In the last decade, the Supreme Court has eliminated its earlier backlog of cases and maintained a healthy timeline for the disposal of cases through strict and rigorous case management. In doing so, it introduced the Electronic Filing System (EFS) for better management of court documents. Our initiatives have won accolades and garnered much interest from judicial as well as non-judicial bodies, both within Singapore and in the international arena.

But the pursuit of excellence is a continuous process. Any organisation that chooses not to move forward will simply find itself being left behind. The Supreme Court must therefore continue to examine and evaluate its current practices and to find new ways to improve the administration of justice.

In 2004, in addition to reviewing our case management at the pre-trial stage, we have started to examine measures to regulate the conduct of trials and hearings, both in the High Court and in the Court of Appeal.

Two measures deserve mention. The first is the requirement that skeletal arguments be filed for all civil hearings before the Court of Appeal by the Thursday of the preceding week. The Court of Appeal has also set a limit of 20 pages for skeletal arguments. A similar measure was instituted for all High Court actions begun by writ (except for actions arising from motor vehicle accidents). Opening statements are required to be filed not less than five days before the trial. Lengthy opening statements exceeding 20 pages are discouraged by the imposition of additional filing fees. Both measures stress timeliness in the submission, and economy in the length, of court documents. The measures are aimed at ensuring that the documents are used in an effective manner during the hearings. They encourage better advocacy by making the court proceedings more focused. As a corollary, hearing times are shortened and quality of justice enhanced.

In addition, amendments were made to the Supreme Court of Judicature Act to regulate the conduct of appeals in family proceedings. Family proceedings heard at first instance in the Subordinate Courts will now have one tier of appeal in the High Court, without any restriction. Any further appeal to the Court of Appeal will however require the leave of court. This will provide for greater certainty in family proceedings.

Efficiency is an important, but not the only, aspect of a judicial system. The Supreme Court must ensure that the services it provides remain accessible and the justice it delivers is of the highest quality.

We have over the years, attempted to make the court system more accessible through the use of technology. Lawyers are able to file and serve court documents directly through computers from their offices, search case data through the internet and read law lists from the Supreme Court website. They are also able to have virtual hearings through the use of video conferencing, videophones and Justice Online facilities. The two technology courts also have facilities for electronic presentations and a number of areas within the court premises are equipped with wireless hotspots for internet access.

We have continued to improve the technological infrastructure of the Supreme Court. During the year, the performance of the EFS has been enhanced with the implementation of various "immediate fixes". More significantly, these enhancements are achieved through the valuable feedback and assistance of lawyers and technology vendors. Enhancements to the EFS will soon include a more logically organised case-centric system, which will send key case information, like hearing dates, to lawyers. The new system will enable lawyers to reduce the repetitive work that they currently face in preparing documents for filing.

We have also provided easier access to the decisions of the Supreme Court. All new judgments of the High Court and the Court of Appeal will be available on the Supreme Court and Singapore Academy of Law websites shortly after they are delivered. In a common law jurisdiction, widespread dissemination of judgments will foster a greater awareness of our laws. The release of our latest judgments on the internet will benefit not only lawyers, but also academics and interested members of the public. It will make it easier for all interested persons to be kept updated on the current developments in the law.

Equal attention has been given to the development of the new physical premises. The New Supreme Court Building will be ready in 2005. It will house new state-of-the-art courtrooms with modern acoustics to facilitate the hearing of complex civil and criminal trials. It will provide facilities to cater to the needs of the disabled, proper waiting areas for lawyers and members of the public, separate witness rooms for each party, special rooms for vulnerable witnesses as well as a playroom for witnesses’ children who cannot be left at home. The New Supreme Court Building will have enhanced security features to ensure that the court premises are safe for all users.

In enhancing efficiency and accessibility, our ultimate goal must be to build a justice system which is strong and internationally well-respected, where judicial reasoning is fair and just. In this regard, I am pleased to welcome two eminent lawyers from the private sector to the Bench in 2004. Justice V K Rajah and Judicial Commissioner Andrew Ang are both highly respected practitioners in their fields. They bring to the Bench a wealth of experience and expertise gained from their years of dedication to the practice of law. I am confident that as we continue to strengthen the Supreme Court Bench with the finest legal minds, our judicial system will contribute to the development of the common law in Singapore.

Yong Pung How
Chief Justice, Republic of Singapore