Written Answer by Minister for Law K Shanmugam to PQ on Orders Issued by Small Claims Tribunal and Average Enforcement Cost for Consumers

14 October 2024 Posted in Parliamentary speeches and responses

Question for Written Answer

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Member of Parliament for Radin Mas SMC)

Question:
To ask the Minister for Law for the past five years (a) what is the annual percentage of orders issued by the Small Claims Tribunals (SCT) that required enforcement; and (b) of these, what is the average cost for consumers to enforce the SCT order.

Written Answer:

1. The Ministry does not track the percentage of orders issued by the Small Claims Tribunals (SCT) that require enforcement.

2. From 2019 to August 2024, there were about 880 applications for enforcement of an SCT order.

3. The costs for enforcement are prescribed under the Rules of Court. We do not track the legal fees that consumers may incur in enforcing the SCT order – this is case specific, depends on the scope of work to be performed, and is a matter to be agreed between the consumer and his lawyer.

4. Parties who require legal advice on the enforcement of SCT orders may approach the State Courts’ Community Justice Centre for free on-site legal advice, or seek assistance from other legal clinics, such as those organised by the Law Society Pro Bono Services, or community centres.

Last updated on 14 October 2024