......................................................................................................... 5
4 Appointment of Law Revision Commissioner....................................................... 6

PART 2 — LAW REVISION 6
5 Law Revision functions of the Commissioner....................................................... 6
6 Contents of revised edition .................................................................................... 6
7 Laws to be omitted from revised edition ............................................................... 7
8 Revision powers of Commissioner ........................................................................ 7
9 Format and marking of revised edition.................................................................. 7
10 Bringing revised edition into force ........................................................................ 8
11 Publication and distribution of revised edition ...................................................... 8
12 Status and effect of revised edition........................................................................ 9
13 Updating of revised edition.................................................................................... 9
14 Unofficial publications ........................................................................................ 10
15 Correction of minor errors and omissions ........................................................... 10
16 Keeping of laws passed or made in Tuvalu ......................................................... 10
17 Offence................................................................................................................. 11

PART 3 — TRANSITIONAL 11
18 Repeal .................................................................................................................. 11


SCHEDULE 1 12

OMITTED LAWS 12

Arrangement of Sections CAP. 1.08 Tuvalu Law Revision Act





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SCHEDULE 2 13

POWERS OF REVISION 13

Supporting Documents

ENDNOTES 14

Tuvalu Law Revision Act CAP. 1.08 Section 1





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TUVALU LAW REVISION ACT


AN ACT TO MAKE PROVISION FOR THE CONSOLIDATION AND
REVISION OF THE LAWS OF TUVALU; FOR THE PUBLICATION OF A

NEW REVISED EDITION OF THE LAWS OF TUVALU, FOR THE
PERIODIC UPDATING OF THE REVISED EDITION IN VARIOUS

FORMATS, AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES1



PART 1 — PRELIMINARY

1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the Tuvalu Law Revision Act.

2 Commencement
This Act shall commence on the date specified by the Attorney-General in an Order
published in the manner prescribed in the Interpretation Act, and different dates may
be so specified for different parts of this Act.

3 Interpretation
In this Act —

“Commissioner” means the Law Revision Commissioner appointed under
section 4;

“effective date”, in relation to a revised edition, means the date that the
edition is brought into force under section 10;

Section 5 CAP. 1.08 Tuvalu Law Revision Act





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“law” and “written law” means an Act, Ordinance or subsidiary legislation;

“Notice in the Gazette” means a Notice or other instrument published by
exhibition at the Government Office Building, Vaiaku, Funafuti and in due
course be printed in the Gazette;

“page”, in relation to a revised edition in the format of a CD-ROM or other
means of electronic storage or a databank accessible by remote computer,
includes any separate item of text;

“revised edition” means a complete revised edition of the laws of Tuvalu or
an update of such an edition;

“revision date”, in relation to a revised edition, is the date up until which that
edition is current.

4 Appointment of Law Revision Commissioner
(1) The Attorney-General may, by Notice in the Gazette, appoint a person to be

the Law Revision Commissioner for the purposes of this Act.

(2) In the event that there is no person presently appointed and willing to act as
Law Revision Commissioner, then the Attorney-General shall be ex officio
the Law Revision Commissioner.

PART 2 — LAW REVISION

5 Law Revision functions of the Commissioner
(1) The Commissioner, in accordance with this Act —

(a) shall prepare and bring into force a complete revised edition of the law
in the English language;

(b) may maintain the edition by preparing and bringing into force updates;
(c) may prepare and publish other material under section 14.

(2) In the exercise of his functions, the Commissioner shall comply with any
directions of the Cabinet, communicated to him in writing by the Attorney
General.

6 Contents of revised edition
(1) A complete revised edition shall contain —

(a) all laws passed or made in Tuvalu that are in force on the revision date
and that are not omitted under section 7;

Tuvalu Law Revision Act CAP. 1.08 Section 7





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(b) such laws of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and Orders in
Council which apply to Tuvalu and which the Commissioner considers
it desirable to include;

(c) such treaties and conventions relevant to Tuvalu which the
Commissioner considers it desirable to include;

(d) an index of its contents; and
(e) such introductory and explanatory material and such tables as the

Commissioner considers it desirable to include.

(2) If a revised edition contains a law adopting or applying a treaty or convention
to Tuvalu, with or without modifications, the Act, treaty or convention may be
reproduced in the revised edition with any such modifications, which shall be
clearly indicated by the use of brackets and notes or similar means.

7 Laws to be omitted from revised edition
(1) The Commissioner shall omit from a revised edition the laws specified in

Schedule 1.

(2) A revised edition shall indicate any law omitted pursuant to this section.

8 Revision powers of Commissioner
(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), in the preparation of a revised edition the

Commissioner shall have the powers of revision described in Schedule 2.

(2) Nothing may be done under this section that would alter the effect of any law.

(4) The Attorney-General may by Regulations amend Schedule 2.

9 Format and marking of revised edition
(1) A revised edition may be contained in such of the following formats as the

Commissioner thinks fit —
(a) bound books;
(b) a collection of booklets;
(c) loose-leaf books;
(d) CD-ROM or other means of electronic storage;
(e) a databank accessible by remote computer.

