Justice Teh Hwee Hwee: Speech delivered at the Family Justice Courts Workplan 2025

1. It was just a few months ago, in October last year, that we celebrated a key milestone – the Family Justice Courts’ 10th anniversary. This past decade has been characterised by unwavering purpose and a shared commitment to administering family justice with excellence. At this juncture, we must ask ourselves: Where do we go from here? How do we surpass our own expectations and scale even greater heights?

2. As we aspire to go further and reach new heights, I am reminded of an awe-inspiring encounter with the mighty redwood trees during my visit to Big Sur, California, in December last year. Standing amongst these ancient giants, I found myself thinking of all of us at the Family Justice Courts (“FJC”). Before I share that connection, I invite you to visualise with me, if you will, standing at the foot of these magnificent giants, reaching heights that seem to touch the sky. See in your mind’s eye a vast green canopy, stretching far above, leaves forming a living umbrella. Beneath this lush shield, a world teems with life – squirrels scurry about, vegetation grows, all flourishing under the redwood’s protective shelter.¹

3. Yet, the true strength of the redwood lies hidden from view. Deep underground, its roots spread out like fingers of a colossal hand, gripping the earth with unyielding tenacity. These roots do not merely nourish the trees; they bind the soil together, preventing erosion.² More remarkably, they intertwine with neighbouring trees, creating a vast network of mutual support – like a silent, underground alliance.³

4. Now, here is where the redwood truly inspires. When faced with adversity – for a tree, it is fire – the redwood stands defiant. Wrapped in thick, fibrous bark that acts like a firefighter’s suit, it shields itself against the flames. When the hot tongues of fire lick its trunk, the redwood can often emerge unscathed, standing tall where others fall. From adversity, new growth sprouts, and the redwood recovers and bounces back.⁴ The redwood does not merely survive adversity; it thrives in spite of it.

5. In the redwood, we find a powerful metaphor for resilience and unity in our drive to enhance our ability to serve. This is why I thought of us when I stood amongst the trees. It reminds me that our greatest strength often lies in our capacity to support others, to provide shelter amidst the raging storms of conflict, and to press on with the vital work that we at the FJC are called to do. We must stand united, tall and firm in service of the families, children, youths and vulnerable individuals who come before us. It is in this spirit that I have chosen the theme for this year’s workplan: “Unstoppable Together”.

6. I believe that the theme, “Unstoppable Together”, is particularly pertinent for this year’s workplan. The second half of 2024 and the start of this year witnessed important changes to our work and operations. We implemented initiatives that were slated for earlier implementation but were delayed due to time lost during the pandemic and other factors, as well as initiatives that were on schedule as planned. We are therefore in the epicentre of a transformative period, with significant changes converging to create challenges but also game-changing developments that will propel us forward. Let us now take a moment to reflect on the many achievements of the FJC in 2024. This retrospective glance is not an exercise in nostalgia, but a celebration of the collective efforts that have brought us to this point. By acknowledging the progress that we have made, we not only honour the dedication and grit that have driven our success but also replenish our reservoir of inspiration and energy. This brief look back will reveal the indelible mark that each one of you has left on our endeavours, and I invite you to take pride in the tangible impact of your contributions.

7. The second half of 2024 and the beginning of this year saw the introduction of significant reforms on the legislative front. In July 2024, we implemented Divorce by Mutual Agreement (“DMA”) as the sixth fact for divorce, further contributing to the shift of the family justice paradigm away from the adversarial stance. The DMA strikes a careful balance between making available an additional no-fault basis for divorce, whilst providing safeguards to ensure that efforts at reconciliation have been made and proper consideration has been given to financial and child matters. To ensure that policy objectives are achieved, we put in place, in our rules and practice directions, a new form which sets out the threshold requirements for a grant of a DMA.⁵ Further, to ensure consistency in the interpretation and application of this new provision, we assigned three experienced District Judges to deal with the inaugural cohort of DMA applications. With the experience garnered from that initial phase, we have now expanded the purview of these applications to a wider pool of judges. 

