FAQs

The SICC is located at the Supreme Court building, 1 Supreme Court Lane, Singapore 178879.

The SICC Registry is located at Level 2 of the Supreme Court building.

The SICC operates from 8.30am to 6.00pm from Mondays to Fridays (GMT +8).

The SICC Registry is open from 9.00am to 5.30pm from Mondays to Thursdays. On Fridays, it is open from 9.00am to 5.00pm.

The Judges of the SICC generally sit from 10.00am to 1.00pm and from 2.30pm to 5.00pm on weekdays.

The Registrars of the SICC generally sit from 9.00am to 1.00pm and from 2.30pm to 5.00pm on weekdays.

The hours for the sitting of the SICC are subject to the discretion of the Judge or Registrar having conduct of the case or matter.

The attire for male counsel (which include Full Registration Foreign Lawyers), Restricted Registration Foreign Lawyers and Registered Law Experts appearing in open Court shall be an ordinary long-sleeved white shirt and a turn-down collar, a tie of a subdued or sober colour, a dark jacket, dark trousers and black or plain-coloured shoes. Conspicuous jewellery or ornaments should not be worn.

The attire for female counsel (which include Full Registration Foreign Lawyers), Restricted Registration Foreign Lawyers and Registered Law Experts appearing in open Court shall be a long-sleeved white blouse high to the neck, a dark jacket, a dark skirt or dark trousers and black or plain-coloured shoes. Conspicuous jewellery or ornaments should not be worn.

When appearing before a Judge in Chambers or a Registrar, the attire for both men and women shall be the same as for open Court.

(a)      The Chief Justice, the Justices of the Court of Appeal, the Judges of the Appellate Division, the Judges of the High Court, the Senior Judges, the International Judges and the Judicial Commissioners shall, when sitting in open Court or in Chambers, be addressed as “Your Honour”, and on social occasions or other extra-judicial occasions, as “Chief Justice” or “Judge”, as the case may be.

(b)      The Chief Justice, the Justices of the Court of Appeal, the Judges of the Appellate Division, the Judges of the High Court, the Senior Judges, the International Judges and the Judicial Commissioners shall, in all cause lists, orders of Court, correspondence and other documents, be described in the following manner without any accompanying gender prefix.

The applicant may attend before the Registrar on duty during the hours of sitting of the SICC for the fixing of an urgent hearing date or for directions. Alternatively, the applicant may contact the SICC Registry to arrange for a teleconference or video conference with the Registrar on duty. In particular, an applicant who wishes to apply for an injunction or a search order should take note of the relevant requirements in Order 18 of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021.

Please click here for more information on hearings of such urgent applications.

The applicant should contact the Registrar on duty at +65 6332 4351 or +65 6332 4352. The Registrar will only arrange for the hearing of applications which the Registrar considers are so urgent that they cannot be heard on the next working day.

Before contacting the Registrar on duty, all the necessary papers required for the application must be prepared together with the appropriate draft orders of Court and forwarded by way of an email to Supcourt_SICCRegistry@supcourt.gov.sg.

Please click here for more information on hearings of such urgent applications.

Hearings of urgent applications (interlocutory or otherwise) may be conducted through teleconference or video conference if directed by the Judge hearing the application. Each party shall make its own arrangements to procure the necessary telecommunications facilities or services in order to participate in the teleconference or video conference. Each party shall be responsible for ensuring that it joins the teleconference or video conference at the designated date and time. Costs reasonably incurred in participating in such teleconference or video conference may, subject to the discretion of the SICC as to costs, be claimable as disbursements in the cause or matter.

Parties who wish to apply for the hearing to be conducted via teleconference or video conference must submit a request to the SICC Registry. The request must be submitted at least 7 working days before the date of the hearing, and only after seeking the consent of all the other parties to do so.

Please refer to Note 6 of the SICC User Guides for more information on remote hearings.

Mondays to Thursdays: From 9.00am to 1.00pm, and from 2.00pm to 5.30pm

Fridays: From 9.00am to 1.00pm, and from 2.00pm to 5.00pm

The SICC is a division of the General Division of the Singapore High Court. It has the jurisdiction to hear and try a case if:

1. the action between the parties when the case was first filed is of an international and commercial nature;
2. each party named in the case when it was first filed has submitted to the Court’s jurisdiction under a written jurisdiction agreement; and
3. the parties do not seek any relief in the form of, or connected with, a prerogative order (including a Mandatory Order, a Prohibiting Order, a Quashing Order or an Order for a Review of Detention).

