Debated in Parliament on 27 Feb 2026.
Debate resumed.
Mr Chairman, I declare that I am a lawyer in private practice for both my cuts.
Disputes are distressing but an inevitable consequence of personal and commercial interactions. If unresolved, some disputes end up before the Civil Courts or tribunals for resolution.
If you are an individual, legal proceedings can often be a frustrating and stressful process. And yet, even after you obtain a judgment in your favour, it does not necessarily mean that you have succeeded.
There is still the matter of enforcing the judgment. The enforcement process can sometimes be an equal, if not more, trying process. It requires a successful litigant to invest more time and resources with no guarantee of recovery.
It was therefore heartening when the Minister announced during the Committee of Supply 2024 and 2025 that the Ministry was studying potential enhancements to the civil enforcement process, such as giving the Courts greater powers to identify the assets and means of judgment debtors in order to help the judgment creditor make an informed decision on whether and how to enforce the Judgment.
This included proposals for Civil Judgment Enforcement Officers who can assist to better locate debtors' assets. These reforms were slated to also apply to tribunals such as the Employment Claims Tribunal and Small Claims Tribunal.
In the domain of family disputes, the Maintenance Enforcement Process (MEP) is a major step forward. Operationalised in January 2025, with progressive expansion in phases, we now have MEP officers who can obtain financial information, facilitate conciliation and provide reports to assist judges.
In the premises,
Legal fees can be daunting for families and individuals. The pressure is aggravated when it involves family-related legal matters that are impossible to avoid.
At the Committee of Supply 2025, the Minister shared that the means testing criteria for civil legal aid were revised in 2024 to ensure legal aid continues to be accessible to Singaporeans who need assistance. Currently, criminal defence aid under the Public Defender's Office is pegged at around the 35th percentile of resident households by per capita household income (PCHI). Civil legal aid, however, remains roughly at the 25th percentile.
In the area of civil law, based on experience at our Potong Pasir Community Legal Clinic over the past 12 years, less privileged families often reach out to seek assistance in probate matters such as the procurement of letters of administration or deputyship applications under the Mental Capacity Act when a member of the family, often a senior, suffers from mental capacity medical conditions.
These families are often slightly above the threshold for legal aid but face financial challenges to retain lawyers to advise and deal with these matters on their behalf. There are aspects of these matters that could result in frustrating and trying issues for families if left unresolved. Deputyship to act on behalf of a senior in the family, for example, is important for families to make decisions for the senior and to have access, and be able to manage his or her assets.
In the premises,
Mr Chairman, in previous debates, the Ministry said it was studying reforms to strengthen civil enforcement, including greater powers to identify the assets of judgment debtors and stronger deterrence against non-compliance with Court orders.
These reforms are necessary. For many Singaporeans, especially small businesses and middle-income households, obtaining judgment is only half the battle. A judgment may declare one’s rights. But without enforcement, it is only a piece of paper.
Today, enforcement can be costly, slow and uncertain. Creditors must spend more time and money tracing assets, initiating further applications and navigating complex procedures. When debtors conceal assets or ignore Court orders, the burden falls back on the successful party. This is not just inconvenient; it is destabilising. For a small business, delayed recovery can affect cash flow and survival. For individuals, it prolongs stress and financial strain. If Court orders are ignored without consequences, confidence in the rule of law is weakened.
Our justice system must not only decide cases fairly. It must ensure that its decisions are obeyed.
I therefore ask, what is the current status of the Ministry’s review? Has a policy direction been settled? When will we see legislative amendments or pilot measures introduced?
Mr Chairman, access to justice is not only about enforcement. It is also about affordability. We are in a period of cost pressures. Civil litigation is expensive. While legal aid schemes are valuable, many lower- and middle-income Singaporeans may fall into a difficult gap, earning too much to qualify, yet too little to afford sustained legal representation. Access to justice should not depend on one’s ability to pay substantial upfront legal fees. Eligibility thresholds and coverage frameworks must keep pace with living costs. At the same time, more can be done to support litigants-in-person. Simplified procedures, clearer guidance and enhanced assisted self-help tools can reduce costs while preserving fairness.
I therefore seek clarification on two points. First, will the Ministry review legal aid eligibility criteria to ensure continued accessibility? Second, will further procedural simplifications or assisted self-help mechanisms be introduced to ease the burden on middle-income litigants?
This policy cut is modest in amount but serious in purpose. Court judgments must have real effect. And the doors of justice must remain meaningfully open. Strengthening enforcement and expanding accessibility are not optional refinements. They are foundational to public confidence in our legal system.
The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) plays an important role in unlocking the value of state land for community use. As a sportsman, I have personally seen with immense joy how underutilised spaces, such as areas under flyovers, can be transformed into safe and vibrant places for sport and recreation, whether for pickleball, futsal, badminton, tennis or even archery and possibly even hockey.
But could we go beyond flyovers, empty school fields, old black and white bungalow spaces, old colonial terraces and more? All these are ripe for use for sport, football, archery, hockey, pickleball, dance, floorball and art galleries — Thank you. [Laughter.]
The Land Betterment Charge was introduced in 2022 to capture part of the land value uplift that accrues to landowners when the Government enhances development potential through planning decisions. This is important because it reflects our commitment to collective benefit.
I would like to ask the Minister how has SLA improved the Land Betterment Charge regime since it came into force in 2022?
Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua.
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