Case Conferences in a Singapore Civil Claim: What Your Company Must Prepare and What the Registrar Will Ask

Short answer: A case conference is a court hearing in a civil claim where a registrar takes control of the case, sets the timetable and gives directions on documents, witness affidavits, experts, settlement and the single application pending trial. Your company’s solicitor must attend, and if a party is absent, the court may dismiss the claim or enter judgment.

Once a claim is filed, the case no longer moves at the pace the parties choose. The court manages it through a series of short hearings. This guide explains the case conference Singapore courts use under the Rules of Court 2021 for a company that is a claimant or defendant: what the registrar will ask, how High Court and State Courts practice differ, the information your solicitor will need from the company beforehand, who attends, what happens if nobody turns up, and what the company secretary prepares while the solicitor runs the case.

Raffles Corporate Services works with a panel of experienced Singapore law firms who offer cost-effective and efficient legal service and advice. This article is general information only and is not legal advice.

What is a case conference in Singapore, and why does it matter?

A case conference is a hearing where the court takes control of the proceedings, sets timelines and gives directions. It replaced what lawyers used to call a pre-trial conference.

Under the Rules of Court 2021, which apply to civil proceedings started on or after 1 April 2022, the court decides how fast a case moves and which steps are worth taking, guided by the Rules’ five Ideals, including expeditious proceedings and cost-effective work proportionate to the claim.

A case conference is not a trial. No witnesses give evidence and the registrar does not decide who is right; the registrar asks practical questions and turns the answers into directions with fixed dates.

A case will usually have several case conferences. The Singapore Courts’ Digest 2A anticipates, for High Court cases, generally 4 to 6 milestone case conferences before registrars and 2 to 3 before judges over the life of a case, depending on matters such as expert evidence.

What is the legal basis under the Rules of Court 2021?

Case conferences are governed by Order 9 of the Rules of Court 2021, supplemented by the Supreme Court Practice Directions 2021 (Part 7) and the State Courts Practice Directions 2021 (Part IV).

You can read the practice directions on case conferences in the Supreme Court Practice Directions 2021 and the Singapore Courts guide to attending a civil case conference.

How do case conferences differ in the High Court and the State Courts?

The purpose is the same, but timing, documents and the officer in charge differ. In the High Court a registrar runs a structured process built around written questionnaires; in the State Courts a deputy registrar manages the case under one of four frameworks.

The State Courts notice tells the parties which framework applies to their case.

What will the registrar ask at the first case conference?

In the High Court, the registrar works through the Pre-Case Conference Questionnaire, which each side files after conferring with the other. It covers:

• service of the claim on every defendant, and any application for substituted service or service out of Singapore;
• any challenge to the court’s jurisdiction;
• the nature of the claim, the key issues and any related proceedings;
• settlement and alternative dispute resolution, including whether and how amicable resolution under Order 5 has been tried;
• whether AEICs should be filed before production of documents, and the number, languages and locations of factual and expert witnesses;
• any intended application for summary judgment or striking out;
• preliminary applications before the SAPT, such as adding parties, consolidation, amendment of pleadings or further and better particulars; and
• confidentiality orders.

Later, the registrar may direct a List of Issues, used to set the scope of production of documents and evidence. Where experts may be needed, each party fills in an Expert Witness Template. Our guide to expert witnesses in Singapore civil cases covers that stage in detail.

The registrar may also ask whether the parties object to an order under Order 9, Rule 8(1) that AEICs be filed before documents are exchanged.

How does the case conference lead to the single application pending trial?

The case conference sets up the SAPT, a single application by each party that gathers all its interlocutory requests into one, instead of a stream of separate applications.

The Singapore Courts explain that the SAPT aims to stop parties litigating step by step, which multiplies costs and delays trial. Key points from the Singapore Courts’ Digest 2A:

• the SAPT is generally taken out after general production of documents is completed;
• apart from certain carve-outs, no application may be taken out except as directed at a case conference or with the court’s approval, sought by letter explaining why it is needed (Order 9, Rule 9(8)); and
• no application may be taken out from 14 days before trial until the court has decided the merits, except in a special case with the trial judge’s approval (Order 9, Rule 9(10)).

In the High Court the court may direct an SAPT Checklist at least 2 weeks before the relevant case conference, and the respondent must file the completed checklist at least 1 week before it (Supreme Court Practice Directions 2021, para 56(12) and (14)). The case conference is also where the court may order or encourage settlement attempts under Order 5; see our guide to mediation and the Order 5 duty.

What must your company prepare before a case conference?

