Singapore
Courts in Singapore
A single national judiciary — the Supreme Court (Court of Appeal + High Court) over the State Courts and the Family Justice Courts — with the Court of Appeal as the final court.
Facts on this page were checked against their sources on .
The Supreme Court consists of the Court of Appeal and the High Court, the latter (since a 2019/2021 restructuring) divided into an Appellate Division and a General Division (Article 94). The Court of Appeal is the final court, hearing civil and criminal appeals; the Appellate Division has no criminal jurisdiction. Below the Supreme Court, the State Courts (District and Magistrates' Courts) handle the bulk of first-instance work — the Judiciary reports more than 80% of the overall caseload and more than 90% of the total criminal caseload — and the Family Justice Courts handle family and youth matters.
The same idea, explained generally
- What do courts do?
Courts resolve disputes, test the state’s case against individuals, interpret law, and review public decisions. This guide explains those functions and why judicial independence is structural.
- What is due process?
Due process is the requirement that the state follow fair, established procedures before it takes action against a person. This guide explains what it typically includes and how it differs between systems.
Sources
Sources
Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (2020 Revised Edition)
Singapore Statutes Online — Attorney-General's Chambers · Legislation · 1965 · link verified 2026-07-27
The Constitution of the Republic of Singapore on the official Singapore Statutes Online (2020 Revised Edition, latest amendment Act 31 of 2024, validity date 9 December 2024), read directly; Articles 35, 94 and 98 re-confirmed verbatim (Art. 35(8) re-confirmed by hand at authoring time). Supports Art. 93 (judicial power vested in a single Supreme Court and subordinate courts — a unitary judiciary); Art. 94 (the Supreme Court consists of the Court of Appeal and the High Court, the latter with an Appellate Division and a General Division, from the 2019/2021 restructuring); Art. 98 (judicial tenure and removal only by a tribunal of Supreme Court judges — independence); and Art. 35 — the Attorney-General is appointed from persons qualified as a Supreme Court judge (35(1)), removable only via a judicial tribunal (35(6)), has the duty to advise the Government (35(7)), and has the power "exercisable at his discretion, to institute, conduct or discontinue any proceedings for any offence" (35(8)).
Supreme Court of Singapore — role and structure
Supreme Court of Singapore (the Judiciary) · Government publication · link verified 2026-07-27
The Judiciary's own site, read directly. Supports the structure of the Supreme Court (the Court of Appeal as the final appellate court; the High Court divided into an Appellate Division and a General Division), and that "Judges and Judicial Commissioners are appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister". Establishes the single national judiciary, its apex, and the judicial-appointment route. The bulk of first-instance work is handled by the State Courts (which the Judiciary reports handle more than 80% of the overall caseload and more than 90% of the total criminal caseload).