Supreme Court Practice Directions 2021
LAST UPDATED: 14 APRIL 2023
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Supreme Court Practice Directions 2021
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Part 1: Introduction
1. Citation and application
2. Definitions
3. References to written laws
4. Commencement
5. Updating
6. Applicability of Practice Directions
7. Calculation of time
8. Forms
9. Registrar’s Circulars
Part 2: Registry, Administration and Finance
10. Business of the Registry
11. Operating hours of the Supreme Court
12. Hours for the sittings of the Supreme Court
13. Hearings by video conferencing or telephone conferencing
14. Production of record of hearing
15. Certification of transcripts
16. Interpreters and translation
17. Access to case file, inspection, taking copies and searches
18. Personal Data
19. Documents creating power of attorney
20. Filing directions to the Accountant-General for payment in or payment out or furnishing security for costs by depositing monies in the Registry
21. Requests and other Correspondence
22. Requesting a hearing date through the Electronic Filing Service
23. Fixing of hearing dates
24. Adjournment or vacation of trial dates and part-heard cases
25. Adjournment or vacation of hearings other than trials
26. Authorisation for collection of Court documents or mail
27. Electronic payment of Court fees
28. Use of the Video Conference Facilities and the Mobile Infocomm Technology Facilities
29. Applications to use the Video Conference Facilities and Usage of Additional Equipment
30. Applications to use the Mobile Infocomm Technology Facilities
Part 3: Electronic Filing and Service
31. Application
32. Establishment of Electronic Filing Service and appointment of electronic filing service provider
33. Appointment of agent to establish service bureau
34. Registered users and authorised users
35. Documents which must be filed, served, delivered or otherwise conveyed using the Electronic Filing Service
36. Certificate of Service
37. Form of documents
38. Pagination of documents
39. Filing documents through service bureau
40. Filing of documents to the Supreme Court through another service bureau
41. Limits on the size and number of documents submitted using the Electronic Filing Service
42. Documents which cannot be converted into an electronic format
43. Rejection of documents, back-dating and refund of penalty
44. Documents used for urgent hearing
45. Hard copies of documents
46. Responsibility for accuracy and completeness of information submitted using the Electronic Filing Service
Part 4: Electronic Filing and Service for Criminal Proceedings
47. Application
Part 5: Civil Proceedings that Do Not Use the Electronic Filing Service
48. Application
49. Information to be provided in cause papers and documents that are filed in the Registry
50. Form of affidavits
51. Documentary exhibits to affidavits
52. File inspection and obtaining hard copy extracts or certified true copies of documents
Part 6: Amicable Resolution of Disputes for Civil Cases
53. Overview of Amicable Resolution of Disputes (ADR) for civil cases
54. ADR Offer and Response to ADR Offer
Part 7: Case Conferences
55. Attendance of counsel at case conferences
56. Documents to be filed for case conferences
Part 8: Originating Processes, Documents, and Service In or Out of Singapore
57. Originating Applications
58. Identification numbers to be stated in cause papers
59. Endorsements on originating processes and other documents
60. Amendment of documents
61. Pleadings
62. Personal service of processes and documents
63. Application for service out of Singapore of originating process or other court document
64. Court’s power to dismiss an action if no reasonable steps taken to serve originating process expeditiously
65. Substituted service
Part 9: Interlocutory Applications
66. Filing of summonses
67. Filing of Distinct Applications in Separate Summonses
68. Summary Table for Applications for Further and Better Particulars or Production of Documents
68A. Assessment of damages and taking of accounts in bifurcated cases
69. Applications to be heard in open court
70. Transfer of proceedings to the State Courts
71. Applications without notice for injunctions
72. Injunctions prohibiting the disposal of assets and search orders
73. Documents in support of applications without notice for injunctions (including injunctions prohibiting the disposal of assets) and search orders
74. Applications for production of documents against network service providers
75. Giving of security by receiver
Part 10: Evidence – Witnesses, Affidavits and Exhibits
76. Witnesses
77. Giving of evidence by person outside Singapore through live video link or live television link in any proceedings (other than proceedings in a criminal matter)
78. Form of affidavits
79. Non-documentary exhibits to affidavits
80. Documentary exhibits to affidavits
81. Affirming and signing of affidavits in Singapore before, and completing of attestation by, commissioner for oaths through live video link or live television link
82. Affirming of documents by persons who do not understand English, are illiterate or blind
83. Effect of non-compliance
84. Objections to the contents of affidavits of evidence-in-chief
Part 11: Conduct of Court Proceedings
85. Urgent applications outside of the Court’s office hours
86. Duty Registrar
87. Request for urgent hearing before Judge
88. Attendance of solicitors in Court and mentioning on behalf of other solicitors
89. Absence from Court on medical grounds
90. Attendance at hearings in chambers
91. The Central Display Management System
92. Precedence and preaudience of Senior Counsel
93. Court dress
94. Forms of address
95. Citation of Case Numbers
96. Submissions and examination by leading and assisting counsel
97. Use of electronic and other devices
98. Publication of and reports and comments on Court cases
99. Lead counsel’s statement on trial proceedings
100. Late filing fees
101. Filing of documents and authorities for use in Court generally
102. Documents for use in trials of originating claims in open court
103. Bundles of authorities for other open court hearings
