Orders Issued by Small Claims Tribunals and Average Enforcement Cost for Consumers

16 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Law for the past five years (a) what is the annual percentage of orders issued by the Small Claims Tribunals (SCT) that required enforcement; and (b) of these, what is the average cost for consumers to enforce the SCT order.

Mr K Shanmugam: The Ministry does not track the percentage of orders issued by the Small Claims Tribunals (SCT) that require enforcement.

From 2019 to August 2024, there were about 880 applications for enforcement of an SCT order.

The costs for enforcement are prescribed under the Rules of Court. We do not track the legal fees that consumers may incur in enforcing the SCT order. This is case specific and depends on the scope of work to be performed and is a matter to be agreed between the consumer and his lawyer.

Parties who require legal advice on the enforcement of SCT orders may approach the State Courts’ Community Justice Centre for free onsite legal advice or seek assistance from other legal clinics, such as those organised by the Law Society Pro Bono Services or community centres.