Singapore legislation

Clause 2

Amendment of section 19

Section 19 of the Subordinate Courts Act (referred to in this Act as the principal Act) is amended by deleting subsections (2), (3) and (4) and substituting the following subsections:“(2) Subject to subsections (3) and (4), a District Court shall have all the jurisdiction of the High Court to hear and try any action in personam where —

(a)

the defendant is served with a writ of summons or any other originating process —

(i)

in Singapore in the manner prescribed by Rules of Court; or

(ii)

outside Singapore in the circumstances authorised by and in the manner prescribed by Rules of Court; or

(b)

the defendant submits to the jurisdiction of a District Court.(3) Subject to section 28A of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act (Cap. 322) and any order under subsection (1) thereof, a District Court’s jurisdiction under subsection (2) shall not include —

(a)

any supervisory jurisdiction or revisionary jurisdiction;

(b)

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:

(i)

a Mandatory Order;

(ii)

a Prohibiting Order;

(iii)

a Quashing Order;

(iv)

an Order for Review of Detention;

(c)

any jurisdiction vested exclusively in the High Court, in any other subordinate court, or in any judicial, quasi-judicial or administrative tribunal, by written law; and

(d)

any jurisdiction expressly excluded by written law.(4) Subject to sections 22 and 23, a District Court’s jurisdiction under subsection (2) shall not include jurisdiction to hear and try any action where —

(a)

the amount claimed in the action exceeds the District Court limit; or

(b)

any remedy or relief sought in the action is in respect of a subject-matter the value of which exceeds the District Court limit.”.

Read in full context — Subordinate Courts (Amendment) Bill →