Media Release: Official Opening of the State Courts Towers by President Halimah Yacob

Enhancing access to justice to meet evolving needs

1      Guest-of-Honour, President Halimah Yacob, graced the official opening ceremony for the State Courts Towers today, at 1 Havelock Square. Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Minister for Culture, Community & Youth and Second Minister for Law Mr. Edwin Tong, Justices of the Supreme Court, senior members of the legal community as well as senior members of government were in attendance together with key stakeholders that supported the design and construction of the State Courts Towers.

2      Every year, more than 80 per cent of cases are filed in the State Courts. Apart from criminal and civil cases in the District and Magistrate Courts, cases heard at the State Courts include small claims, employment claims, relational and other community disputes. To this end, in the last few years, specialist tribunals and courts to hear such disputes (e.g. the Employment Claims Tribunals and the Protection from Harassment Court) have been established. Fitted with 53 courtrooms and 54 hearing chambers, the State Courts Towers are equipped with improved facilities to handle the increasing workload of the State Courts and better serve court users.

3      The facilities in the State Courts Towers enable court users to better connect with the available avenues for assistance. There is a HELP Centre which hosts the Community Justice Centre, the Public Defender’s Office and Pro Bono SG. These services share a single front desk, which guides court users to the appropriate provider of legal and other aid, in both civil and criminal matters. A dedicated Business Centre with various self-help applications is also available to court users who may require computer access and printing facilities for their court applications.

4      The courtrooms have been equipped with video-conferencing facilities, making it possible for counsel, parties, and witnesses (e.g. an accused in remand and vulnerable or overseas witnesses) to appear remotely without being physically present in court. In addition, assistive listening systems are incorporated in all courtrooms for court users who use hearing aids. Special assistance is also available for court users with visual impairments. There are ramps in selected courtrooms, platform lifts, low height service counters and accessible restrooms to facilitate access for those with mobility impairments.

5      To improve the experience of court users, we have opened other facilities to the public, including the cafeteria, nursing rooms and the sky garden, which brings an added green space to the city, and provides a comforting and restful environment for court users.

6       In 2021, the State Courts Towers were accorded the BCA Universal Design Mark Platinum Award, in recognition of having gone beyond meeting minimum standards and incorporating user-friendly features in buildings and public spaces.

7       In his opening address, The Honourable the Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said that the opening of the State Courts Towers in December 2019 marked a significant milestone to improve the delivery of justice and ensure accessibility to people in Singapore. The State Courts Towers were designed to meet the needs of court users while incorporating the best that modern technology could offer. This proved to be critical during the pandemic in 2020, when it was imperative for courts around the world to maintain access to justice despite physical access to the courts being restricted.

8       CJ Menon said, “As the pace of life quickens and technology continues its advance into every aspect of our lives, many will rightly ask why there is a need to set aside half a day to travel to the courthouse to deal with a procedural issue or to make oral submissions to the court. The judiciary has therefore worked to divide our processes and hearings between those that should take place in person, and those that can be effectively conducted remotely, and the latter will continue to take place virtually in the post-pandemic environment. We need to find more effective ways to deliver justice beyond the courthouse and to reimagine the ways in which justice can be delivered. By doing so, the courtrooms and facilities in the State Courts Towers can be dedicated to those proceedings that truly benefit from physical attendance in court.”

9.       For full details on project milestones and facts and figures, refer to the tables below.

State Courts Towers Project Milestones

State Courts Towers Facts and Figures