8. About three months after that, on 15 October 2024, the Adoption of Children Act 2022 (which facilitates the finding of a good home for every child who is available for adoption), and the Protection from Harassment (Amendment) Act 2019⁶ (which amends the Protection from Harassment Act 2014 (“POHA”) to provide for POHA proceedings to be heard in a Family Court in certain circumstances),⁷ were brought into effect. Four sets of Family Justice Rules (which I describe collectively as the “FJR 2024”) were implemented on the same date. The FJR 2024 provide rules of procedure for the new adoption and POHA proceedings. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. The FJR 2024 were the culmination of years of effort that began after the release of the Report of the Committee to Review and Enhance Reforms in the Family Justice System in 2019. It was a mammoth undertaking to rewrite the Family Justice Rules 2014. The FJR 2024 also heralded a shift in favour of guided form filling, which paves the way for direct filing by self-represented persons (“SRPs”) in future. The change management process included a series of extensive engagement and briefing sessions, including those held at the Law Society’s Family Conferences in 2023 and 2024.⁸ Separately, we conducted six briefing sessions before and after the launch of the FJR 2024.⁹ There will be a further in-person dialogue session next week on 14 March 2025. Other than these external outreach efforts, we conducted five in-house briefings for our registry staff, judicial officers and High Court Judges. 

9. Shortly after the introduction of the FJR 2024, three separate pieces of legislation were implemented in quick succession. On 2 January 2025, the Women’s Charter (Family Violence and Other Matters) (Amendment) Act 2023 was implemented to provide greater protection for victims of domestic violence.⁹ On the same date, new provisions were introduced under the Women’s Charter (Amendment) Act 2022 to expand the court’s enforcement powers in relation to child access orders.¹¹ This reform provides a simpler mode of commencing enforcement proceedings, and a slew of measures to encourage compliance with child access orders.¹² 

10. Later in the same month, a new maintenance enforcement process was introduced on 16 January 2025 under the Family Justice Reform Act 2023.¹³ This reform sought to address the difficulties faced by maintenance payees in obtaining maintenance by providing for the appointment of Maintenance Enforcement Officers (“MEOs”) with fact-finding powers.¹⁴ The MEOs have the authority to submit a report to the court on the parties’ financial circumstances. In addition, the court is now expressly conferred power to make show-payment orders and specify a term of imprisonment (unless special circumstances exist) by default when making enforcement orders.¹⁵

11. In terms of our process and practice, we deepened the integration of Therapeutic Justice (“TJ”) into our processes through the development of our TJ Model, which was launched by The Honourable the Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon on 21 October 2024 at our 10th anniversary celebrations. Designed with our court process and practice, as well as our unique socio-cultural context in mind,¹⁶ our TJ Model seeks to articulate the foundational elements of TJ and provide guidance on the practice of TJ at different stages of the court proceedings. It is complemented by the addition of an entirely new Part in each of our 2 sets of Practice Directions, which I will refer to as the TJ PDs.¹⁷ This is a significant development. Our TJ Model and TJ PDs provide the necessary clarity in ensuring consistency in our practice, as well as level the playing field by setting a standard of conduct expected of litigants and their counsel, serving to disincentivise acrimonious behaviour and ultimately benefitting the families we serve. 

12. Importantly, family law practitioners can now point to a concrete framework for TJ, as well as guiding principles and core values in our TJ Model and TJ PDs when advising clients that a non-confrontational approach would be more appropriate. To provide a clear and concise overview, we created an infographic summary of our TJ Model which lawyers can confidently share with their clients to facilitate informed discussions. These documents further serve to demonstrate that lawyers who advocate for TJ are sound and in tune with the family justice trends. We have received positive feedback on these developments. Recently, a senior member of the Family Bar I met shared with me that her terms of engagement now include a clause expressly stating that TJ is part of her practice. 

