Supreme Court of Judicature (Transfer of Specified Proceedings to District Court) Order 2016

No. S 597

Supreme Court of Judicature Act

(CHAPTER 322)

Supreme Court of Judicature
(Transfer of Specified Proceedings
to District Court) Order 2016

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 28A of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act, the Chief Justice makes the following Order:

Citation and commencement

1. This Order is the Supreme Court of Judicature (Transfer of Specified Proceedings to District Court) Order 2016 and comes into operation on 1 December 2016.

Proceedings transferred to District Court

2. The following proceedings commenced in the High Court on or after 1 December 2016 are transferred for hearing and determination by a District Court:

(a)	any action arising out of an accident on land due to a collision or an apprehended collision involving one or more motor vehicles (whether or not involving any claim for personal injuries), where the amount claimed in the action does not exceed $500,000;
(b)	any action for personal injuries arising out of an industrial accident, where the amount claimed in the action does not exceed $500,000.

Jurisdiction of District Court

3. To avoid doubt, a District Court has jurisdiction to hear and determine any proceedings mentioned in paragraph 2, even though the amount involved in those proceedings exceeds the monetary limit of the ordinary jurisdiction of a District Court.

Powers of registrar of State Courts

4.—(1) For the purpose of any proceedings to be heard and determined by a District Court under this Order, the registrar and every deputy registrar of the State Courts has power to transact all such business, and exercise all such authority and jurisdiction, as may be transacted and exercised by a District Judge in chambers under this Order, except such business, authority and jurisdiction as the Presiding Judge of the State Courts may, with the concurrence of the Chief Justice, from time to time direct to be transacted or exercised by a District Judge in person.

(2) The registrar of the State Courts has, in relation to any order (for the execution of a deed or for the signing of a document) made by a District Court in connection with any proceedings heard and determined by the District Court under this Order, the same powers as those conferred on the Registrar of the Supreme Court by section 14 of the Act.

Appeals

5.—(1) An appeal lies to the High Court from a decision of a District Court in any proceedings heard and determined by the District Court under this Order, regardless of the amount in dispute or the value of the subject matter.

(2) Except with the leave of a Judge of the High Court, no appeal is to be brought to the Court of Appeal from a decision of the High Court in respect of any appeal heard and determined by the High Court under sub‑paragraph (1), regardless of the amount in dispute or the value of the subject matter.

(3) An order of a Judge of the High Court giving or refusing leave under sub‑paragraph (2) is final.

(4) The procedures for appeals from the proceedings mentioned in sub‑paragraph (1) to the High Court and, after that, to the Court of Appeal are as specified in the Rules of Court (R 5).

Fees for proceedings heard and determined by District Court under this Order

6. For the purpose of any proceedings heard and determined by a District Court under this Order, the fees chargeable for any document filed in or issued by the Registry of the Supreme Court or the Registry of the State Courts are as prescribed in the Rules of Court.

Enforcement of orders

7. Any order made by a District Court in proceedings heard and determined by that Court under this Order may be enforced by a District Court in the same manner as a judgment of that Court, even though that order may involve an amount which exceeds the monetary limit of the ordinary jurisdiction of a District Court.

Made on 3 November 2016.

SUNDARESH MENON

Chief Justice,
Singapore.

[SCJ(TSPDC)02016-(v06); AG/LEGIS/SL/322/2015/3 Vol. 1]

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