(2) The revision date of a revised edition shall be —
(a) marked upon every page of a revised edition in printed format; and
(b) displayed upon every page of a revised edition in any other format, in

such manner that it is also marked upon a printed copy of that page.

Section 10 CAP. 1.08 Tuvalu Law Revision Act





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(3) Different revision dates may be marked or displayed upon different pages of a
revised edition.

10 Bringing revised edition into force
(1) The Commissioner may bring a revised edition into force by —

(a) signing 4 copies of a revised edition prepared in accordance with this
Act, in one or more of the formats mentioned in section 9, as the
authoritative version of the law on the revision date; and

(b) publishing a Notice in the Gazette —
(i) bringing that edition, in that format or those formats, into force

on a date specified in the notice, and
(ii) where the format is a databank accessible by remote computer,

specifying the manner in which it may be accessed.

(2) Where a revised edition is brought into force in the format of a CD-ROM or
other means of electronic storage or a databank accessible by remote
computer, the Commissioner may, as an alternative to signing the copies
electronically, sign a printout from it of the revised edition.

11 Publication and distribution of revised edition
(1) When a revised edition is brought into force under section 10, the

Commissioner shall deliver one copy each, in each format in which the
edition is brought into force, to –
(a) The Governor General;
(b) the Attorney-General;
(c) the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; and
(d) the Speaker of the Parliament.

(2) The Commissioner shall –
(a) offer for sale copies of a revised edition brought into force in the format

of booklets, bound books, loose-leaf books, pages or CD-ROM or other
means of electronic storage; and

(b) make a revised edition brought into force in the format of a databank
accessible to remote computers available upon such terms as the
Commissioner may determine.

(3) The Commissioner may offer for sale or make accessible to remote
computers, on such terms as the Commissioner may determine, copies of a
revised edition in a format other than the format in which it is brought into
force.

(4) Without prejudice to subsections (2) and (3), the Commissioner may enter
into any agreement for the sale of copies of a revised edition by any publisher

Tuvalu Law Revision Act CAP. 1.08 Section 12





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or bookseller and for the inclusion of a revised edition in a databank or
publication, whether in Tuvalu or elsewhere, as may appear to be expedient.

12 Status and effect of revised edition
(1) From the effective date, a revised edition prepared in accordance with this

Act, in a format in which it is brought into force under section 10, shall be
deemed to be, in all courts of justice and for all purposes whatsoever, the sole
authentic edition of the laws of Tuvalu, in respect of the law contained in it
and in force on the revision date.

(2) Subsection (1) shall not affect the operation of any law which comes into
force after the revision date and which repeals, alters or amends any law
included in the revised edition.

(3) A reference in any law to another law or provision amended or otherwise
affected by the operation of this Act shall be construed, where necessary and
practicable, as a reference to the revised version of the other law contained in
the revised edition.

(4) A reference in any document to a law or provision amended or otherwise
affected by the operation of this Act shall be construed, unless the contrary
intention appears, as a reference to the revised version of the other law
contained in the revised edition.

(5) The omission, by virtue of section 7 or paragraph 1 of Schedule 2, of a law
from a revised edition brought into force under section 10 shall not affect the
operation of that law, which shall remain in force until it has been repealed or
has expired, become spent or had effect, as the case may be, and may be
proved by the production of any copy of it by which it could have been
proved before the revised edition is brought into force.

(6) Subsection (1) shall not apply to a copy of a revised edition brought into force
under section 10 where the copy is in a format other than a format in which
the edition was brought into force.

13 Updating of revised edition
(1) A revised edition brought into force under section 10 may be updated as

provided in this section so as to add or incorporate any law or the effect of
any law which comes into force after the revision date.

(2) A revised edition in the form of a bound booklet, bound book, CD-ROM or
other means of electronic storage, may be updated by its entire replacement.

(3) A revised edition in loose-leaf format may be updated by the replacement of
pages or the insertion or deletion of pages.

(4) A revised edition in the form of a databank that is accessible by remote
computer may be updated by the amendment of part or the whole of that

Section 14 CAP. 1.08 Tuvalu Law Revision Act





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databank and the consequent replacement of the current version of the
databank.

(5) A replacement, insertion, deletion or amendment pursuant to this section shall
have no effect unless it is brought into force under section 10.

(6) A replacement, insertion, deletion or amendment pursuant to this section
which is brought into force under section 10 shall have the status and effect
described in section 12.

14 Unofficial publications
(1) The Commissioner may publish, in the form of an internet site, CD-ROM or

other means of electronic storage a collection of the laws of Tuvalu which
contains laws, or the effect of laws, made after the revision date.

(2) A publication referred to in subsection (1) shall contain a prominent notation
to the effect that the publication is not the official version of the laws of
Tuvalu and such publication shall have no effect upon the definitive status of
the revised edition under section 12.

15 Correction of minor errors and omissions
(1) If any clerical or printing error in or omission from a revised edition brought

into force under section 10 is found, the Commissioner —
(a) may correct the same in such manner as may be consistent with the

powers of revision conferred on him by section 8(1); and
(b) shall give Notice in the Gazette of any corrections so made.

