Small Claims Tribunals Act
(CHAPTER 308)

(Original Enactment: Act 27 of 1984)

REVISED EDITION 1998
(15th December 1998)
An Act to make provision for the establishment, jurisdiction and powers of Small Claims Tribunals and the appointment, powers and duties of tribunal magistrates in such tribunals and the administration of justice therein.
[Act 33 of 2018 wef 01/11/2019]
[15th January 1985]
PART I
PRELIMINARY
Short title
1.  This Act may be cited as the Small Claims Tribunals Act.
Interpretation
2.—(1)  In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —
“claim” means a claim lodged with a tribunal under section 15;
“claimant” means a person who lodges a claim with a tribunal and includes any person who becomes a party to the proceedings on any claim in the capacity of a claimant;
“Community Mediation Centre” means a Community Mediation Centre established under section 3 of the Community Mediation Centres Act (Cap. 49A);
[Act 33 of 2018 wef 01/11/2019]
“court” means any court of competent jurisdiction in Singapore;
“court-appointed mediator” means an individual who is appointed by the Presiding Judge of the State Courts to be a mediator for the purposes of this Act;
[Act 33 of 2018 wef 01/11/2019]
“party” means a claimant or respondent and any person joined as a third party;
“prescribed extended limit” means $30,000 or such other sum as the Minister may, after consultation with the Chief Justice, prescribe by order in the Gazette;
[Act 33 of 2018 wef 01/11/2019]
“prescribed limit” means $20,000 or such other sum as the Minister may, after consultation with the Chief Justice, prescribe by order in the Gazette;
[Act 33 of 2018 wef 01/11/2019]
[Deleted by Act 33 of 2018 wef 01/11/2019]
“Registrar” means the registrar, a deputy registrar or an assistant registrar for the tribunals;
[Act 33 of 2018 wef 01/11/2019]
“Registry” means the Registry of Small Claims Tribunals established under section 13;
“respondent” means any person against whom a claim is made and any person who becomes a party to the proceedings on any claim in the capacity of a respondent;
“rules” means rules made under section 47;
“specified claim” means a claim specified in the Schedule;
[Act 33 of 2018 wef 01/11/2019]
“tribunal” means a Small Claims Tribunal constituted under section 4 of the State Courts Act (Cap. 321);
“tribunal magistrate” means a tribunal magistrate designated under section 4(2) or appointed under section 4(3)(a);
[Act 33 of 2018 wef 01/11/2019]
“work order” means an order to rectify a defect in goods or any damage to property, or to make good any deficiency in the performance of services, by doing such work or attending to such matters (including the replacement of goods or parts thereof) as may be specified in the order.
[Act 33 of 2018 wef 01/11/2019]
[Act 33 of 2018 wef 01/11/2019]
(2)  For the purposes of this Act, the value of a claim relating to a contract means —
(a)in the case where the nature of the claim is for the rescission of the contract, the value of the contract;
(b)in the case where the nature of the claim is for the recovery of a progress payment due under the contract, the value of the contract; and
(c)in any other case, the quantum of the claim.
[Act 33 of 2018 wef 01/11/2019]