Singapore legislation
Section 19
Section 19
General civil jurisdiction
(1)
A District Court exercising civil jurisdiction is a court of record.
(2)
Subject to subsections (3) and (4), a District Court has all the jurisdiction of the General Division of the High Court to hear and try any action in personam where —
the defendant is served with a writ of summons or any other originating process —
in Singapore in the manner prescribed by Rules of Court; or
outside Singapore in the circumstances authorised by and in the manner prescribed by Rules of Court; or
the defendant submits to the jurisdiction of a District Court.
(3)
Subject to section 28A of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1969 and any order under subsection (1) thereof, a District Court’s jurisdiction under subsection (2) does not include —
any supervisory jurisdiction or revisionary jurisdiction;
any jurisdiction relating to the judicial review of any act done or decision made by any person or authority, including the issue of any of the following prerogative orders:
a Mandatory Order;
a Prohibiting Order;
a Quashing Order;
an Order for Review of Detention;
any jurisdiction vested exclusively in the General Division of the High Court, in a Family Court, in a Youth Court, in any other State Court, or in any judicial, quasi‑judicial or administrative tribunal, by written law; and
any jurisdiction expressly excluded by written law.
(4)
Subject to sections 22 and 23, a District Court’s jurisdiction under subsection (2) does not include jurisdiction to hear and try any action where —
the amount claimed in the action exceeds the District Court limit; or
any remedy or relief sought in the action is in respect of a subject matter the value of which exceeds the District Court limit.
(5)
[Deleted by Act 27 of 2014]
(6)
Without limiting subsection (2), a District Court has such jurisdiction as is vested in it by any other written law.