The Supreme Court’s vision is to establish and maintain a world-class Judiciary. It will do this by putting in place efficient and effective court processes to enhance access to justice and instill public trust and confidence in the court system. A total budget of $68 million has been allocated to Supreme Court in FY2007 to achieve this.

The Supreme Court comprises the High Court and the Court of Appeal. As a superior court of record, the High Court also supervises the Subordinate Courts and administrative tribunals through the processes of appeal and judicial review. The Court of Appeal is the highest court of the land. The decisions of the Court of Appeal will clarify and confirm the law, and establish precedents for the guidance of all courts.

Desired Outcomes

The Supreme Court aims to achieve public trust and confidence in the dispensation of justice based on the values of:

• Accessibility
• Expedition and timeliness
• Equality, fairness and integrity
• Independence and accountability

To achieve these outcomes, Supreme Court’s budget will be utilised for the following:

• To process, manage and deliver a just decision according to the law in about 19,600 civil and criminal cases and applications, based on the prescribed timelines and allocated resources;
• To provide the enforcement machinery through a system of court bailiffs;
• To provide information services to allow the legal profession and members of the public to have access to court records; and
• To conduct public education programmes on the Singapore court system, correcting misconceptions and keeping the community informed of developments in the courts.

The Subordinate Courts manage more than 95% of all judicial matters in Singapore. Specifically, the Criminal Justice Division protects the public by deterring crime while the Civil Justice Division ensures the effective and fair resolution of civil disputes. The Juvenile Justice and Family Justice Divisions aim to reintegrate juvenile delinquents into society and protect family obligations respectively. The Courts' daily business of upholding the rule of law and administering justice sustains investors' confidence and contributes to social stability and economic progress.

The Subordinate Courts

A total budget of $51.56 million to effectively administer justice, uphold the rule of law and enhance access to justice:

• To process about 300,000 criminal, civil, matrimonial and small claims cases;
• To enhance criminal justice administration by refining and reviewing work processes within the crime registry, criminal courts and night courts; meeting the needs of the society by implementing specialist court like the Community Court; and redeveloping our computerised criminal case management system, expanding electronic payment mechanism and working on the integration of such criminal case management system with others.
• To enhance the delivery of civil justice through an increase in court-based and court-referred mediation programmes; reviewing and implementing pre-action protocols to maximise the benefits of the mediation process before such cases come to court; enhancing the usage of third sector resources and stakeholders; enhancing the implementation of differentiated case management; and reviewing the assistance to litigants in person.
• To enhance family and juvenile justice administration by refining work processes at the family court registry and family courts; and implementing programmes to facilitate family reconciliation and the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders.
• To enhance corporate governance by refining performance measurement and strategic management systems.
• To enhance IT infrastructure and systems for expeditious and effective case management and processing.
• To sustain the enforcement and administration of security and business continuity measures in the court premises to ensure a safe environment for court users, the general public and court staff.

Desired Outcomes

Through this, the Subordinate Courts strives to achieve Public trust and confidence in the dispensation of justice based on the values of accessibility; expedition and timeliness; equality, fairness and integrity; and finally, independence and accountability.

Attorney-General’s Chambers

The mission of the Attorney-General’s Chambers is to enhance the rule of law and constitutional government in Singapore by providing sound legal advice and assistance in developing a fair and responsive legal system, furthering good public administration and protecting the interests of the State and of the people. Its core values are: The Rule of Law, A Just Legal System, Integrity & Impartiality, Competence & Professionalism, Teamwork & Cooperation, and the Public Interest.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers comprise the Civil Division, Criminal Justice Division, International Affairs Division, Legislation Division, and the Law Reform and Revision Division. These legal divisions are supported by the Library and Resource Centre, Computer Information Systems Department and Corporate Services Division. A total budget of S$59.8 million will be allocated for the Attorney General's Chambers to:

• Provide sound legal advice and representation for the Government in civil cases, and matters involving constitutional and administrative law.
• Enhance the rule of law and principles of good governance among government departments.
• Promote a just criminal justice system which protects the public and ensures that wrongdoers are brought to justice.
• Pursue a fair and impartial policy in the prosecution of offenders based on sufficient evidence and the public interest.
• Protect and advance Singapore’s interests internationally through effective practice and application of public international law.
• Advise government departments on international law and represent the State in treaty negotiations and dispute resolution.
• Draft legislation to give effect to Parliamentary intention in a simple, clear and concise manner.
• Support Parliamentary Select Committees in legislation reviews and advise government on statutory interpretation.
• Review and reform the law to meet the needs of Singapore and its people in the 21st century.
• Revise, consolidate, modernise and simplify legislation for the public to better understand the law.

In doing so, the Attorney-General's Chambers seek to achieve the following outcomes:

• Parliamentary democracy and an effective statute book.
• A Government which operates within the Constitution and the laws of Singapore.
• A Government which is effectively and professionally represented in all legal matters.
• A just and effective criminal prosecutorial system.
• A safe society and a secure environment for the conduct of business.
• A nation which abides by international law.
• A rule based regional and multi-lateral trading system as well as bilateral arrangement with key or strategic trading partners which safeguards and enhances Singapore’s interests.