Singapore Court Practice 2003

In early July this year, a new saucer-shaped landmark appeared as part of Singapore’s landscape, towering over the City Hall Building. Seen from an angle from the Padang, it certainly looks as if a huge spacecraft had landed on top of the City Hall. Far from causing panic one would normally associate with the landing of a UFO, this new structure gives everyone a sense of security; this is after all, the highest temple of justice. Against this backdrop, it is therefore only befitting that there be an updated book on the rules of civil procedure; the rules by which the proceedings are conducted in the singular quest for justice and judicial relief. Jeffrey Pinsler’s Singapore Court Practice 2005 is that very updated book.

Jeffrey Pinsler wrote the very first book, Civil Procedure in 1994 and followed it with Singapore Court Practice in 1999. Until his first book, there was much, if not virtually sole, reliance on the English White Book to guide one through the labyrinth of the rules of court. The cases cited therein were without exception English cases. However, as a result of very significant and, in some instances, novel changes to the way the cogs and the wheels of the civil justice machinery should turn, Jeffrey Pinsler’s first book was truly a guiding lamp that not only shone on the English authorities but, more importantly, brought into sharp view the relevant and pertinent local authorities to bear on the workings of the various rules. It is in that tradition and zeal that the author’s books in 1999, then 2003, have been, and now, the 2005 edition, is moulded.

Many a practitioner, young and old, has grown up with the presentation style, the depth of analysis, the clear exposition of principles with references to the authorities. Where, however, there are grey areas and unchartered waters, the author has not walked away from the challenge, and in a manner of speaking, has in fact rolled up his sleeves and jumped into the affray, thereby enabling the reader to make some sense of order out of the disorder. Such a discussion of the unexplored areas also provides a fertile bed for further development and an intellectually stimulating springboard from which to launch even more discussion and the canvassing of different views.

This book is indeed a Herculian task with various practising luminaries of the profession contributing to specific chapters not only with their sharp intellect but also the distilled wisdom of years of experience. It is written in a progression of the various rules, not unlike the English White Book. This makes for easy navigation through its thick belly and helps one to zero in very quickly on the specific rules or subject matter. There is also a list showing the arrangement of the provisions and a very comprehensive index. This work has also been cited with approval in many judicial pronouncements, thereby giving it the seal of authority and legitimacy that it deserves.

Undeniably, the development of law takes place at such a pace that most times, segments of a book become outdated very quickly either through legislative changes or judicial pronouncements. The very big plus point of this book is that the author continues to hold one’s hand throughout. If litigation is like warfare, then constant updates must be non-negotiable requirements if currency is to be maintained. In 2003, there were two cumulative supplements and two Newsletters. A further two cumulative supplements (the latest being the fourth cumulative supplement) and two Newsletters were produced in 2004. His commitment to keeping track of procedural developments in other jurisdictions is also 
very welcoming.

Like a trusted comrade-in-arms, the author is by the side of the practitioner-gladiator, all the way, every inch of the way. The story is often told of a large man holding a very small man by the neck and demanding his money. The huge man tells the small man that he must hand over all his money because he is small in size. The small man whips out a revolver, points it at the large man and says, ‘We may be born unequal but Smith & Wesson made us equal’. In similar vein, many a young or inexperienced civil litigator may be intimidated by the more experienced one but if ever put in such a situation, he should be able to say, ‘Pinsler made us equal’.

For that reason, this book must be on every practitioner’s desk, on that of the young just so to be the equal of the senior and on that of the senior, to avoid embarrassment at not having updated himself.

Amolat Singh

Amolat & Partners

Singapore Court Practice 2005 will be available in September 2005. The publication is currently available at an exclusive pre-publication price of S$380* (Publication Price: S$480) (inclusive of one-year complimentary updates on civil procedure and evidence and free access to a Q&A section on civil procedure prepared by Professor Pinsler).