Rules of Court 2021

Status:

Current version
as at 24 Apr 2024

ORDER 7

SERVICE IN SINGAPORE

Methods of service generally (O. 7, r. 1)

1.—(1) Any document that is required to be served under these Rules may be served by way of —

(a)	personal service, where expressly required by these Rules or any written law, or where the Court orders such service, or where the serving party decides to do so voluntarily; or
(b)	ordinary service.

(2) The Court may, in an appropriate case, dispense with personal service or with ordinary service or with service altogether.

Personal service (O. 7, r. 2)

2.—(1) Personal service of a document is effected —

(a)	on a natural person by leaving a copy of the document with that person, or the person’s agent if that person is an overseas principal under Rule 4;
(b)	on any entity by leaving a copy of the document with the chairperson or president of the entity, or the secretary, treasurer or other officer;
(c)	on any person or entity according to the requirements of any written law; or
(d)	in any manner agreed with the person or the entity to be served.

(2) The following persons may effect personal service:

(a)	a process server of the Court;
(b)	a solicitor;
(c)	a solicitor’s employee;
(d)	a litigant who is not legally represented or such a person’s employee;
(e)	any other person that the Registrar may allow in a particular case or generally.

(3) If the process server of the Court effects service, the Registrar must notify the requesting person of the fact and manner of such service.

Ordinary service (O. 7, r. 3)

3. Ordinary service of a document may be effected —

(a)

by leaving the document at or posting it to —

(i)	in the case of a natural person, the person’s usual or last known address or the business address of the person’s solicitor; or
(ii)	in the case of an entity, its registered or principal office or, if none exists, its last known place of business or its solicitor’s address;

(b)

by electronic mail at the electronic mail address provided by the party to be served;

(c)

by fax, but only if —

(i)	both the serving party and the party to be served act by solicitor; and
(ii)	the solicitor acting for the party to be served indicates to the solicitor acting for the serving party that the firstmentioned solicitor is willing to accept service at a specified fax number and the document is transmitted to that number;

(d)

in any manner agreed between the parties;

(e)

in any manner which the Court may direct, including the use of electronic means; or

(f)

in any manner provided under any written law.

Service on agent of overseas principal (O. 7, r. 4)

4.—(1) The Court may, on a summons without notice, direct service to be effected on an agent or manager of a principal, if it is satisfied that —

(a)	an action, including the administration of an estate, is against a principal who does not reside within or is absent from Singapore;
(b)	the agent or manager has personal control or management within Singapore over the principal’s affairs that specifically relate to the action at the time of service; and
(c)	either the authority of the agent or manager has not been terminated, or the agent or manager has an ongoing business relationship with the principal at the time of the application.

(2) An agent of a ship is deemed to be the agent of the owner or of the charterer of the ship under this Rule.

(3) The claimant must send a copy of the order of Court authorising service under this Rule and of the relevant document to be served to the principal’s overseas address by prepaid registered post, if the claimant knows that address, within 14 days after service on the agent or manager.

Service in certain actions for possession of immovable property (O. 7, r. 5)

5. Where there is a claim for possession of immovable property, the Court may, on a summons without notice, authorise service to be effected by placing the document on some conspicuous part of the immovable property or order that such service that has already been effected stand as good service, if the Court is satisfied that —

(a)	no person appears to be in possession of the immovable property; and
(b)	service cannot otherwise be effected on any party to be served.

Service on Minister, etc., in proceedings which are not by or against Government (O. 7, r. 6)

6. Where for the purpose of or in connection with any proceedings, not being civil proceedings by or against the Government within the meaning of Part III of the Government Proceedings Act, any document is required by any written law or these Rules to be served on the Minister of a Government department which is an authorised department for the purposes of that Act, or on such a department or on the Attorney‑General, section 20 of that Act and Order 59, Rule 3 apply in relation to the service of the document as they apply in relation to the service of documents required to be served on the Government for the purpose of or in connection with any civil proceedings by or against the Government.

Substituted service (O. 7, r. 7)

7.—(1) If a document is required to be served personally and it is impractical to serve it personally, a party may apply to serve it by substituted service.

(2) The Court may order any method of substituted service that is effective in bringing the document to the notice of the person to be served, including the use of electronic means.

(3) Substituted service is to be effected within 14 days after the order of the Court.

Time for service (O. 7, r. 8)

8.—(1) Subject to any written law and these Rules (including Order 28 regulating the electronic filing service), when service is effected before 5 p.m. on any particular day, service is deemed to have been effected on that day.

(2) When service is effected after 5 p.m. on any particular day, service is deemed to have been effected on the following day.

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