In addition, the SICC (being a division of the General Division of the High Court) has jurisdiction to hear any proceedings relating to international commercial arbitration that the General Division of the High Court may hear and that satisfy such conditions as the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021 may prescribe.

The SICC may also hear cases which are transferred from the General Division of the High Court. Third or subsequent parties may be joined to an action where the SICC has and assumes jurisdiction or in a case transferred to the SICC from the General Division of the High Court.

Please refer to Order 2 rules 1 to 3 of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021 in relation to the jurisdiction of the SICC generally.

An action is international in nature if:

1. any of the following places is situated in a State other than Singapore:
   1. the place of business of at least one party to the action;
   2. the place where a substantial part of the obligations of the commercial relationship between the parties is to be performed;
   3. the place with which the subject matter of the action is most closely connected; or
2. all parties named in the case when it was first filed have expressly agreed that the subject matter of the action relates to more than one State.

An action is commercial in nature if:

1. the subject matter of the action arises from a relationship of a commercial nature, whether contractual or not;
2. the action relates to an in personam intellectual property dispute; or
3. all parties named in the case when it was first filed have expressly agreed that the subject matter of the action is commercial in nature.

Where the parties have submitted to the Court’s jurisdiction under a written jurisdiction agreement, it is presumed that the action is of an international and commercial nature: see Order 2 rule 1(8) of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021.

However, the presumption is a rebuttable one and does not affect the Court’s power under Order 2 rule 3 of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021, to consider its jurisdiction and exercise of jurisdiction in a case, or over a claim in a case.

For more information on what claims are of an “international and commercial” nature, please refer to Order 2 rule 1 of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021.

Yes, so long as the requirements under Order 2 rule 1 of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021 are met and the SICC does not decline to assume jurisdiction under Order 2 rule 3 of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021.

A foreign lawyer may generally act in SICC proceedings for offshore cases or for the purposes of submitting on questions of foreign law. For the full list of circumstances where a foreign lawyer may act for a party in SICC proceedings, please refer to Order 3 rules 1 and 2 of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021. See also Section 11.14 of the SICC Procedural Guide and Note 3 of the SICC User Guides on Foreign Representation.

Yes.

Yes. Subject to certain requirements, the General Division of the High Court may order a case to be transferred to the SICC on its own motion (after providing parties an opportunity to be heard) or on the application of a party for the transfer.

An application for the transfer of a case in the General Division of the High Court to the SICC must be made by summons supported by a witness statement.

Please refer to Order 2 rule 4 of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021 for more information on when a case can be transferred to or from the SICC.

Yes. Parties can apply for transfer from the SICC to the General Division of the High Court with the consent of all other parties. Such an application shall be made by summons and supported by a witness statement(s). Please refer to Order 2 rule 4 of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021 for more information.

The full list of court fees and hearing fees for SICC cases can be found in Order 26 of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021.

There is an initial deposit to be paid, from which the fees will be deducted. Under Order 26 rule 7 of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021, a party to a case in the SICC must pay a deposit. The deposit must be paid by the claimant, upon the filing of the Originating Application; and by any other party, upon the filing of that party’s first document in the case.

Please see Table 7 under Order 26 rule 7 of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021..

The deposit is to be furnished by direct interbank payment or telegraphic transfer into the Court’s nominated account.

The direct interbank payment or telegraphic transfer should indicate the name of the party who is furnishing the deposit to the SICC and the relevant case number (where available), to facilitate the identification of the incoming bank transfer payment to the corresponding party and/or case.

Please note that the amount of the deposit to be paid under Order 26 rule 7 of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021 is the nett amount to be paid into the Court’s nominated account. Any additional fees and charges imposed in respect of the direct interbank payment or telegraphic transfer shall be borne by the payor separately.

Foreign law may be proved as a fact. But the SICC may, on the application of a party, order that any question of foreign law be determined on the basis of submissions (which may be oral or written or both) instead of proof.

The TIC List is a specialised list of the SICC that deals principally with complex disputes, such as technology-related disputes, and disputes relating to infrastructure and construction projects.

A case in the SICC may be placed on the TIC List at the point of commencement if:

1. Each party to the case has submitted to the jurisdiction of the SICC under a written jurisdiction agreement; and
2. Each party to the case has agreed in writing that the case is to be placed in the TIC List or the claimant indicates in the Originating Application that the case is to be placed in the TIC List: see Order 28 rule 3 of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021.

The SICC may also transfer an existing SICC case into the TIC List. Under Order 28 of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021, a transfer can be made by the Court on its own motion or on the application of a party.

