The Supreme Court Service Hub was officially opened on 29 November 2022. This one-stop service point provides a seamless, end-to-end user journey facilitating over-the-counter enquiries, filing of applications, and other court-related processes in a single location for the convenience of court users.
Located at Level 1 of the Supreme Court, the Service Hub is particularly beneficial for self-represented persons (SRPs), as they can make enquiries, seek information on court processes, and perform transactions in one location, instead of having to shuttle between multiple locations within the same building. It also brings convenience to law firm clerks, who can deliver their bulky bundles and boxes for court hearings to a single location.
SRPs who wish to access their case files from the respective case management systems can use the self-help terminals at the Service Hub. For their convenience, the Service Bureau and Singapore Mediation Centre’s counter services are co-located there. In addition, the Community Justice Centre (CJC) conducts its weekly bankruptcy legal clinic services at the Service Hub.
Space in the State Courts Towers was allocated to the Ministry of Law to set up a satellite office for the Public Defender’s Office (PDO), which commenced operations on 1 December 2022. In addition, arrangements were made for PDO officers to use the shared facilities at the State Courts’ Help Centre, such as public-facing counters and shared interview rooms. This enables public defenders to carry out their work more efficiently and effectively, as they have a place to work and meet vulnerable Singaporeans who find it challenging to afford legal representation.
A shared space, the Help Centre is jointly operated by the PDO, the CJC and Pro Bono SG (formerly known as the Law Society Pro Bono Services). The CJC ensures that SRPs have access to justice through community partnership. Pro Bono SG provides free legal clinic services for qualifying applicants, as well as representation for qualifying applicants under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme.
The PDO provides criminal defence aid to vulnerable accused persons who are facing non-capital criminal charges and cannot afford legal representation.
The Family Justice Courts (FJC) established the Court Correspondence Review Committee (CCRC) on 1 November 2021. This committee has been working to redesign the FJC’s court correspondence to make it more user-friendly, whilst maintaining the primary aim of expeditious administration. This initiative complements current simplification efforts for the Family Justice Rules, the FJC Practice Directions and related forms.
On 11 May 2022, the FJC’s leadership team approved an overhauled template which the CCRC had developed. The CCRC is working to implement this revised template across all of the FJC’s court correspondence.
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Last updated on 21 September 2023.