As the Supreme Court is an office of records, court users, especially litigants, can apply to inspect files and court documents, which have been made public documents. Litigants can inspect their own case files and request for copies of court documents.
Notes taken down by the Judges or the Registrars are not made available to court users and litigants unless it is in type-written form and approved by the Judge or judicial officer.
Files relating to the following civil matters can be made available for inspection and making copies:
- Bankruptcy Petitions
- Cause Books pertaining to Probate matters
(pre 28/05/2002 matters)
- Companies Winding Up Petitions
- Originating Motions
- Originating Petitions
- Originating Summonses
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- Pre-1990 Adoption Petitions
- Pre-1996 Divorce Petitions
- Powers of Attorney
- Probate Petitions
- Suits
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Where the file is available, approval for inspection and request for photocopies is given without delay within the hour. However, old files that have been archived may take 1 to 2 days. Each file costs S$20.00 to inspect (S$10.00 if it is a Bankruptcy file). Photocopies cost S$5.00 per document and a further S$0.30 per page. For Bankruptcy files, photocopies cost S$1.00 per document and a further S$0.30 per page. Certification as true copies is provided for S$5.00 per page.
Court users can also request for other files, which are relating to or having a bearing on their cases, to be produced for the reference of the courts hearing their cases. A fee of S$100 is payable for production of a file where the value of the claim does not exceed S$1 million and S$200 where the value of the claim is more than S$1 million.
Approval from the Registrar is required for all applications to inspect or copy any document. Production of files do not require approval from the Registrar. Applications should be made by filing a Praecipe at the Records Office, located at Level 2 at the Registry and paying the relevant fees upon approval.
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