13. We rounded off the end of 2024 with the shift to our new premises at the Octagon and marked our relocation with the ceremonial walk to the Octagon led by the Chief Justice on 

2 December 2024. The relocation of the entire FJC family involved a Herculean task of consolidating all our operations from two separate locations into one in the short span of a single week, without any interruption to our services. The move has brought greater convenience to our court users, who now also have the benefit of facilities designed specifically to serve their needs, such as the calm rooms and the vulnerable witnesses’ rooms. Bringing all of the FJC’s services under one roof also enables us to optimise our resources and streamline our workflow. Many of you have told me how working together as one team in our new home has strengthened our camaraderie and improved our working environment.

14. The highlights of our work that I have just touched on are a resounding affirmation of your efforts and commitment. They shine as a tribute to the progress that the FJC made in 2024. Our statistics tell us a similarly impressive story, with all key performance indicators met or exceeded. But it is not just about numbers. It is about the lives we touch, the people we serve and support, and the positive impact on our community. As I stand here and look around this hall, I am filled with gratitude and admiration for each of you, and I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to every one of you for going way above and beyond, for pushing boundaries and for giving your all to make a difference. 

15. Let’s now look ahead to what is in store for 2025. We jump straight to the first thrust of our Workplan 2025, and that is: Strengthening our family justice paradigm.

16. With our TJ Model and the TJ PDs in place, we are upscaling our TJ processes. As I mentioned in my address at the FJC’s 10th anniversary celebration, we envisage that the TJ Model will continue to grow and mature.¹⁸ Under our TJ Model, cases not filed under the simplified track are allocated to either the “Standard Track” or “Team Track” using a set of TJ triage tools which help the court to allocate the right resources at the right time. I am pleased to announce that we will more than double our capacity for cases under the Teams track, increasing the caseload from 85 cases annually in Phase 1 (which started in November 2023), to up to 200 cases each year. What this means, in practical terms, is that all cases with contested child issues that proceed to hearing, as well as non-child cases which are particularly high conflict, will be assigned to the “Teams Track”. 

17. This approach enables a dedicated multi-disciplinary team to oversee all aspects of a case from inception to resolution, with the same team dealing with all related court filings. For example, the same TJ team of hearing judge, judge-mediator and Court Family Specialist will deal not only with the divorce and ancillary matters, but also any separate filings for protection from family violence and/or interim maintenance. This provides seamless continuity in case management and reduces the risk of fragmentation, eliminating the need for families to rehash and relive their grievances before multiple judges. This streamlined process also allows for earlier interventions by the hearing judge, more flexible use of mediation and counselling, which may be customised and injected into the court process at any stage, and more effective control over all related proceedings.¹⁹ To support this growth, we are enlarging our pool of hearing judges by merging the judges on the TJ Teams list and those on the single judge docket list, which will provide us with more than 35 judges who will rotate through these essential roles.

18. Secondly, we are broadening the scope of TJ practices. A key focus area in 2025 is the Youth Courts, where we are exploring innovative ways to incorporate TJ elements into our proceedings. Just last week, we welcomed the youths who created the beautiful paintings that adorn the walls of our premises on the ground level and presented them with tokens of appreciation for their contributions. It was heartening to see the support system that they have. Accompanying them for the visit to view the exhibition of their works and tour our courthouse were Mr Titus Kong, Director of Youth Residential Service and other officers from the Ministry of Social and Family Development (“MSF”), the volunteer artist mentors who guided the young artists from the Singapore Boys’ Home and Singapore Girls’ Home, their case and post care workers, as well as their parents. This display of support fills me with optimism and reinforces my belief that together with MSF and other stakeholders, we can create a more promising tomorrow for the youths who need our attention. That special occasion celebrated the triumph of the young artists. It was a real delight to witness them sharing the story behind their paintings with so much pride. 

19. There are already TJ elements inherent in the practice and procedure of the Youth Courts. But there is potential for us to do more. We are looking into various initiatives, including how we can adapt the “One Family, One Team” approach to Youth Court cases, and in addition, study the feasibility of a new “Collaborative Teams” approach to link court proceedings involving the same family in the Family Court and the Youth Court for holistic management. We are also studying ways for collaboration with our stakeholders to provide early therapeutic interventions and preventive measures, such as when dealing with applications for Family Guidance Orders, with the goal of reducing the likelihood of these cases escalating into youth offender cases. In short, we will be pushing ahead with, to borrow the words of Hazel Yang from Counselling and Psychological Services (“CAPS”), a “multi-hand” approach.