For a case to be eligible to be placed in the TIC List, the SICC must have jurisdiction to hear and try the case in which the claim is made, the claim must involve technically complex issues and it is desirable for the case in which the claim is made to be placed in the TIC List. For further details, see Order 28 rule 2(1) of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021.

A case in the TIC List may be transferred out of the TIC List by the Court on its own motion or on the application of a party.

Yes, subject to the provisions of sections 29C(2) read with Sixth Schedule of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1969 and Order 21 of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021 and any contractual exclusion or limitation by the parties of their rights of appeal. Any appeal from a judgment or order of the SICC will be heard and determined by the Court of Appeal, pursuant to paragraph 1(f) of the Sixth Schedule to the Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1969. Decisions of the General Division of the High Court, including those of the SICC, which are not appealable are set out under the Fourth Schedule to the Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1969. Decisions of the General Division of the High Court, including those of the SICC, which are appealable only with leave, subject to certain exceptions, are set out under the Fifth Schedule to the Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1969.

If the application is first made to the SICC pursuant to section 57 of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1969:

(a)      if the application is refused by the SICC, and you wish to obtain the relief sought in the refused application, you should make an application to the Court of Appeal for the same relief, instead of filing an appeal to the Court of Appeal; and

(b)      in any event, any party who wishes to vary or discharge any direction or order made by the SICC on the application should likewise make an application to the Court of Appeal to vary or discharge that direction or order, instead of filing an appeal to the Court of Appeal.

Except as provided above, any party who is dissatisfied with a decision of the SICC may file an appeal to the Court of Appeal against that decision in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1969 and the applicable rules of civil procedure.

Hearings will be conducted within the Supreme Court premises at 1 Supreme Court Lane, Singapore 178879. The SICC may also direct that hearings be conducted through videoconferencing or teleconferencing. Please click here and refer to Note 6 of the SICC User Guides for more information.

Hearings may be conducted through teleconference or video conference if directed by the Judge hearing the application. Each party shall make its own arrangements to procure the necessary telecommunications facilities or services in order to participate in the teleconference or video conference. Each party shall be responsible for ensuring that it joins the teleconference or video conference at the designated date and time. Costs reasonably incurred in participating in such teleconference or video conference may, subject to the discretion of the SICC as to costs, be claimable as disbursements in the cause or matter.

Parties who wish to apply for the hearing to be conducted via teleconference or video conference must submit a request to the SICC Registry. The request must be submitted at least 7 working days before the date of the hearing, and only after seeking the consent of all the other parties to do so.

A party applying for permission for any witness outside Singapore to give evidence by live video or live television link must also take note of the relevant legislation and requirements in force in the jurisdiction where the witness is giving evidence, and must make all necessary enquiries and take all necessary steps to ensure that the jurisdiction where the witness is giving evidence raises no objection to the giving of evidence in that jurisdiction for court proceedings in a different country or territory; see Order 13 rule 14(2) of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021.

Where there is any witness who is situated outside of Singapore and needs to give evidence remotely at a hearing, parties should take note that they need to make an application for permission for the witness outside Singapore to give evidence by live video or live television link in any proceedings expeditiously and, in any case, unless the Court otherwise directs, not later than 8 weeks before date of commencement of the hearing at which the witness is to give evidence; see Order 13 rule 14(1) of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021.

Please refer to Note 6 of the SICC User Guides and Order 13 rule 14 of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules 2021 for more information on remote hearings and the requirements where there is a witness outside Singapore who needs to give evidence remotely.

The SICC is part of the Supreme Court of Singapore and is a division of the General Division of the High Court. It is a superior court of law and the enforcement of judgments of the SICC is therefore no different from the enforcement of judgments of other superior courts. Please click here to find the User Guide Note 7 on enforcement of SICC judgments and orders.

A foreign lawyer may register with the SICC under section 36P of the Legal Profession Act (Cap 161) if he satisfies the requirements for registration. The requisite qualifications and requirements for registration as well as the application procedure are set out in the Legal Profession (Representation in Singapore International Commercial Court) Rules 2014.

To be registered, a foreign lawyer must make an application to the Registrar of the Supreme Court. The application forms are set out in the Second Schedule of the Legal Profession (Representation in Singapore International Commercial Court) Rules 2014. You may also download the application forms here.

The application may be submitted to the attention of the “SICC Registry” together with the prescribed fee of S$300 in one of the following ways:

1. by online submission through the eLitigation website at https://www.elitigation.sg/home.aspx;
2. by way of email to Supcourt_SICCRegistry@supcourt.gov.sg;
3. by post to the attention of the SICC Registry; or
4. by hand at the counter of the SICC Registry.

