Offshoreworks Global (L) Ltd v POSH Semco Pte Ltd [2020] (Case Summary)
22 September 2020
Case summary
Civil Appeal No 180 of 2019
Offshoreworks Global (L) Ltd v POSH Semco Pte Ltd [2020] SGCA(I) 4
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Decision of the Court of Appeal (delivered by Judge of Appeal Justice Andrew Phang Boon Leong):
Outcome: The Court of Appeal dismisses the appeal and affirms the Judge’s findings on the summary judgment entered in favour of the respondent against the appellant.
Pertinent and significant points of the judgment
CoA held that under the present legal regime, the prohibitions against corporate self-representation in O 5 r 6(2) and O 12 r 1(2) of the Rules of Court (Cap 322, 2014 Rev Ed) (“ROC”) applied to the Singapore International Commercial Court (“SICC”) and that the leave mechanism in O 1 r 9(2) of the ROC was not available to foreign bodies corporate appearing in SICC matters as a possible legal avenue for corporate self-representation with leave of court. Any change in this regard must be made by way of the appropriate legislative amendments: at [32].
Background facts
This summary is provided to assist in the understanding of the Court’s judgment. It is not intended to be a substitute for the reasons of the Court. All numbers in bold font and square brackets refer to the corresponding paragraph numbers in the Court’s judgment.