Singapore
From eSignatureLegalWiki.org
| Singapore | |
| Legislation: | Electronic Transactions |
|---|---|
| Status: | Enacted |
| Year Enacted: | 1998 |
| Require Smart Cards: | No |
| Require Time-Stamping: | No |
| Excluded Documents: | None |
| Case Law: | None |
Contents |
History
Singapore is one of the first countries in the world to enact a law that addresses issues that arise in the context of electronic contracts and digital signatures. The Electronic Transactions Bill was introduced in Parliament on 1 June 1998, and passed on 29 June 1998. The Act came into force on 10 July 1998.
Overview
The law defines both electronic and digital signatures (called secure electronic signature), the latter enjoying the presumption of authenticating the signer and showing the intention of signing.
Legislation Definitions & Excerpts
Electronic Signature Definitions
"electronic signature" means any letters, characters, numbers or other symbols in digital form attached to or logically associated with an electronic record, and executed or adopted with the intention of authenticating or approving the electronic record; "digital signature" means an electronic signature consisting of a transformation of an electronic record using an asymmetric cryptosystem and a hash function such that a person having the initial untransformed electronic record and the signer"s public key can accurately determine —
- whether the transformation was created using the private key that corresponds to the signer"s public key; and
- whether the initial electronic record has been altered since the transformation was made;
Requirements Pertaining to Electronic Signatures
If, through the application of a prescribed security procedure or a commercially reasonable security procedure agreed to by the parties involved, it can be verified that an electronic signature was, at the time it was made —
- unique to the person using it;
- capable of identifying such person;
- created in a manner or using a means under the sole control of the person using it; and
- linked to the electronic record to which it relates in a manner such that if the record was changed the electronic signature would be invalidated,
such signature shall be treated as a secure electronic signature.
Excluded Documents
Case Law
- Unknown
References
- [1]: Link to Singapore’s law (English).
