Assisting Claimants to Seek Recourse from Retailers who Ignore Enforcement Orders of Small Claims Tribunal
Ministry of LawSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns assistance for claimants when retailers ignore Small Claims Tribunal (SCT) orders and the SCT's capacity for enforcement. Mr Liang Eng Hwa highlighted the challenges faced by claimants, especially seniors, in navigating legal recourse against non-compliant retailers. Minister of State for Law Mr Murali Pillai stated that SCT orders are enforced through the State Courts via a simplified single-application process introduced in 2021. He noted available support from the Legal Aid Bureau, the Community Justice Centre, and legal clinics, while mentioning that the Ministry of Law is reviewing civil judgment enforcement. Minister of State for Law Mr Murali Pillai encouraged using these resources to bridge awareness gaps and help claimants successfully recover their claims.
Transcript
17 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Law (a) whether the Ministry can provide assistance to claimants to seek recourse from retailers who ignore and refuse to comply with the enforcement order of the Small Claims Tribunal (SCT); and (b) whether the SCT has the means to carry out enforcement actions.
The Minister of State for Law (Mr Murali Pillai) (for the Minister for Law): Sir, orders of the Small Claims Tribunal (SCT) are like any other Court orders and are enforced through the State Courts. The process of applying for enforcement orders has been simplified with the introduction of the revised Rules of Court in 2021. It is now only necessary to file a single application for an enforcement order in the District Court.
Claimants who wish to enforce an order of the SCT also have the following means of assistance. Individuals with limited means may apply for legal advice and legal aid from the Legal Aid Bureau (LAB). More information on the eligibility criteria can be found at the LAB E-Services Portal on the Ministry of Law’s (MinLaw's) website. Parties who are unclear about the process can also seek advice from the Community Justice Centre, which is located on-site at the State Courts.
There are also legal clinics, like those organised by the Law Society Pro Bono SG and supported by MinLaw, which provide assistance and advice in specific cases. More information on legal assistance can be found on MinLaw’s website link to “Legal Support Resources Available to Members of the Public”.
MinLaw is working with stakeholders on further changes to make the enforcement of civil judgments, including SCT orders, as was mentioned by the hon Second Minister for Law at the Committee of Supply debates earlier this year.
Mr Speaker: Mr Liang Eng Hwa.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang): Sir, I thank the Minister of State for the reply, which provided a lot of information, some of which I must say I may not be aware of. I am sure many Singaporeans may not be aware that there are so many other avenues that they can look for.
I had a case in my Meet-the-People Session, which I had sent to MinLaw as well, where the claimant got an order from SCT for the retailer to pay up, but the retailer just refused to pay. She felt helpless and was told that she had to go and seek legal advice, which defeats the purpose of why we have the SCT for small claims. So, whether can there be more of this hand-holding, especially for the seniors, to be able to ultimately get their claims back, which is what the whole effort is all about.
Mr Murali Pillai: Sir, I completely appreciate the hon Member Mr Liang's views on behalf of his resident. As mentioned in my answer, there are a number of help measures and the issue perhaps is awareness. We seek his cooperation to bring to the attention of the resident these avenues and hopefully, through this, she will get the assistance that she needs.