If you wish to submit your application by way of email to the SICC Registry, you should also provide a bank transfer slip showing proof of the payment of the prescribed registration fee of S$300, in addition to the application form and the requisite documents to be enclosed with your application. Please indicate a file reference number of your own design on the bank transfer slip to facilitate the SICC registry identifying the incoming bank transfer payment and linking it to your registration application. For example, your file reference number might be a combination of the initials of your law firm name or your own name, followed by any numerical digits of your choice.

Upon receipt of the complete set of requisite application papers, documents and fees, the application will be processed and considered in accordance with the relevant legislative provisions.

It is not necessary for original documents to be submitted. Photocopies will be sufficient.

It need not be sworn / affirmed in Singapore. If it is sworn / affirmed outside Singapore, it should be sworn / affirmed before a court, judge, notary public or person having authority to administer oaths in testimony of an affidavit being taken before it or him.

No, there is no prescribed format, but the supporting affidavit should comply with Order 15 rule 19 of the Rules of Court 2021. The title of the affidavit should make reference to the specific provision of the Legal Profession Act in respect of which your application is made (i.e. section 36P of the Legal Profession Act 1966).

The SICC Registry will be able to assist you with enquiries on the procedures to be complied with, but will not be able to advise you on the likely outcome of your application or on any substantive legal matters. An applicant should submit a completed application enclosing the relevant documents in compliance with the Legal Profession (Representation in Singapore International Commercial Court) Rules 2014, together with the non-refundable registration fee of S$300. The application will then be placed before the Registrar for consideration.

Please include a list of case names or redacted case names (as appropriate) and the relevant citations, where available, of a representative sample or description of some of the relevant court or arbitration matters that you have been involved in, spanning at least 5 years. If these are set out in your curriculum vitae or website profile, you may wish to include a copy of your curriculum vitae or website profile and refer to the relevant portions therein.

There is no prescribed format. The certificate of good standing must be issued by the registration authority of the jurisdiction in which you are based or the jurisdiction the law of which you most frequently practise. The certificate should contain statements by the relevant foreign registration authority attesting to your good standing, including statements that confirm:

1. as at the date of the certificate, no disciplinary proceedings are pending or contemplated against you, and that your professional conduct is not under investigation; and
2. there has been no record of any professional misconduct or proceedings against you, or, if you have a record of professional misconduct or proceedings, stating what the charges / proceedings against you were and the results of those charges / proceedings.

The certificate of good standing must not be issued earlier than 6 months before the date on which your registration application is made.

You may make payment of the prescribed registration fee online, or in person at the Supreme Court cashier’s counter located at level 2 of the Supreme Court building at 1 Supreme Court Lane, Singapore 178879. The operating hours are 9.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. from Mondays to Thursdays and 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. on Fridays.

For online payments, payment can be made by electronic bank transfer to the following bank account or by credit card. For credit card payments, please note that we accept either Visa or Mastercard.

Please note that the amount of S$300 for the registration fee is the nett amount to be paid into the above mentioned bank account. Any additional fees and charges imposed in respect of the electronic bank transfer or credit card payment shall be borne by the payor separately.

If you choose to pay by electronic bank transfer, please let the SICC Registry have a bank transfer slip showing the payment of the prescribed non-refundable registration fee of S$300. Please indicate "RFL", followed by your full name, on the bank transfer slip to facilitate the SICC registry identifying the incoming bank transfer payment and linking it to your registration application.

If you are making the transfer from a Singapore bank account, you may wish to select the FAST mode of transfer and indicate “RFL” followed by your full name in the comments field. This will allow us to identify the incoming bank transfer payment and link it to your registration application.

If you prefer to make payment of the prescribed registration fee in person, please note that the Supreme Court cashier’s counter only accepts the following payment modes:

1. Credit card (Visa or Mastercard);
2. Nets/Cashcard;
3. Cash; or
4. Cashier’s Order (made payable to “Registrar Supreme Court / AG”)

If you choose to pay online, you would first have to create a user account in eLitigation. For more information, you may wish to refer to the following link: https://www.elitigation.sg/_layouts/IELS/Home/ReferenceCentre.aspx. In that link, click on “Quick Filing Guides” and select “Registration of Foreign Lawyers”.

You may wish to check your Junk E-mail folder for the eLitigation notifications. If the notification cannot be located therein, it could be that you have configured a whitelist in your email settings and you will need to add the 2 following domains into the whitelist to enable receipt of emails from eLitigation:

1. elitigation.sg
2. elitigation.com.sg