Enhancing Singapore's Offerings as an International Dispute Resolution Hub with the Singapore International Commercial Court (International Committee) Bill
14 October 2024 Posted in Press releases
1. The Singapore International Commercial Court (International Committee) Bill (“Bill”) was introduced for First Reading in Parliament today.
A Committee to Hear Appeals from Prescribed Foreign Jurisdictions
2. The Bill seeks to establish an International Committee of the Singapore International Commercial Court (“International Committee”) in Singapore to hear prescribed civil appeals and related proceedings from prescribed foreign jurisdictions.
3. The International Committee will further enhance Singapore’s offerings as an international dispute resolution hub, providing parties with a transnational commercial dispute resolution option to hear their cases and appeals.
4. The Bill follows the signing of a bilateral Treaty1 between the Government of Singapore and the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain on 20 March 2024 to collaborate on the establishment of the Bahrain International Commercial Court (“BICC”).
Key Features of the Bill
5. The key features of the Bill are as follows:
a) Structure: The International Committee will be established as a standalone body to hear prescribed appeals and related proceedings from prescribed foreign jurisdictions.
b) Constitution: The members will comprise Judges of the Supreme Court and International Judges in the Singapore International Commercial Court (“SICC”), and ad hoc members drawn from the court of the foreign jurisdiction that is referring an appeal to the International Committee.
c) Jurisdiction: The Minister for Law will be empowered to make regulations in relation to appeals from a foreign court to the International Committee, including prescribing the types of cases that can be appealed to the International Committee from the foreign jurisdiction.
d) Representation: Singapore advocates and solicitors, foreign lawyers and law experts who have been registered to appear before the SICC, can appear before the International Committee.
e) Enforcement: A judgment or order of the International Committee will be treated as a judgment or order of the court of that foreign jurisdiction which the appeal arose from.
f) Finality: A decision of the International Committee is final.
MINISTRY OF LAW
SINGAPORE COURTS
14 OCTOBER 2024
1. More information on the bilateral Treaty can be found in the press release by the Ministry of Law and SG Courts on 20 March 2024: https://www.mlaw.gov.sg/news/press-releases/singapore-bahrain-sign-treaty-on-appeals-from-bicc/.↩
Last updated on 14 October 2024