Your solicitor completes and files the court forms, but the answers come from the company. Expect a request list like the one below, usually within days of the notice.

1. Confirm who in the company gives instructions and has authority to agree timetables and settlement positions, and record it in a directors’ resolution.
2. Provide a short chronology of the dispute, with dates of contracts, deliveries, invoices, complaints and key emails or messages.
3. Identify every potential factual witness by name, role, language and location, and flag anyone who has left the company or lives overseas.
4. Say whether expert evidence may be needed (for example a valuer, engineer or forensic accountant) and on which issues.
5. Locate the core documents: the contract, purchase orders, invoices, statements of account, board minutes and correspondence. The detail of what must be exchanged is covered in our guide to production of documents under Order 11.
6. Give the history of any settlement offers or mediation proposals, with copies.
7. List any applications the company may want to make, such as security for costs, and any confidentiality concerns.
8. Diary every date in the court’s directions against the person responsible.

Who attends the case conference, and what if a party is absent?

Where the company has a lawyer, its lawyer must attend. Attendance is compulsory, and absence can end the case.

Under the Supreme Court Practice Directions 2021, para 55(1), the case conference should be attended by lead counsel, or counsel familiar with the case with sufficient authority to make decisions; otherwise the court may stand down or adjourn it. A director should be reachable on the day in case the solicitor needs instructions. In the State Courts, parties attending should bring photo identification.

Order 9, Rule 4 provides:

• if no party attends or the claimant is absent, the court may dismiss the action (Rule 4(1));
• if the claimant attends but the defendant is absent, the court may give judgment for the claimant upon proof of service of the originating claim or originating application on the defendant (Rule 4(2)); and
• the court may set aside or vary the dismissal or default judgment on proof that there were valid reasons for the absence (Rule 4(3)).

In GHP Far East Ltd v NPG Global Pte Ltd [2025] SGHCR 37 (unreported), decided on 21 November 2025, the High Court registrar held that “the case conference” in Rule 4(1) and (2) means the most recent case conference convened, so earlier absences alone do not open the door to judgment, though they may justify an unless order. Our guide to unless orders explains how those work.

What is the timeline, and what does it cost?

The first dates are fixed by the Rules and practice directions; later dates depend on the court’s directions. Court fees for the SAPT are published; solicitors’ fees vary, so we do not quote them.

Assumptions: an action begun by originating claim under the Rules of Court 2021; Service Bureau charges are extra; the court may give different directions. Ask your solicitor for a written estimate by stage.

What does the company secretary prepare, and what does the solicitor file?

The company secretary or corporate service provider (CSP) keeps the company’s authorisations and records in order; a Singapore Advocate and Solicitor files the court documents and attends the case conference. Court proceedings are conducted by a Singapore Advocate and Solicitor, never by a CSP.

Raffles Corporate Services does not give legal advice or act in court; a law firm from our panel handles any proceedings. Case conference directions are not lodged with ACRA, but a settlement or judgment that changes shareholdings, directors or registered particulars triggers the usual ACRA filings. If your company has just been served, start with our first-steps guide to defending a civil claim.

What are the common mistakes companies make?

Most come from treating the first case conference as an administrative event rather than the point where the court fixes the shape of the case.

• Sending instructions to the solicitor too late for the questionnaire to be completed and conferred on 1 week before the first RCC.
• No one in the company having authority to agree a timetable or settlement position on the day.
• Raising the need for an expert or a new application long after the case conference where it should have been flagged.
• Assuming a separate application can be filed at any time, when most must wait for the SAPT or need the court’s approval by letter.
• Missing a case conference, which can lead to dismissal or judgment under Order 9, Rule 4.

Our free compliance tools help keep company deadlines in one place, and if a case conference is close and your company has no lawyer yet, speak to a lawyer straight away.

Frequently asked questions

Does a director have to attend the case conference?

Not usually, if the company has a lawyer. The Practice Directions require lead counsel or a lawyer familiar with the case with authority to make decisions. A director should be available to give instructions on the day.

Is a case conference the same as a trial?

No. It is a case management hearing, usually before a registrar or deputy registrar. No evidence is heard and the merits are not decided; the court gives directions and fixes dates.

Can our company secretary attend the case conference for us?

No. Where the company is represented, its Singapore Advocate and Solicitor attends. The company secretary prepares the resolutions and records the solicitor relies on.

Can the court enter judgment against our company at a case conference?

Yes. If the company is the defendant and is absent, the court may give judgment for the claimant on proof of service (Order 9, Rule 4(2)). It can be set aside or varied on proof of valid reasons for the absence.

Last reviewed: 8 November 2026. The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services.