Singapore Dispute Resolution Practice
Expert Services International can provide dispute resolution services in Singapore under the International Arbitration Act, SIAC Rules, SIMC mediation and security of payment adjudication.
Singapore Dispute Resolution Practice
Dispute resolution in Singapore is governed by the International Arbitration Act (Cap. 143A) for international arbitration, the Arbitration Act (Cap. 10) for domestic arbitration, and the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act for statutory adjudication. The Singapore Convention on Mediation provides an international framework for the enforcement of mediated settlement agreements.
Expert Services International can provide arbitration, mediation, adjudication, expert determination and dispute advisory services in Singapore. The SIAC administers arbitrations under the SIAC Rules 2025, and the Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) provides institutional mediation services.
Singapore is a common law jurisdiction. The International Arbitration Act (Cap. 143A) implements the UNCITRAL Model Law for international arbitration, and the Arbitration Act (Cap. 10) governs domestic arbitration.
Commercial Arbitration
The Singapore International Arbitration Centre administers arbitrations under its Arbitration Rules 2025, which came into effect on 1 January 2025 and represent the seventh edition of the Rules. The SIAC Rules 2025 incorporate significant procedural refinements reflecting contemporary practice and responding to developments in international arbitration. The International Arbitration Act, Chapter 143A, provides the legislative foundation, implementing the UNCITRAL Model Law and ensuring that arbitration agreements are enforceable, that the powers of arbitral tribunals are clearly defined, and that the courts exercise minimal intervention in arbitral proceedings. The Arbitration Act, Chapter 10, applies to domestic arbitrations and provides a comparable framework reflecting the substantive principles of the UNCITRAL Model Law.
The SIAC Rules 2025 introduced several procedural innovations addressing contemporary practice requirements and promoting efficiency. For disputes with an amount not exceeding SGD 1 million, the Rules provide for a streamlined procedure which eliminates document production requests and witness evidence unless deemed necessary by the tribunal, with a sole arbitrator appointed and the final award issued within three months of the tribunal's constitution. The Rules also introduce a mechanism for coordinated proceedings, enabling the efficient resolution of multiple arbitrations involving common legal or factual issues where the same tribunal has been appointed. A party may also apply for a final and binding preliminary determination of an issue if the parties agree, provided that the preliminary determination is likely to save time and costs or expedite the resolution of the dispute.
The Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC) provides an alternative forum for international commercial disputes, exercising jurisdiction over disputes with an international element. The SICC has established the Technology, Infrastructure and Construction List (TIC List), a specialised division providing enhanced case management for construction and engineering disputes. The TIC List benefits from broad powers for managing expert evidence, exchange of witness statements prior to document disclosure, and the use of Scott Schedules and other case management tools designed to narrow technical issues and promote settlement. The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Singapore Branch maintains a significant presence in the jurisdiction, and the IBA Rules on Taking of Evidence in International Arbitration are widely adopted in SIAC proceedings, providing a practical framework for the management of expert evidence and factual testimony. The CIArb Protocol for the Use of Party-Appointed Expert Witnesses in International Arbitration is similarly well-regarded and frequently utilised in construction and engineering disputes.
Mediation Services
The Singapore International Mediation Centre provides mediation services under a comprehensive framework, administered in accordance with the SIMC Rules. Mediation in Singapore is governed primarily by the Mediation Act 2017, which provides a statutory framework for mediation and protects the confidentiality of mediation communications through comprehensive privilege provisions. Singapore is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation, commonly referred to as the Singapore Convention on Mediation 2019. This Convention provides a mechanism for the enforcement of settlement agreements reached through mediation in other signatory states, enhancing the utility of mediation as a dispute resolution mechanism by enabling enforceable international settlements.
The Singapore courts have actively promoted mediation and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms through court-ordered mediation procedures and practice directions encouraging parties to explore settlement before commencing formal proceedings. The SIAC and SIMC administer the Arb-Med-Arb protocol, which allows a party to begin arbitration under SIAC rules, proceed to mediation under SIMC rules, and return to arbitration if mediation is unsuccessful. This mechanism enables parties to pursue settlement discussions in a structured environment with the benefit of continued progress toward arbitral resolution should settlement prove impossible. The protocol permits settlement agreements reached at mediation to be recorded as enforceable consent awards through incorporation of a model clause into contracts.
Security of Payment
The Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act, Chapter 30B, provides a rapid dispute resolution mechanism for payment claims arising in the construction industry. This statute establishes an adjudication regime designed to address payment disputes quickly and ensure that cash flow is not interrupted during the course of construction work. An adjudicator must respond to a payment claim application within specified timeframes and must determine the dispute within a defined period, typically 14 days from the application or such longer period as may be agreed by the parties. The adjudication process is designed to be accessible, with adjudicators empowered to determine questions of fact and law without being bound by the rules of evidence.
