No. S 37
Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1969
Rules of Court
(Amendment) Rules 2024
In exercise of the powers conferred by section 80 of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1969 and all other powers enabling us under any written law, we, the Rules Committee, make the following Rules:
Citation and commencement
1.  These Rules are the Rules of Court (Amendment) Rules 2024 and come into operation on 1 February 2024.
Amendment of Order 18
2.  In the Rules of Court 2021 (G.N. No. S 914/2021) (called in these Rules the principal Rules), in Order 18 —
(a)in Rule 3(1), replace “paragraph (2),” with “paragraphs (1A) and (2),”;
(b)in Rule 3(1) and (2)(c)(ii) and (d), replace “appeal and” with “appeal or”;
(c)in Rule 3, after paragraph (1), insert —
“(1A)  Where the lower Court does not hear and determine the issue of costs within 30 days after the lower Court has heard and determined all other matters in the application, the time for the filing of an appeal or for the filing of an application for permission to appeal starts to run after the expiry of the 30‑day period, even if the lower Court has directed that submissions on costs be made.”;
(d)in Rule 3(2), replace sub-paragraph (a) with —
“(a)the lower Court is deemed to have heard and determined the issue of costs when it has —
(i)decided on the parties’ entitlement to costs, even if the amount of costs or disbursements has not been determined;
(ii)ordered that costs be assessed;
(iii)ordered that costs be reserved; or
(iv)decided that there is to be no order as to costs or that each party is to bear its own costs;”;
(e)in Rule 16(3), replace sub-paragraph (b) with —
“(b)if no written grounds of decision are issued within 12 weeks after the certification —
(i)the appellant must apply in writing to the Registrar to proceed with the appeal;
(ii)if the appellant fails to do so, the respondent may apply in writing to the Registrar to proceed with the appeal or may give the appellant 14 days’ written notice of the respondent’s intention to strike out the appeal; and
(iii)after the expiry of the 14 days’ notice period mentioned in sub‑paragraph (ii), the respondent may apply to strike out the appeal.”;
(f)in Rule 16(5)(e), after “appellant”, insert “or the respondent”;
(g)in Rule 21(3), replace sub-paragraph (b) with —
“(b)if no written grounds of decision are issued within 12 weeks after the certification —
(i)the appellant must apply in writing to the Registrar to proceed with the appeal;
(ii)if the appellant fails to do so, the respondent may apply in writing to the Registrar to proceed with the appeal or may give the appellant 14 days’ written notice of the respondent’s intention to strike out the appeal; and
(iii)after the expiry of the 14 days’ notice period mentioned in sub‑paragraph (ii), the respondent may apply to strike out the appeal.”;
(h)in Rule 21(5)(e), after “appellant”, insert “or the respondent”;
(i)in Rule 25(3), replace sub-paragraph (b) with —
“(b)if no written grounds of decision are issued within 12 weeks after the certification —
(i)the appellant must apply in writing to the Registrar to proceed with the appeal;
(ii)if the appellant fails to do so, the respondent may apply in writing to the Registrar to proceed with the appeal or may give the appellant 14 days’ written notice of the respondent’s intention to strike out the appeal; and
(iii)after the expiry of the 14 days’ notice period mentioned in sub‑paragraph (ii), the respondent may apply to strike out the appeal.”;
(j)in Rule 25(5)(e), after “appellant”, insert “or the respondent”;
(k)in Rule 28(1), after “request”, insert “under section 29B(2) of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1969”;
(l)in Rule 33(3), replace sub-paragraph (b) with —
“(b)if no written grounds of decision are issued within 12 weeks after the certification —
(i)the appellant must apply in writing to the Registrar to proceed with the appeal;
(ii)if the appellant fails to do so, the respondent may apply in writing to the Registrar to proceed with the appeal or may give the appellant 14 days’ written notice of the respondent’s intention to strike out the appeal; and
(iii)after the expiry of the 14 days’ notice period mentioned in sub‑paragraph (ii), the respondent may apply to strike out the appeal.”; and
(m)in Rule 33(5)(e), after “appellant”, insert “or the respondent”.