(2) No error in or omission from a revised edition brought into force under
section 10 shall affect the validity or lawfulness of any act or omission by any
person which would otherwise have been valid or lawful.

16 Keeping of laws passed or made in Tuvalu
The Attorney-General shall —

(a) keep a copy of every law made after this Act comes into force —
(i) on CD-ROM or in any other form of electronic storage; or
(ii) on a databank; and

(b) make every such copy available to the Commissioner by, according to the
format of the copy, providing a copy of it on CD-ROM or in any other form
of electronic storage or making the databank on which it is kept accessible to
the Commissioner.

Tuvalu Law Revision Act CAP. 1.08 Section 17





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17 Offence
(1) A person who knowingly makes any alteration to a revised edition, with the

intent to deceive any person as to the true text of the law, shall be guilty of an
offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of 5 years and a fine of $10,000.

(2) Subsection (1) applies whether the alteration is made in Tuvalu or elsewhere.

PART 3 — TRANSITIONAL

18 Repeal
The Revised Edition of the Laws Act 1977 is repealed; but this repeal does not
affect the validity of anything done under it or the continuing validity of the revised
editions published under that Act.




SCHEDULE 1 CAP. 1.08 Tuvalu Law Revision Act





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SCHEDULE 1

(Section 7)

OMITTED LAWS

The following laws shall be omitted from a revised edition —

(a) private laws and laws conferring pensions or gratuities on individual persons;

(b) Appropriation Acts;

(c) laws of a temporary nature, limited application or under revision;

(d) laws the carrying into effect of whose provisions is doubtful;

(e) laws according acts of incorporation or converting trusts to public trusts;

(f) subsidiary legislation made under an Act omitted under paragraph (a) to (e);

(g) subsidiary legislation of temporary effect or which does not appear to the
Commissioner to be of sufficient importance to be included;

(h) laws omitted from an earlier revised edition of the Laws of Tuvalu.

Tuvalu Law Revision Act CAP. 1.08 SCHEDULE 2





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SCHEDULE 2

(Section 8)

POWERS OF REVISION

1. In the preparation of a revised edition, the Commissioner shall have power to
omit —
(a) any law passed or made in Tuvalu or any part of such a law which has

been expressly and specifically repealed or which has expired or has
become spent or has had its effect;

(b) any repealing provision contained in a law passed or made in Tuvalu
and also any table or list of repealed laws;

(c) the preamble to any law passed or made in Tuvalu where such omission
can, in the opinion of the Commissioner, conveniently be made;

(d) any law passed or made in Tuvalu or any provision of such a law
bringing a law or provision of a law into operation where, in the
opinion of the Commissioner, such omission can conveniently be made;

(e) any amending law passed or made in Tuvalu or any provision of such a
law, where the amendments effected by it have been embodied by the
Commissioner in the law to which they relate;

(f) any words of enactment.

2. In the preparation of a revised edition, the Commissioner shall have power, in
respect of any law, to —
(a) arrange the laws in such order or manner and in such groups as the

Commissioner may determine;
(b) add a short title to a law which does not have one, alter the long or short

title of any law or alter the title of any law;
(c) consolidate or split laws or move a provision from one law to another

such law in which the provision more properly belongs;
(d) rearrange the provisions of any law or any list in a provision of a law;
(e) add a table of contents or destinations to a law;
(f) add a heading to a provision of a law that does not have one and alter

any heading to a provision or part of a law;
(g) omit any Schedule, map, picture, drawing, diagram or other object;
(h) change any reference to a person, office, body, place or thing to reflect

a change of name, transfer of function or provision for construction of
the reference;

SCHEDULE 2 CAP. 1.08 Tuvalu Law Revision Act





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(i) make such adaptations and amendments as may appear necessary or
proper as a consequence of constitutional or other changes in Tuvalu or
any other place or territory or in or to any body or organization outside
Tuvalu;

(j) change any words to make them gender neutral;
(k) change any reference to an office established by law to make it gender

neutral;
(l) correct any typographical error or other error of spelling, punctuation,

grammar or layout;
(m) change spelling, punctuation and layout;
(n) change expressions of date, money, number, time and units of

measurement;
(o) change conjunctives and disjunctives at the end of a provision of a law;
(p) omit any obsolete or redundant words;
(q) alter any words to secure uniformity of expression in a law;
(r) shorten or simplify any phrase or sentence;
(s) add numbering where there is none and change numbering to correct an

error or reflect any other change made under this section;
(t) substitute for a reference to a law or provision of a law which has been

re-enacted or replaced, whether with or without modifications, a
reference to the law or provision re-enacting or replacing it;

(u) change a cross reference to a law or provision of a law to correct an
error or reflect any other change made under this section;

(v) include examples, notes, annotations, references to case law and other
similar material designed to better explain and present the law,

and to do all other things which appear to the Commissioner to be necessary
to render the revised edition consistent with current law drafting practice and
to perfect the revised edition.

ENDNOTES


1 Act 1 of 2008