Media Release: Launch of Singapore Courts website to enhance access to justice

The Supreme Court, the State Courts and the Family Justice Courts have together developed a Singapore Courts website, which for the first time in our history, will provide a consolidated gateway to information on the Judiciary of Singapore. The website can be accessed at https://www.judiciary.gov.sg.

2 The Singapore Courts website is now the official one-stop information portal to the entire Judiciary, providing information on the courts, its processes, access to court forms, hearing lists, and other useful resources that will help litigants prepare for their court matters and seek legal aid or advice. The new website also features enhanced search capabilities and an intuitive interface to boost the overall user experience.

3 The individual websites of the Supreme Court, the State Courts and the Family Justice Courts will no longer be accessible from 19 November 2021. Members of the public will automatically be redirected to the new Singapore Courts website when they attempt to visit the old websites of each court.

4 To help users of court services, especially litigants-in-person better understand legal procedures and court processes, the website’s content is written in simple language with minimal legal jargon. The content of the website is organised by case types – civil, criminal or family, or according to the services provided by the courts. By providing a single online point of entry to the Judiciary, a user will not have to identify the particular court that he needs to interact with. Visual guides are available to provide step-by-step instructions on the various court procedures. For instance, there is a dedicated section where prospective witnesses can read about what they can expect in a court proceeding, including information on additional support for vulnerable witnesses. Guidelines on attending court proceedings, whether as a party or an observer, and the basics of court etiquette are also available. This also covers measures that are applicable by reason of the developing COVID-19 situation.

5 The beta version of the Singapore Courts website was launched on 1 February 2021. Feedback was obtained from stakeholders and users, including lawyers and members of the public, and this was incorporated to further improve the functionality and features of the website.

6 On the launch of the Singapore Courts website, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said: “The Singapore Courts website is an important step in our continuing efforts to enhance access to justice. The new website will enable users to more easily find information about the courts and our processes. Information that used to be spread across the Supreme Court, State Courts and Family Justice Courts websites has now been consolidated and we have also taken steps to rewrite the material to make it easier to understand. The new site aims to serve not only lawyers and court users, but also members of the public who may wish to know more about our justice system and how it works. Great care has gone into ensuring that the information is clear, concise, and accessible to the layperson. When the beta version was rolled out, we actively sought feedback and are grateful for all the responses we received from members of the public, lawyers and court officers. These were carefully considered as we set about refining hundreds of pages of content. This is part of our broader effort to streamline processes, optimise the use of technology, and engage the community and marks a major milestone in our journey to improve access to justice for all.”