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Settlement Court Is Part of The Singapore Judicial Court System 
Posted on Thursday, October 04, 2007 - 09:00 PM

In what the Court of Appeal labelled 'a costly frolic', relief must clearly be in the mind of Mr Jonathan Lock. The Court of Appeal ruled that the settlement of his case at the Subordinate Court's Primary Dispute Resolution Centre (PDRC) is an order of a court.

The case generated a lot of publicity in Singapore. Mr Lock's $188 case became $120,000 bill for legal costs that he had to pay the other party (ie NTUC Income) when he lost his case before the High Court. The Court of Appeal solved this for Mr Lock when they ordered that each party was to pay their own legal costs.

With this ruling, it is clear that mediation in the Subordinate Courts is part of the court process. The Chief Justice clarified that the PDRC can issue orders to put into effect a settlement, whenever necessary.