Civil case management in Singapore: Of models, measures and justice

• Main Authors: FOO, Chee Hock, CHUA, Eunice, NG, Louis
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2014
• Subjects: Singapore; judiciary; courts; legal system; Asian Studies; Courts
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sol_research/2258; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/sol_research/article/4210/viewcontent/CivilCaseMgt_sg_2014.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

The goals of all ASEAN member states are to “accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development” and “promote peace and stability” in the region. To achieve these goals, the public will need to trust and respect the Judiciary. Such trust and respect can be lost if there are inefficient practices that result in delay in the courts. The Singapore Judiciary is presently lauded for “its efficiency, its technological sophistication, its accessibility and the confidence of Singapore’s citizens and businesses in the system.” The World Economic Forum has also ranked Singapore first (out of 142 countries) in recognition of Singapore’s efficient legal framework for settling disputes. These accolades were only possible because of the collective efforts of all the relevant stakeholders to constantly improve our legal system. The picture in Singapore slightly over two decades ago was different. Our courts suffered from delays in the hearing of cases, and a backlog of cases accumulated. One possible cause for these delays and the case backlog was the increasing volume and complexity of commercial cases coming to the courts arising from rapid globalisation in the late 1980s to the 1990s.