Supreme Court of Singapore,
1 Supreme Court Lane, Singapore 178879, t: (65)-6332-1020
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Strategies of Case Management: Challenges, Solutions and Innovation (6 to 10 April 2015)
Article contributed by District Judge Boon Heng TAN, Executive Director, Singapore Judicial College
In conjunction with the Singapore Cooperation Programme funded by the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Singapore Judicial
College (“SJC”) organised a 5-day course for foreign judges on case management from 6 to 10 April 2015 titled, “Strategies of Case
Management: Challenges, Solutions And Innovation”.
This training programme, under the International Wing of the SJC, received an overwhelming response. The intention was to cap the
enrolment at 30 to ensure optimal participation. However, the final registration was 33 participants from 23 countries. The participants
hailed from Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Brunei, Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mauritius, Micronesia,
Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Romania, Slovak Republic, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tunisia and Ukraine.
The topics covered in the 5-day programme included the Singapore Judiciary’s experience in clearing case backlogs in the 1990s,
today’s differentiated tracks of case management and an introduction to the International Framework for Court Excellence – a healthy
court system ensures continuing effective and efficient case management.
To allow the participants to see for themselves the deployment of case management strategies on the ground, learning journeys to the
Supreme Court, State Courts and Family Justice Courts were weaved into the programme. On one of the afternoons, the participants
were also treated to roadshows (complete with hands-on) from our IT consultants presenting the eLitigation System, Integrated Criminal
Case Filing and Management System (ICMS) and Regulatory Offences Management System (ROMS). As one key strategy to case
management is a diversionary measure, the participants also benefited from a presentation of the work of the Singapore Mediation
Centre, an entity under the Singapore Academy of Law.
The 33 Participants from 23 Countries attending the Case Management Programme (6-10 April 2015)
There was tremendous interest in the IFCE. The SJC also took the opportunity to invite the participants to attend the IFCE Conference in
January 2016 in Singapore organised by the State Courts.
The next SJC training programme for the international judges is from 6 to 10 July 2015 on “End-To-End Court Technology: A
Compendious Survey”. We shall also include an Introduction to the IFCE in this event. For more information, click link below:
http://www.scp.gov.sg/content/scp/courses_offered_applicationprocedure/courses/2015/201507/sample1.html
Our Vision: Excellence in judicial education and research.
Our Mission: To provide and inspire continuing judicial learning and research to enhance the competency and professionalism of judges.
Strategies of Case Management: Challenges, Solutions and Innovation
Synopsis:
This is a 1-week course to examine the various approaches to case management. Backlog is a challenge that almost every judiciary has to contend with. The course will begin with the Singapore Judiciary sharing its experience in
eliminating the backlogs in the early 1990s. The multi-pronged strategy adopted more than two decades ago continue to be relevant to address the challenges faced by judiciaries today. Moving forward, to refine the approaches to case
management, the modules will include proactive case management, differentiated case management and the modified docket system. The course will also cover innovative ideas such as electronic discovery for civil litigation and judgeled processes to better manage the requirements of different types of litigation. This course will be an excellent platform for judges, magistrates and registrars to discuss the efficacy of the wide range of approaches used to manage
case load. This course is specially tailored for Judges and Judicial Officers who have duties relating to case management and judicial administration. There is an added “bonus” module on the International Framework for Court
Excellence which will be beneficial to those who are intimately involved in judicial administration.
Monday, 6 April 2015
AM
Arrival and Registration
Welcome Note by Dean, Singapore
Judicial College
Sharing by participants of the
present challenges faced in case
management
(Instructors: Foo Chee Hock /
Tan Boon Heng)
Tuesday, 7 April 2015
Wednesday, 8 April 2015
Thursday, 9 April 2015
Friday, 10 April 2015
Proactive Case Management in the
Supreme
Court
of
Singapore
(Instructor: Foo Chee Hock)
Differentiated Tracks for Civil and
Criminal cases in the State Courts of
Singapore
(Instructor: Tan Boon Heng)
Learning Journey to the Family
Justice Courts
Case Management and Judicial
Administration:
International
Framework for Court Excellence
(Instructor: Tan Boon Heng)
Modified Docket System versus Ad
Hoc Fixing System
(Instructor: Foo Chee Hock)
eDiscovery Framework
(Instructor: Tan Boon Heng)
Learning Journey to the Supreme
Court (including the Supreme Court
Legal Directorate and the Singapore
Mediation Centre)
Learning Journey to the State Courts
including the new Court Dispute
Resolution Centre and Centralised
Criminal Pre-Trial Conference Court
Judge Led Processes in the Family
Justice Courts of Singapore
(Instructors: Chia Wee Kiat / Tan
Boon Heng)
Panel Discussion
(Panellists: Foo Chee Hock / Tan
Boon Heng / To be Advised)
Supreme Court’s experience in
clearing backlogs in the 1990s
(Instructor: Foo Chee Hock)
PM
State Courts’ experience in clearing
backlogs in the 1990s
(Instructor: Tan Boon Heng)
Discussion on the feasibility of the
application of the solutions in the
participants’ jurisdiction
(Instructors: Foo Chee Hock /
Tan Boon Heng)
Case Management and Technology:
A glimpse of the electronic Case
Management Systems used in the
Singapore Judiciary including eLit,
Integrated Criminal Case Filing and
Management
System
(ICMS),
Regulatory Offences Management
System (ROMS).
Hands-on
included.
(Instructors: Foo Chee Hock / Tan
Boon Heng)
Reflections on Learning Journeys,
takeaways and future follow-up
(Instructors: Foo Chee Hock / Tan
Boon Heng)
Presentation of Certificates
Participation
(by Chief Justice of Singapore)
Closing Tea.
Note: This programme is subject to change, inter alia, to accommodate contingencies including the background and experience of registered participants, availability of course trainers and logistics. All changes
will be reflected on the College website.
of