SINGAPORE Law and Practice Contributed by: Foo Yuet Min, Kong Man Er, Shumin Lin and See Chern Yang, Drew & Napier LLC
14. Outlook 14.1 Proposals for Dispute Resolution Reform The Ministry of Law’s current overarching aims are: • to build a trusted and effective legal system in Singapore that is accessible to all; • to strengthen Singapore’s attractiveness as a legal services and intellectual property hub; and • to enhance Singapore’s management and optimisation of State land and properties. Unlike the wide-ranging reforms to the civil jus- tice system that culminated in the new Rules of Court 2021, targeted reforms have been imple- mented since 2022 to achieve these aims. • The new Supreme Court of Judicature (Intel- lectual Property) Rules 2022 came into force on 1 April 2022 and consolidate the Rules of Courts relating to IP rights into a single piece of legislation, granting the High Court exclu- sive jurisdiction over most civil IP disputes and providing an optional track for IP litiga- tion, which streamlines and simplifies proce- dures. • Singapore has acceded to the Hague Con- vention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commer- cial Matters. The convention streamlines the process for the service of court and related documents in civil and commercial matters overseas, providing a harmonised set of rules across contracting parties. The Convention entered into force on 1 December 2023. • The Family Justice Reform Bill was passed on 8 May 2023 and amends the Family Justice Act, Woman’s Charter and Guardian- ship of Infants Act to make family proceed-
ings simpler and more efficient, and facilitate more sustainable maintenance outcomes. A new set of Family Justice Rules 2024 was implemented from 15 October 2024 to make family justice more accessible and to achieve greater efficiency. • On 2 August 2023, Parliament passed the Oaths, Declarations and Notarisations (Remote Methods) Act 2023 (ODN Act), which amends the Oaths and Declarations Act 2000. Once the ODN Act comes into force, it will, amongst other things, give individu- als, businesses and service providers who are executing statutory declarations the option of remote witnessing in place of an in-person meeting and electronic signing in place of wet-ink signing, as long as both the declarant and service provider are physically present in Singapore. The requirements for these processes will be reflected in subsidiary legislation. The Ministry of Law held a pub- lic consultation between 5 July 2024 and 2 August 2024 to seek feedback on the specific requirements that should govern the remote witnessing and electronic signing process for the execution of statutory declarations. • On 23 September 2024, the Singapore Courts issued a Guide on the Use of Generative Arti - ficial Intelligence Tools by Court Users. This guide sets out general principles and guid- ance in relation to the use of generative arti- ficial intelligence tools in court proceedings, and applies to all matters in the Supreme Court, the State Courts and the Family Jus- tice Courts with effect from 1 October 2024. 14.2 Growth Areas The rapid advancement of technology and the growing impact of artificial intelligence will increase access to justice and transform how the legal profession works, including in areas such as due diligence, contract review, legal research
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