104. Hearings in chambers
105. Written submissions and bundles of authorities for special date hearings and hearings of originating applications
106. Citation of judgments
Part 12: Judgments and Orders
107. Draft orders
108. Judgment in default
109. Judgment Interest
110. Judgments or orders by consent or on agreed terms involving disposition or transfer of property
Part 13: Civil Appeals before the General Division
111. Application of this Part
112. Request for further arguments before Judge
113. Civil Appeals from the State Courts to General Division
114. Civil Appeals from Registrar to Judge in chambers
115. Civil Appeals from Tribunals to General Division
Part 14: Proceedings before the Appellate Division, the Court of Appeal, the Court of 3 Supreme Court Judges under the Legal Profession Act 1966 and appeals to the General Division under the Medical Registration Act 1997
116. Application of this Part
117. Whether an appeal to the Court of Appeal is to be heard by 5 or any greater uneven number of Judges
117A. Applications that may be made either to the General Division or an appellate Court
118. Appeals Information Sheet for civil appeals to the Appellate Division and the Court of Appeal
119. Page limits
120. Formatting requirements for written Cases and written submissions
121. Preparation of records of appeal, written Cases, written submissions and core bundles
122. Filing of appeal records and provision of hard and soft copies of documents
123. Inclusion in appeal bundles of documents ordered to be sealed or redacted
124. Further written submissions for civil matters before the Appellate Division and the Court of Appeal
125. Applications in civil matters before the Appellate Division and the Court of Appeal, proceedings before the Court of 3 Supreme Court Judges under the Legal Profession Act 1966 and appeals to the General Division under the Medical Registration Act 1997
126. Applications to the Appellate Division, and applications to the Court of Appeal, for permission to appeal in civil matters
127. Use of presentation slides for all proceedings before the Appellate Division, Court of Appeal and Court of 3 Supreme Court Judges under the Legal Profession Act 1966 and appeals to the General Division under the Medical Registration Act 1997
128. Lapse of cancellation of Grant of Aid under the Legal Aid and Advice Act 1995 and the Legal Aid and Advice Regulations
129. Request for waiver or deferment of Court fees
Part 15: Assessment of Costs Matters and Costs
130. Scope of certain paragraphs
131. Form of bill of costs
132. Electronic filing of bills of costs for assessment
133. Objections
134. Amount allowed as disbursements on account of use of Electronic Filing Service
135. Assessments involving the Official Assignee, the Official Receiver, the Public Trustee or the Director of Legal Aid
136. Fixing costs instead of ordering assessment
137. Costs Scheduling
138. Costs Guidelines
Part 16: Enforcement of Judgments and Orders
139. Applying for enforcement order
140. Requests for the Sheriff’s attendance
141. Service of Notice of Seizure or Attachment on the directions of the Sheriff
142. Claims and objections to seizure or attachment
143. Sale of immovable property
144. Sheriff’s Internet Website
145. Examination of Enforcement Respondent
Part 17: Admiralty Matters
146. Arrest of ships
147. Arrest of ships in shipyards
148. Form of undertaking
149. Release of vessel lying under arrest
150. Caveat against release
151. Filing of supporting documents
152. Hard copies at hearing of admiralty matters
153. Searches for caveats against arrest or release
154. Registration of service clerks for admiralty matters
155. Applications for appraisement and sale
Part 18: Matters Under The Legal Profession Act 1966
156. Applications for admission as an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court
157. “Part-call” applications pursuant to section 32(3) of the Legal Profession Act 1966
158. Electronic applications for practising certificate
Part 19: Bankruptcy and Winding Up Matters
159. Bankruptcy applications
160. Applications to set aside statutory demands made under the Bankruptcy Rules or the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution (Personal Insolvency) Rules 2020
161. Judicial Management and winding up applications under the Companies Act (Cap. 50, 2006 Rev. Ed.) or Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018
162. Documents for use in open court trials of contested winding-up applications
Part 20: Medical Negligence Claims
163. Compliance with protocol
Part 21: Reference to Actuarial Tables in Personal Injury and Death Claims
164. Reference to Actuarial Tables for the Assessment of Damages in Personal Injury and Death Claims
Part 22: Other Matters Specific to Criminal Proceedings
165. Judge Case Conference Checklist for criminal trials in the General Division
166. Affidavit in support of an application for permission under section 394H of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010
167. Written submissions for criminal appeals and other criminal matters before the Court of Appeal and the General Division
168. Further written submissions for criminal matters before the Court of Appeal
Part 23: Simplified Process for certain Intellectual Property Claims
169. Application
170. Proceedings under the Simplified Process
171. Forms
Appendices
Appendix A: Forms prescribed in the Rules of Court 2021
Appendix B: Forms prescribed in the Supreme Court Practice Directions 2021
Appendix C: Registrar, Deputy Registrar, Divisional and Deputy Divisional Registrars, and Senior Assistant Registrars
Appendix D: Guidelines for Advocates and Solicitors Advising Clients about ADR
Appendix E: Sample Bills of Costs
Appendix F: Sample Costs Schedule
Appendix G: Guidelines for Party-and-Party Costs Awards in the Supreme Court of Singapore
Appendix H: Protocol for Medical Negligence Cases in the General Division of the High Court
Appendix I
Supreme Court Practice Directions 2021
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Supreme Court Practice Directions 2021
(To be read with Rules of Court 2021)
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