Maintenance of Parents Act 1995 - Singapore Statutes Online

Tribunal to hear and determine claims

14.—(1) The Tribunal has jurisdiction to hear and determine in accordance with this Act all applications made under this Act.

(2) Sittings of the Tribunal are to be held at such places and times as determined by the president of the Tribunal.

(3) Any interested party may be represented before the Tribunal —

(a)	by an agent acting without fee, gain, reward or any expectation thereof, in any case in which the Tribunal may at the party’s request and for good reason permit;
(b)	if the party is an applicant, by the Commissioner; or
(c)	if the party is an approved person or organisation, by an employee or officer of the approved person or organisation.

(4) No party to any proceedings before the Tribunal may be represented by an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court except that the Commissioner may represent the applicant before the Tribunal although he or she may be an advocate and solicitor.

(5) Every summons and notice issued under the hand of the Secretary to the Tribunal to any person is deemed to be issued by the Tribunal and may be served on that person —

(a)

by delivering the summons or notice to the person or to some adult member of his or her family at his or her last known place of residence;

(b)

by leaving the summons or notice at his or her usual or last known place of residence or business in an envelope addressed to the person;

(c)

by sending the summons or notice by registered post addressed to the person at his or her usual or last known place of residence or business; or

(d)

where the person is a body of persons or a company —

(i)	by delivering the summons or notice to the secretary or other like officer of the body of persons or company at its registered office or principal place of business; or
(ii)	by sending the summons or notice by registered post addressed to the body of persons or company at its registered office or principal place of business.

(6) Any summons or notice sent by registered post to any person in accordance with subsection (5) is deemed to be duly served on the person to whom the letter is addressed at the time when the letter would in the ordinary course of post be delivered, and in proving service of the summons or notice, it is sufficient to prove that the envelope containing the summons or notice was properly addressed, stamped and posted by registered post.

(7) The Tribunal has the following powers:

(a)	to dismiss frivolous or vexatious claims at a preliminary stage on the basis of the affidavits and other documentary evidence;
(b)	to summon any person to appear before a conciliation officer for the purpose of mediation;
(c)	to summon any person whom it considers able to give evidence to attend at the hearing of an application;
(d)	to examine such person as a witness either on oath or otherwise, and to require the person to produce any records, documents or articles that the Tribunal thinks necessary for the purposes of the proceedings;
(e)	to allow any person attending the proceedings to be paid any reasonable expenses necessarily incurred by the person in so attending by a party determined by the Tribunal;
(f)	to make an order by consent of the parties;
(g)	all the powers of a Family Court with regard to the enforcement of attendance of witnesses and hearing evidence on oath. [37/2010; 27/2014]

(8) Every person examined as a witness by or before the Tribunal, whether on oath or otherwise, is legally bound to state the truth and to produce the records, documents or articles that the Tribunal may require.

(9) The Tribunal is not bound by the strict rules of evidence and may determine the conduct of its proceedings.

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