Newly launched scheme offers faster and cheaper way to resolve disputes
By Ian Poh, The Straits Times, 10 May 2014
By Ian Poh, The Straits Times, 10 May 2014
A NEW scheme that aims to help people resolve their disputes in a faster, cheaper and more amicable way was launched yesterday, in what is to be an "intermediate step" between self-help and starting court proceedings.
Instead of representing themselves, litigants unable to afford legal fees or qualify for legal aid can now tap the Primary Justice Project, which gives them a chance to come to terms at an early stage - and avoid entering the court system altogether.
It entails engaging, for up to six hours at $1,900 that includes an administrative fee, a lawyer who will give basic advice and facilitate settlement negotiations.
The first hour, a consultation, will focus on exploring options to resolve the dispute. Parties can then undergo negotiation and mediation sessions with the other side if they choose to continue.
The scheme, which was announced last year by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, will be administered by the Community Justice Centre. It is a collaboration between the centre, State Courts and Law Society.
Yesterday, citing CJ Menon's recent announcement of plans to set up a State Courts Centre for Dispute Resolution, Presiding Judge of the State Courts See Kee Oon said in a speech that the Primary Justice Project was in line with the State Courts' direction of "locating justice not only within but outside the courts".
The judge, who is also Judicial Commissioner in the Supreme Court, said: "Potential claimants who come through the scheme do not start off in a combative mode with an antagonistic 'letter of demand' but with an invitation to seek resolution before the conflict has a chance to escalate."
The scheme applies to civil claims below $60,000 that are beyond the jurisdiction of the Small Claims Tribunal, and divorce matters with most ancillary issues already close to being settled.
Services will be provided by lawyers from a panel who possess at least three years of post-qualification legal experience. These lawyers have also been trained in mediation or mediation advocacy skills, and been given a directory of alternative dispute resolution service providers which they can refer their cases to.
Lawyers welcomed the initiative. Said Mr Amolat Singh, who is on the scheme's panel: "Those who go to court are at the mercy of the system; here, creative solutions can be worked out."
Said Ms Dorothy Tan, who practises family law: "For most Singaporeans who go through a divorce, there is still a thread of sentimentality and amenability to working through the problems. That should be encouraged."
Lawyers welcomed the initiative. Said Mr Amolat Singh, who is on the scheme's panel: "Those who go to court are at the mercy of the system; here, creative solutions can be worked out."
Said Ms Dorothy Tan, who practises family law: "For most Singaporeans who go through a divorce, there is still a thread of sentimentality and amenability to working through the problems. That should be encouraged."
State Courts fare well in opinion polls
By Joyce Lim, The Straits Times, 10 May 2014
By Joyce Lim, The Straits Times, 10 May 2014
About 97 per cent of more than 1,000 Singaporeans and permanent residents polled last December to January have given the courts the thumbs up.
They agreed that the State Courts have administered justice fairly and effectively, in results similar to previous polls done on the Subordinate Courts, as the State Courts were formerly known.
Some 97 per cent also agreed that the State Courts have met public expectations, according to survey results released yesterday.
Respondents also feel that the courts have contributed to the development of Singapore.
Some 99 per cent of those polled feel that the State Courts have been responsive and provide good court services, and believe in the integrity, independence and impartiality of the courts.
Lawyer Chia Boon Teck of Chia Wong LLP was not at all surprised when told of the results.
"The efficiency of our courts and the quality of our judicial officers are world class," he said.
The courts had commissioned marketing research firm Nexus Link to conduct the survey, which assesses the general public's view of the courts. Nexus interviewed 1,006 people aged 17 and above face to face in December and January.
But the results also indicated areas that the State Courts can improve on, such as using technology to boost the efficiency of court services and processes.
As Judicial Commissioner See Kee Oon, Presiding Judge of the State Courts, told The Straits Times over e-mail: "While the survey results are uniformly positive, there are areas that we can further improve upon, such as accessibility to information on court processes and procedures."
The poll showed that 93.8 per cent of respondents find information related to the State Courts accessible. This is even though the State Courts have introduced initiatives like setting up an in-house call centre last August to provide the public with information.
There is also an electronic library at the State Courts Atrium, said Mr See. A revamp of the State Courts website to facilitate easier navigation with better access to information is also on the cards, he added.
The Nexus survey is part of surveys done regularly by the State Courts so as to better serve the public, a spokesman said in a media release yesterday.
The State Courts hear civil cases in which the value of the claim is below $250,000, and criminal cases involving sentences of less than 10 years in prison.
A survey of the Subordinate Courts in 2006 had found that 95 per cent of about 1,000 respondents had full confidence in the fair administration of justice here.
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