20. Other than enhancing our processes, an important part of our commitment to judicial excellence is ensuring that our family judges have robust and practical tools to support their deliberations. To this end, we are in the process of developing judicial benchmarks and guidelines in two key areas.

21. Firstly, we will establish sentencing benchmarks for a default term of imprisonment when the court makes maintenance enforcement orders against maintenance defaulters. These benchmarks will help promote consistency and proportionality in sentencing, while taking into account the unique circumstances of each case and the broader objectives of maintenance orders. Secondly, in anticipation of the upcoming implementation of legislative amendments, which will place youth offenders aged 16 years to below 18 years under the jurisdiction of the Youth Courts,²⁰ we will formulate broad guidelines for rehabilitative options. The guidelines will ensure that our approach remains focused on rehabilitation while maintaining consistency in our practices. 

22. As we advance the frontier to achieve excellence in the administration of family justice locally, our efforts keep pace on the international front. This year will be an exciting year for us at the FJC. 

23. We are currently ramping up preparations to host the 4th Global Meeting of the International Hague Network of Judges (“Hague Network of Judges”)²¹ from 19–21 May 2025. This is a significant multilateral event which will gather leading voices in family law for discussion on issues such as direct judicial communications and those concerning the operation of the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and related conventions. 

24. The second significant multilateral event that we will be hosting during this period is the Meeting of the Council of ASEAN Chief Justices (“CACJ”) Working Group on Cross-Border Disputes Involving Children (the “Working Group”), which will be held on 23 May 2025. The Working Group is chaired by both the Philippines and Singapore, and all ASEAN judiciaries are represented. This meeting will discuss areas of collaboration between ASEAN judiciaries to facilitate timely and effective dispute resolution in cases involving cross-border issues within our region. 

25. Leveraging on the presence of both international and ASEAN representatives in Singapore, we will also be hosting a joint judicial roundtable on the 22 May 2025: namely, the Hague Network of Judges Judicial Roundtable and the 3rd ASEAN Family Judges Forum. This will provide all participating judges and judicial officers a platform to share the practice of family law in different cultural and national contexts. As more family disputes now involve a cross-border element,²² it is vital that we continue to strengthen our ties with our foreign counterparts and deepen cross-border collaboration in the administration of justice. I encourage all of you to show the best of our Singaporean hospitality and to give our guests the warmest welcome when they visit in May later this year. 

26. I now move on to the second thrust of our Workplan, that of building user-centric pathways. At the FJC, 99% of maintenance cases and 98% of family violence cases involve at least one SRP. An important aspect of improving access to justice is ensuring that SRPs can do all that is necessary to either bring their case to court, or to defend any claims made against them.²³ We are therefore presently exploring ways to provide even more on-site assistance to SRPs. We are also working on providing checklists and templates to guide SRPs in the filing of documents relevant to their case in court.

27. This year, we will press on with our efforts to improve our delivery of information and services over the internet, including the development of a web application to provide a convenient one-stop point of access to all relevant information and resources pertaining to proceedings in the FJC. Work is also in progress on Online Dispute Resolution (“ODR”) platform to facilitate the expedient and amicable resolution of fresh maintenance applications. This platform will feature an in-built tool that is capable of suggesting reasonable maintenance amounts based on a non-exhaustive list of factors to facilitate settlement of maintenance disputes. 

28. I move on to the third thrust of our workplan for this year, that of developing our people. Just as a redwood forest undergoes seasons of change and renewal, the FJC has seen a number of changes in terms of the composition of our judges, judicial officers and court administrators. 

29. At the end of 2024, we bade farewell to our friend and colleague, former District Judge Yvonne Goh. Yvonne was an integral part of the team responsible for rolling out the FJR 2024. We are immensely grateful to Yvonne for her many contributions. 

