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No. S 672

Supreme Court of Judicature Act

(Chapter 322)

Supreme Court of Judicature (Transfer of Matrimonial, Divorce and Guardianship of Infants Proceedings to District Court) Order 2007

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 28A of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act, I, Chan Sek Keong, Chief Justice, hereby make the following Order:

Citation and commencement

1. This Order may be cited as the Supreme Court of Judicature (Transfer of Matrimonial, Divorce and Guardianship of Infants Proceedings to District Court) Order 2007 and shall come into operation on 1st January 2008.

Proceedings transferred to District Court

2.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), any proceedings under —

(a)	section 59 and Part X of the Women’s Charter (Cap. 353); or
(b)	the Guardianship of Infants Act (Cap. 122),

commenced in the High Court on or after 15th December 2003 shall be transferred to and be heard and determined by a District Court.

(2) In matrimonial proceedings under Part X of the Women’s Charter (Cap. 353) transferred to a District Court under sub-paragraph (1), where —

(a)	an application is made for the division of matrimonial assets;
(b)	the application is contested; and
(c)	the net value of the matrimonial assets is asserted by any party to the proceedings, in the manner required by the Registrar of the Subordinate Courts, to be of or above the value of $1.5 million,

the proceedings shall, upon the direction of the Registrar of the Subordinate Courts that the ancillary issues are ready for hearing, be transferred to and be heard and determined by the High Court.

(3) In sub-paragraph (2)(c), “net value of the matrimonial assets” means the total value of the assets, less any outstanding liabilities which are due to third parties.

Jurisdiction of District Court

3. For the avoidance of doubt, a District Court shall, subject to paragraph 2(2), have jurisdiction to hear and determine any proceedings referred to in paragraph 2(1) regardless of the monetary amount involved.

Powers of Registrar of Subordinate Courts

4.—(1) For the purpose of any proceedings to be heard and determined by a District Court pursuant to this Order, the Registrar of the Subordinate Courts shall have 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 —

(a)	the Women’s Charter or the Guardianship of Infants Act, as the case may be, or any rules made under those Acts; or
(b)	the provisions of this Order,

except such business, authority and jurisdiction as the Senior District Judge 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 Subordinate Courts shall, 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 it pursuant to this Order, have the same powers as those conferred on the Registrar of the Supreme Court by section 14 of the Act.

Modification to certain provisions for purposes of this Order

5. For the purpose of any proceedings to be heard and determined by a District Court pursuant to this Order, the written laws specified in the first column of the appropriate Part of the Schedule shall be read subject to the modifications set out opposite thereto in the second column thereof.

Appeals

6.—(1) An appeal shall lie to the High Court from a decision of a District Court —

(a)	in any proceedings heard and determined by the District Court pursuant to this Order; or
(b)	in any proceedings under section 59 and Part X of the Women’s Charter (Cap. 353) or under the Guardianship of Infants Act (Cap. 122) commenced on or after 1st April 1996 but before 15th December 2003 which have been transferred to a District Court for hearing and determination,

regardless of the amount in dispute or the value of the subject-matter.

(2) Except with the leave of the Court of Appeal or a Judge of the High Court, no appeal shall 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 pursuant to sub-paragraph (1), regardless of the amount in dispute or the value of the subject-matter.

(3) Rule 57 of the Women’s Charter (Matrimonial Proceedings) Rules (Cap. 353, R 4) shall not apply to any proceedings under section 59 and Part X of the Women’s Charter commenced on or after 1st April 2006 which, pursuant to this Order, are heard and determined by a District Court, and the procedures for appeals from such proceedings to the High Court and thereafter to the Court of Appeal shall be as specified in the Rules of Court (R 5).

(4) Notwithstanding rule 67 of the Women’s Charter (Matrimonial Proceedings) Rules, rule 31 of the Women’s Charter (Matrimonial Proceedings) Rules (Cap. 353, R 4, 2004 Ed.) shall not apply to any proceedings under section 59 and Part X of the Women’s Charter (Cap. 353) commenced before 1st April 2006 which, pursuant to this Order, are heard and determined by a District Court, and the procedures for appeals from such proceedings to the High Court and thereafter to the Court of Appeal shall be as specified in the Rules of Court (R 5).

Fees for proceedings under Women’s Charter

7.—(1) Rule 66 of the Women’s Charter (Matrimonial Proceedings) Rules (Cap. 353, R 4) shall not apply to any proceedings under section 59 and Part X of the Women’s Charter commenced on or after 1st April 2006 which, pursuant to this Order, are heard and determined by a District Court.

(2) Notwithstanding rule 67 of the Women’s Charter (Matrimonial Proceedings) Rules, rule 4 of the Women’s Charter (Matrimonial Proceedings — Fees) Rules (Cap. 353, R 5, 2004 Ed.) shall not apply to any proceedings under section 59 and Part X of the Women’s Charter commenced before 1st April 2006 which, pursuant to this Order, are heard and determined by a District Court.

(3) The fees chargeable in respect of appeals to the High Court and the Court of Appeal in any proceedings under section 59 and Part X of the Women’s Charter to which this Order applies shall be as specified in Appendix B to the Rules of Court.

Fees for proceedings under Guardianship of Infants Act

8. For the purpose of any proceedings under the Guardianship of Infants Act (Cap. 122) heard and determined by a District Court pursuant to this Order, the fees chargeable for any document filed in or issued by the Registry of the Supreme Court or the Registry of the Subordinate Courts shall be as prescribed in the Rules of Court.

Enforcement of orders

9. Any order made by a District Court in proceedings heard and determined by it pursuant to this Order may be enforced by a District Court in the same manner as a judgment of that Court, notwithstanding that such order may involve an amount which exceeds the monetary limit of the ordinary jurisdiction of a District Court.

Revocation

10. The Supreme Court of Judicature (Transfer of Matrimonial, Divorce and Guardianship of Infants Proceedings to District Court) Order (O 1, 2007 Ed.) is revoked.

Made this 10th day of December 2007.

CHAN SEK KEONG

Chief Justice,
Singapore.

[RSCS R7/7 Vol. 12; AG/LEG/SL/322/2005/2 Vol. 1]