Amendment of Order 19
3.  In the principal Rules, in Order 19 —
(a)in Rule 4(1), replace “Unless” with “Subject to any written law and paragraphs (1A) and (2), unless”;
(b)in Rule 4(1), replace “appeal and” with “appeal or”;
(c)in Rule 4, after paragraph (1), insert —
“(1A)  Where the lower Court does not hear and determine the issue of costs within 30 days after the lower Court has heard and determined all other matters in the trial, the time for the filing of an appeal or for the filing of an application for permission to appeal starts to run after the expiry of the 30‑day period, even if the lower Court has directed that submissions on costs be made.”;
(d)in Rule 4, replace paragraph (2) with —
“(2)  For the purposes of this Rule —
(a)the lower Court is deemed to have heard and determined the issue of costs when it has —
(i)decided on the parties’ entitlement to costs, even if the amount of costs or disbursements has not been determined;
(ii)ordered that costs be assessed;
(iii)ordered that costs be reserved; or
(iv)decided that there is to be no order as to costs or that each party is to bear its own costs; and
(b)in the case of a bifurcated trial, where the lower Court has heard and determined a distinct bifurcated portion of the trial (including the issue of costs), the time for the filing of an appeal or for the filing of an application for permission to appeal in respect of the bifurcated portion so determined starts to run from the date of that determination.”;
(e)in Rule 17, replace paragraph (3) with —
“(3)  If no written grounds of decision are issued within 12 weeks after the date of filing of the notice of appeal —
(a)the appellant must apply in writing to the Registrar to proceed with the appeal and for a copy of the record of proceedings;
(b)if the appellant fails to do so, the respondent may apply in writing to the Registrar to proceed with the appeal and for a copy of the record of proceedings, or may give the appellant 14 days’ written notice of the respondent’s intention to strike out the appeal; and
(c)after the expiry of the 14 days’ notice period mentioned in sub‑paragraph (b), the respondent may apply to strike out the appeal.”;
(f)in Rule 30, replace paragraph (3) with —
“(3)  If no written grounds of decision are issued within 12 weeks after the date of filing of the notice of appeal —
(a)the appellant must apply in writing to the Registrar to proceed with the appeal and for a copy of the record of proceedings;
(b)if the appellant fails to do so, the respondent may apply in writing to the Registrar to proceed with the appeal and for a copy of the record of proceedings, or may give the appellant 14 days’ written notice of the respondent’s intention to strike out the appeal; and
(c)after the expiry of the 14 days’ notice period mentioned in sub-paragraph (b), the respondent may apply to strike out the appeal.”;
(g)in Rule 39(4), replace “respondent’s” with “appellant’s”;
(h)in Rule 41, in the rule heading, replace “section 55” with “section 59G”; and
(i)in Rule 41(1), (10), (11) and (12), replace “section 55” with “section 59G”.
Saving and transitional provisions
4.—(1)  Despite rule 2(a) to (d), Order 18, Rule 3 of the principal Rules as in force immediately before 1 February 2024 continues to apply to and in relation to any appeal against a decision of a lower Court made before that date.
(2)  Despite rule 2(e) and (f), Order 18, Rule 16(3)(b) and (5)(e) of the principal Rules as in force immediately before 1 February 2024 continues to apply to and in relation to any appeal for which the notice of appeal was filed before that date.
(3)  Despite rule 2(g) and (h), Order 18, Rule 21(3)(b) and (5)(e) of the principal Rules as in force immediately before 1 February 2024 continues to apply to and in relation to any appeal for which the notice of appeal was filed before that date.
(4)  Despite rule 2(i) and (j), Order 18, Rule 25(3)(b) and (5)(e) of the principal Rules as in force immediately before 1 February 2024 continues to apply to and in relation to any appeal for which the notice of appeal was filed before that date.
(5)  Despite rule 2(l) and (m), Order 18, Rule 33(3)(b) and (5)(e) of the principal Rules as in force immediately before 1 February 2024 continues to apply to and in relation to any appeal for which the notice of appeal was filed before that date.
(6)  Despite rule 3(a) to (d), Order 19, Rule 4 of the principal Rules as in force immediately before 1 February 2024 continues to apply to and in relation to any appeal against a decision of a lower Court made before that date.
(7)  Despite rule 3(e), Order 19, Rule 17(3) of the principal Rules as in force immediately before 1 February 2024 continues to apply to and in relation to any appeal for which the notice of appeal was filed before that date.
(8)  Despite rule 3(f), Order 19, Rule 30(3) of the principal Rules as in force immediately before 1 February 2024 continues to apply to and in relation to any appeal for which the notice of appeal was filed before that date.
(9)  Despite rule 3(g), Order 19, Rule 39(4) of the principal Rules as in force immediately before 1 February 2024 continues to apply to and in relation to any application under section 29D(2)(c)(ii) of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1969 in respect of an appeal to the Appellate Division for which the notice of appeal was filed before that date.
(10)  Despite rule 3(h) and (i), Order 19, Rule 41 of the principal Rules as in force immediately before 1 February 2024 continues to apply to and in relation to any appeal to the General Division of the High Court brought against a decision or order of a Disciplinary Tribunal appointed under the Medical Registration Act 1997, arising from any complaint or information made or referred before 1 July 2022.
[G.N. Nos. S 205/2022; S 206/2022; S 293/2022; S 91/2023; S 780/2023]
Made on 22 January 2024.
SUNDARESH MENON
Chief Justice.
LUCIEN WONG
Attorney-General.
TAY YONG KWANG
Justice of the Court of Appeal.
STEVEN CHONG
Justice of the Court of Appeal.
BELINDA ANG SAW EAN
Justice of the Court of Appeal.
WOO BIH LI
Judge of the Appellate Division.
VINODH COOMARASWAMY
Judge.
VINCENT HOONG SENG LEI
Presiding Judge of the State Courts.
EDWIN SAN ONG KYAR
District Judge and Registrar of the State Courts.
SIRAJ OMAR, SC
Advocate and Solicitor.
CHAN TAI-HUI JASON, SC
Advocate and Solicitor.
[SUPCT.RNJ.009.0200; AG/LEGIS/SL/322/2020/18 Vol. 4]
(To be presented to Parliament under section 80(6) of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1969).
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