Singapore has just upgraded its already-advanced electronic filing system for court documents. The new electronic litigation system (e-litigation) provides enhanced functions for lawyers, judges, and even members of the public to manage their court cases. Find out more about the new system in this presentation.

1. E-LITIGATION IN
SINGAPORE (2014)
Management of Law Office and
Court Technology
Benjamin Ang
ben.ang@gmail.com

2. For every trial, the relevant documents
need to be filed in court

3. The problems with filing paper
• Takes up space
• Takes time to retrieve
from storerooms
• Difficult to locate a
case if it gets lost
among many cases
• Requires manpower to
handle, move, manage

4. What EFS (Electronic Filing System) did
for Singapore trials in 2000
• Electronic Case File
used in the Court
Registry
• Court Registry had
faster access to case
documents
• Judges could
download cases
• Parties could use
softcopies in court

5. The Problems EFS faced in Law Firms
• Many law firms had to reserve
computers for EFS
• Software and hardware needed
upgrading
• Double work - many law firms
• created court forms in Word,
• re-entered data into EFS,
• Scanned the Word documents into PDF !
• Limited access to case documents

6. EFS WAS REPLACED BY
E-LITIGATION
EFS ceased operation on 1
February 2014

7. What E-Litigation does better
• Web-based
• No need for smart cards or card readers
• No need to install software on the local
computer
• Party details and case numbers will only
have to be entered once for the same
matter
• No more PDF for many court documents!
• The system will use dynamic electronic
court forms

8. What E-Litigation does better
• Full access to all documents in a case
for as long as the case remains active
• E-mail, SMS and reminder alerts
• Calendaring and Hearing
Management Module
• Enables parties to select hearing dates
• Document sharing
• Lawyers can share docs with clients

9. 4 STEPS TO GET
STARTED IN
E-LITIGATION

10. Step One: Key in Case/Party Information
& Questionnaire

11. Step 2: Generate the Documents

12. Step 3: Key in Admin Details (e.g.
„special handling‟)

13. Step 3: Choose hearing date

14. Step 3: Serve on the other party

15. Step 4: Check documents, then file

16. 2 TIPS TO USE IN
E-LITIGATION

17. #1: Getting Costs / Unless Orders
• If the other party is not ready to
exchange, write to them “we are
ready to exchange”, cc court
• Use this letter in any submissions on
costs or “unless” orders for failing to
comply with court orders.

18. #2: Use Pre-Prepared Prayers
• System has suggested „prayers‟
(requests) to guide you in drafting and
can be adapted to suit your client‟s
needs
• Tell the Court precisely what you are
asking for e.g. quantum, mode and
effective date for payments or the mode
of substituted service sought
• Then it‟s easier for the judge to decide
based on the evidence before the court

19. FIND OUT MORE
https://www.elitigation.sg/GetReady/