30. We welcomed new judges and judicial officers to our ranks since the last workplan: Principal District Judge Phang Hsiao Chung; Senior Judicial Head Kow Keng Siong, District Judges Lynette Yap, Chua Wei Yuan, Teh Joo Lin, Lim Shin Hui, Gay Hui Yi and Tan Li Jie, as well as Assistant Registrars Soh Kian Peng and Allen Chong. Such addition of new and diverse talents is an important part of strengthening our family bench. Each of our new officers bring different gifts, perspectives and skillsets to the FJC, and are already contributing in their own unique ways. 

31. To give you an example of how diversity has benefitted us, we drew on Keng Siong’s vast experience in his 30-year career as a former Deputy Public Prosecutor and Chief Prosecutor to conduct a masterclass in criminal trial procedures in November last year, covering crucial distinctions between criminal and family trials. Following the hugely successful run of that masterclass, I requested Keng Siong’s assistance in crafting a tailored programme that addresses individual queries, knowledge gaps and learning needs of our newer and younger judges and judicial officers. The goal is to transcend traditional training formats and create a personalised and impactful learning experience. I am pleased to announce that in the next quarter of this year, we will launch an exciting new mentorship programme for our “young judges” – and by “young judges”, I mean those with less than 10 years of judicial experience. We playfully use the term “young judges”, acknowledging that in judicial years, a decade of experience might equate to being 30 or 40-something years old or even older. The programme is designed with elements of experiential learning, interactive engagements, one-on-one coaching and personalised mentorship for a period of six months. Other than learning opportunities to strengthen the robust and independent decision-making capabilities that are fundamental to the administration of justice, the programme will extend to providing guidance on judicial reforms, and leading and managing projects, setting the groundwork for our young judges to become well-rounded leaders. The programme also features intimate group discussions where senior judges will share their insights on practical and day-to-day issues that younger judges may benefit from, such as time and courtroom management and preparing effective appraisal reports for productive performance review discussions. 

32. The enthusiastic response from our consultation with our young judges, particularly regarding the personalised attention and practical focus, validates our approach. This interactive programme will demand very significant time commitment, and I am grateful to Keng Siong for helming this programme, and to all our highly experienced judges who have already volunteered to be mentors. Their willingness to share their wealth of experience exemplifies our vibrant learning culture and our commitment to developing not just competent judges, but exceptional ones who will shape the future of our judiciary. 

33. I turn now to our court administrators, who play a vital role in setting the tone for a positive and inclusive experience for our court users. The court experience extends far beyond the courtroom walls. Every touchpoint and interaction, from checkpoint to counter to counselling, contributes to how our court users experience justice. This was illustrated in my recent small group conversations with our court administrators. Shaun Lim, our court officer with the Family Protection & Support Division, recalled how a respondent in an MSF application under the Vulnerable Adults Act 2018 was initially aggressive and quite disagreeable. But the respondent’s attitude transformed after a simple encounter with Shaun. What did Shaun do? Shaun offered him shelter under his umbrella during heavy rain, and his arm for support while crossing to People’s Park Centre in wet, slippery conditions. After that encounter, Shaun shared that the respondent became a lot more cooperative and did not behave as if everyone was acting against him. In sharing what made her smile, Court Family Specialist Woo Mei Mei talked about her joy in learning that in a case managed by one of our TJ Teams, access resumed recently for a father who has not seen his child for more than a year. Mei Mei shared that she managed to surface unspoken anxieties and concerns of the parties through careful listening and thereafter facilitated a discussion that addressed those concerns that prevented the parties from arriving at a resolution of their dispute previously. Then we have Claire Han from the Maintenance Enforcement Court, who had a Mandarin speaking court user who was so grateful for Claire’s service that she insisted that Claire must help her with filling up a feedback form in English to compliment Claire. Of course, Claire was placed in a difficult position - in order to help, Claire would be writing a compliment about herself! I asked Claire what she had done; specifically, what had contributed to that experience. Claire said simply, “I listened to her, and I was glad to hear her out”.  

