Delays and Case Backlogs in

Environmental Cases

Woo Bih Li

Judge

Supreme Court of Singapore

9 December 2012

Outline

• Dealing with backlogs in environmental cases

• General case management in civil and criminal cases

Backlogs in environmental cases

• Singapore does not currently have a backlog for environmental cases• Average amount of time taken to conclude the cases in

the Night Court is 4-6 months• Average amount of time taken to conclude the trial

cases is 1-2 months

• 3 reasons:• Active engagement• Diversionary measures• Court-based measures

Source: NEA

Workload for environmental cases

Year 2009 2010 2011Total number of cases

84,384 68,940 52,990

Cases compounded before court mention

44,613 36,841 28,366

Cases listed for first mention in Court 26N

39,771 32,099 26,378

Cases fixed for trial in Court 14

3 4 0

Source: NEA

Breakdown for environmental cases

Type of Offence

2009 2010 2011

Littering 41,809 23,730 10,565Unlicensed hawking

12,193 9,975 14,025

Mosquito breeding 13,694 16,544 13,220Smoking 4,968 4,850 5,081Food hygiene 2,863 3,797 2,789Smoky vehicle 337 9,735 6,686Noise pollution 94 309 624

Source: NEA

Active engagement

Source: NEA

Diversionary measures

Court-based measures

Night Courts

General case management

• Diversionary measures - use of ADR

• Facilitative measures - manpower

Use of technology

Supreme Court Workload Statistics

2008 2009 2010 2011

Matters filed 13,957 14,817 13,363 13,146Civil

Criminal13,637

32014,414

40312,919

44412,729

417

Matters disposed of

13,538 14,295 13,137 12,859

CivilCriminal

13,243295

13,934361

12,722415

12,407452

Clearance rate(Civil & criminal)

97% 96% 98% 98%

Source: Supreme Court of Singapore

Thank You