SMALL CLAIMS TRIBUNALS (Progress)

Mr Goh Chee Wee asked the Minister for Law, since the inception of the Small Claims Tribunals, (a) how many cases have been brought to the Tribunals; (b) what are the nature of disputes; (c) how many cases have been settled by the Tribunals; (d) how long it takes to have a dispute heard and judgement made; (e) whether the procedures are simple enough for ordinary citizens to lodge their claims; and (f) whether there are manpower and other constraints that impede the smooth functioning of the tribunal services.

The Minister for Home Affairs and Second Minister for Law (Prof. S. Jayakumar) (for the Minister for Law): Mr Speaker,Sir,as the Small Claims Tribunals came into operation only on 1st February this year, it is really too early to make any appraisal.

Since its inception, 381 claims have been filed with the Tribunals. These claims comprise disputes in respect of the following: sale of goods cases, 139; provision of service, 235; others, 7. All these claims, Sir, which were filed in the Tribunals, were first processed by the Registrar or the Assistant Registrar of the Tribunals to see whether the claims could be settled through consultations between claimants and respondents without a hearing before the Referee.

Of the 381 claims, 81 were settled through consultations led by the Assistant Registrar. Three cases were referred to the Referee, of which one has already been settled. The remaining cases are under consideration. Sir, it takes about three to four weeks from the time a claim is filed to the time the parties appear before the Registrar or Assistant Registrar for consultations, and four to five weeks from the time the case is filed to the time the parties appear before the Referee for hearing.

Compared to the procedures in the Magistrates courts, the procedure in the Small Claims Tribunals is extremely simple. A claimant merely needs to fill a one-page form and service of the claim and other notices is done by the Tribunal.

Staff of the Small Claims Tribunals Registry will assist, wherever necessary, and services of interpreters are also provided. The Small Claims Tribunals are presently functioning smoothly with the manpower provided.