34. As you can see, our frontline and registry staff, as well as all our court administrators, are essential to delivering a respectful and dignified court user experience, and their role in the administration of justice cannot be overstated. We are therefore strongly committed to the professional development for all court administrators through a comprehensive approach to continual learning and upskilling programme. Our court administrators benefit from diverse learning and professional development opportunities. We also strongly support our staff who wish to pursue further studies. With the introduction of the SG Courts scholarship and sponsorship programme last year, Lee Jun from the Family Division was given a sponsorship award to pursue a Bachelor of Counselling in the Singapore University of Social Sciences (“SUSS”). For this year’s award, Hazel Yang from CAPS will be given a scholarship to pursue the Master of Applied Research in Social Sciences programme in the SUSS. We wish them both the very best in their studies.

35. Let me turn now to something that lies at the heart of our people development – and that is our wellness. As the saying goes, we cannot pour from an empty cup. In the work that we do, we constantly give of ourselves to serve parties at the lowest points in their lives, and we can suffer – a term which I first heard mentioned by our CAPS colleagues – “vicarious trauma”. This refers to the emotional or psychological distress that can occur when an individual is repeatedly exposed to traumatic experiences of others, such as through our work. Taking care of our wellbeing and those of our colleagues is therefore not a luxury, but a necessity. It was just yesterday that the Chief Justice highlighted to the Judiciary’s leadership team that the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution three days ago, on 4 March 2025, to declare 25 July of each year the International Day for Judicial Wellbeing.²⁴ The resolution acknowledges that the physical and mental well-being of judges is crucial for promoting competence and due diligence, highlighting the importance of judicial wellness and the necessity of providing appropriate support.

36. Recognising the particular challenges of the past year and guided by the Chief Justice’s directives to safeguard the wellbeing of all our personnel, the FJC proactively established our Wellness Committee last year. I am heartened to see how the initiatives of the Wellness Committee have blossomed. The warmth and fellowship at gatherings, such as staff potlucks, have been particularly uplifting. I am looking forward to our soon-to-be-unveiled wellness corner – a sanctuary within our workplace where colleagues can find moments of tranquillity and renewal. While each initiative might appear modest on its own, together they form a robust support network that nurtures our collective wellbeing. I encourage everyone to continue engaging with these wellness opportunities – for it is only in taking care of ourselves, that we enhance our capacity to take care of each other and to serve others. 

37. Let me return to the scene of the redwood forest that I alluded to at the start of my address. The majesty of a redwood forest comes not from each individual tree, but from the entire forest. Let us be inspired by the redwood forest where every root strengthens each other, where collaboration is the foundation for growth, and where our collective strength becomes our force for doing meaningful work every single day. Even when the going gets tough, we can overcome the odds, bounce back and thrive. This is particularly true in light of the very strong support that the FJC has been given. 

38. I take this opportunity to, on behalf of all of us in the FJC, express our profound gratitude to the Chief Justice for his leadership and dedication to our growth. We are particularly thankful for the way in which the Chief Justice has always made time for us without reservation, offering clear directions and the strongest encouragement at every turn. The Chief Justice’s commitment to excellence, coupled with his deep understanding of the human aspects of our work, has helped shape not just our institutional development but also our approach to justice. I also extend our very special thanks to all the Judges on the Supreme Court Family Law List and those who deal with family matters, whose judgments have not only enriched our jurisprudence and enhanced the quality of family justice, but brought much-needed closure to parties before the FJC. We are particularly grateful for the many occasions when they mentor and offer guidance to our family judges and judicial officers. I must also express our warmest appreciation to the Chief Executive, Ms Juthika Ramanathan, and her team, who spared no effort in supporting us with our relocation to the Octagon and for so tirelessly addressing all our operational needs. Last but certainly not least, I would like to acknowledge the invaluable support of the Government, the Family Bar, all our stakeholders, partners and volunteers who have so steadfastly journeyed alongside us. I have no doubt that with such support, we, at the FJC, will continue to thrive - unstoppable together. Thank you all very much.