SINGAPORE Law and Practice Contributed by: Chou Sean Yu, Wendy Lin, Monica Chong Wan Yee and Frank Oh Sheng Loong, WongPartnership LLP
1. General 1.1 Prevalence of Arbitration
It is also worth highlighting that, based on recent cas - es involving setting-aside proceedings heard before the Singapore courts, there appears to be an increas - ing trend in investor-State arbitrations that are seated in Singapore (with recent notable examples including Republic of Korea v Mason Capital LP and Another [2025] 4 SLR 308, and Swissbourgh Diamond Mines (Pty) Ltd and Others v Kingdom of Lesotho [2019] 1 SLR 263). This is likely driven by Singapore’s reputa - tion as a neutral seat, and that of the Singapore judi - ciary for its efficiency, integrity and ability to grapple with complex issues of investment treaty law. 1.3 Arbitration Institutions The SIAC is the most popular arbitral institution in Sin - gapore, with favoured alternatives including the ICC (which has had an office in Singapore since 2018) and the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (for maritime-related disputes). The Permanent Court of Arbitration has also established an office in Singapore since 2017, further augmenting Singapore’s position as an international hub for investment dispute reso - lution. No new arbitral institutions have been estab - lished in Singapore in the last 12 months. 1.4 National Courts There is no specific court in Singapore designated to hear arbitration-related disputes. However, matters relating to arbitration will be assigned to judges in the Companies, Insolvency, Equity and Trust, and Arbitra - tion docket of the High Court. Parties may also agree to submit their arbitration- related disputes to the Singapore International Com - mercial Court (SICC), a division of the General Division of the High Court designed to deal with transnational commercial disputes. Where proceedings are com - menced in the General Division of the High Court, counsel may be directed to take instructions on the potential transfer of such proceedings to the SICC where: • none of the parties are from Singapore (or if there are three or more parties, not more than one is from Singapore); and • the value of the subject matter in the underlying dispute/award (whichever is less) is at least SGD10 million.
Arbitration and litigation are both popular modes of dispute resolution used by domestic parties. Other modes of alternative dispute resolution (including mediation) are also increasing in importance. International arbitration is a prevalent method of dis - pute resolution in Singapore, and its use continues to increase. In 2024, the Singapore International Arbitra - tion Centre (SIAC) handled 625 cases with a total sum in dispute of approximately USD11.86 billion, com - pared to 479 new cases with a total sum in dispute of approximately USD8.09 billion in 2019. Notably, based on the 2025 International Arbitration Survey conducted by White & Case and Queen Mary University of London, Singapore ranks as the second most preferred seat for arbitration in the world (behind only London), and the SIAC’s Arbitration Rules are the third most preferred set of arbitration rules in the world (only behind the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre). The prevalence of international arbitration in Singa - pore is driven by various factors, including the percep - tion of Singapore as a neutral forum and the support of the Singapore courts towards the arbitration process, with an emphasis on minimal judicial intervention and party autonomy as well as upholding confidentiality in arbitration. 1.2 Key Industries Based on the SIAC’s 2024 Annual Report, in 2024, parties filed claims before the SIAC across a wide range of sectors, including: • trade (29%); • commercial (19%); • corporate (12%); • maritime/shipping (11%); and • construction/infrastructure/engineering (11%). The substantial portion of cases dealing with trade and commercial matters might be attributable to trade being a substantial pillar of Singapore’s economy.
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