COVID-19 Advisory: Gradual resumption of court operations from 2 June 2020

When the Circuit Breaker ends on 1 June 2020, the State Courts will resume operations gradually from 2 June 2020.

Hearings will continue to be conducted remotely

To safeguard public health and minimise the risk of community transmission of COVID-19, hearings will continue to be conducted using remote communications technology, where possible and appropriate. The State Courts' Registrar's Circular No. 5 of 2020, which specifies the types of hearings in the State Courts which may be heard using video or telephone conferencing, will continue to apply after 1 June 2020, until further notice. In addition, the use of video or telephone conferencing may, on a case-by-case basis, be incrementally expanded to hearings beyond that listed in the Schedule to Registrar's Circular No. 5 of 2020. This could include, for example, portions of criminal trials that can suitably be carried out with parties or witnesses appearing remotely.

Criminal and regulatory matters

All non-trial hearings will resume from 2 June 2020, including Night Courts.
Trials will resume on 8 June 2020.

Prosecutors, counsel and parties are advised to login to the Integrated Case Management System (ICMS) to check for updates on their matters, and to make applications online. A guide for this is available here (PDF, 641 KB).

Civil matters and State Courts Centre for Dispute Resolution (SCCDR) matters

Selected hearings in chambers (including Summons for Directions and Duty Registrar matters) will be held between 3 and 5 June 2020. All hearing types will resume on 8 June 2020.

Parties can view their hearing dates on eLitigation. Parties who do not have lawyers and are unable to access eLitigation may call the respective registries for assistance:

• Civil Registry: 6721 7705
• SCCDR Registry: 6955 0456

Alternatively, please email: contact@statecourts.gov.sg

Community Justice and Tribunals matters

Pre-trial Conferences for Community Disputes Resolution and Protection from Harassment matters, and Case Management Conferences/Consultations for Employment Claims and Small Claims will resume on 2 June 2020. All hearings, including affirmations and inquiries for Magistrate's Complaints will resume on 8 June 2020.

Parties can view their hearing dates on eLitigation (for Protection from Harassment matters) and the Community Justice and Tribunals System (CJTS) (for Community Disputes Resolution matters, Employment Claims and Small Claims)

For assistance, please contact us at 6 JUSTICE (6587 8423) or email contact@statecourts.gov.sg

Counter services and public facilities for court users

Court users and members of the public are strongly encouraged to access the online services available on this website or the case management systems - ICMS, eLitigation and CJTS instead of making a trip to the State Courts.

The Central Registry counter services will remain available for urgent or essential cases only.

The Business Centre, Library and the Heritage Gallery remain closed.

Everyone has a part to play in ensuring a safe environment

With the gradual easing of the Circuit Breaker measures, everyone must remain vigilant, practise safe distancing and observe other applicable measures to minimise the risk of community transmission of COVID-19. Court users and visitors are reminded to wear a mask on the court premises at all times, subject to limited exemptions in respect of open court hearings to facilitate accurate transcription and recording of proceedings. Details of these exemptions can be found on the electronic notice boards at the courtrooms.

For more information, please refer to the State Courts' Registrar's Circular No. 10 of 2020.

Alternatively, please write to us at contact@statecourts.gov.sg, or contact us at 6 JUSTICE (6587 8423).