The statute designates the Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC) as the authorised nominating body responsible for the appointment of adjudicators under the Act. The SMC maintains a panel of qualified adjudicators, typically persons with construction, engineering or legal expertise, and has established procedures for the administration of adjudication under the statutory framework. Adjudication determinations are enforceable through the courts, and the legislation provides that adjudication determinations are binding until the dispute is finally determined through arbitration, litigation or settlement. The Security of Payment Act has proven effective in resolving payment disputes and has become an integral mechanism in Singapore's construction dispute resolution framework, complementing arbitration and litigation and providing parties with a cost-effective alternative for the rapid resolution of payment claims.
Expert Determination
Expert determination provides a mechanism for the swift resolution of technical disputes without the procedural formality or cost associated with arbitration or litigation. The SIAC administers expert determinations under specified rules and procedures, enabling parties to appoint a single expert to determine disputes concerning technical matters, valuation, quantification of claims, or other specialist issues. Expert determination is particularly valuable in construction disputes where the matter in contention relates to a technical question that does not involve substantial disputed findings of fact or application of law requiring judicial determination. Many construction contracts contain contractual provisions designating expert determination as the appropriate mechanism for resolution of disputes concerning technical performance, quality standards, variations or quantum of claims.
Contemporary Developments
Singapore's dispute resolution landscape has experienced significant developments reflecting both institutional evolution and legislative modernisation. The SIAC Rules 2025 represent a comprehensive update to the SIAC's procedural framework, incorporating lessons learned from contemporary practice and reflecting developments in international arbitration best practice. The Rules 2025 have been developed following extensive public consultation with stakeholders and represent a careful balance between promoting efficiency and maintaining the protections and procedural safeguards essential to fair dispute resolution.
A significant development has been the publication by the SIAC of a draft Insolvency Arbitration Protocol in December 2024, with the protocol coming into force on 26 August 2025. This Insolvency Arbitration (Restructuring and Insolvency) Protocol adapts arbitration procedures to provide a bespoke mechanism for the resolution of disputes arising in relation to, or in anticipation of, insolvency proceedings. This development reflects the recognition that traditional arbitration procedures may require adaptation to address the specific procedural and substantive challenges arising in restructuring and insolvency contexts, and marks the SIAC as the first major international arbitration institution to develop and implement a specialised protocol for such disputes.
Singapore's position as a global dispute resolution hub continues to be reinforced by substantial construction demand. The Building and Construction Authority forecasts construction demand of between SGD 47 billion and SGD 53 billion in nominal terms, underpinned by significant large-scale projects including the new Changi Airport Terminal 5 and the expansion of Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort. This substantial construction activity drives demand for dispute resolution services and provides opportunity for the development of innovative dispute resolution mechanisms suited to the needs of contemporary construction disputes involving multiple parties, complex interfaces and significant technical challenges.
Singapore Expertise
Expert Services International provides dispute resolution services to law firms, parties, contractors, principals and engineers involved in construction and infrastructure disputes in Singapore and across Asia. We combine technical expertise in quantum, delay, disruption and construction defects with knowledge of Singapore's arbitration framework, mediation procedures and security of payment adjudication regime.
Our Expertise
Expert Services International can provide dispute resolution services to parties involved in construction and infrastructure disputes. Our services include acting as arbitrator, expert determiner and mediator. We also provide expert witness reports and testimony addressing quantum, delay, disruption, construction defects, contractual interpretation, variations, liquidated damages and claims for set-off.
We prepare claims submissions, expert reports and advocacy for use in arbitration, expert determination, mediation and dispute board proceedings. We can assist parties with the preparation and presentation of claims and defences across all forms of dispute resolution.
Service Scope
Acting as arbitrator in domestic and international arbitration proceedings. We manage all aspects of arbitral procedure, conduct efficient hearings and deliver reasoned awards addressing the issues in dispute in accordance with applicable law and the parties' contractual framework.
Acting as expert determiner under contractual expert determination clauses and institutional rules. Expert determination provides a binding resolution of technical and valuation disputes by a suitably qualified professional, typically within a shorter timeframe than arbitration or litigation.
Preparation of expert reports addressing quantum, delay, disruption, construction defects, contractual interpretation, variations, liquidated damages and claims for set-off. We provide expert testimony in arbitration, court proceedings, mediation and expert determination proceedings.
Acting as mediator and providing mediation services to assist parties in reaching a negotiated resolution of disputes. We facilitate structured discussions, assist in identifying common ground and help parties achieve settlement without the need for formal adjudication.
Acting as dispute board member, chairperson or single neutral on major infrastructure projects. Dispute boards provide a standing mechanism for the rapid resolution of disputes during project execution, maintaining familiarity with the project throughout its duration.
Preparation of claims submissions and expert analysis for use in arbitration, expert determination, mediation and dispute board proceedings. We assist parties with the preparation and presentation of claims and defences addressing quantum, delay, disruption and contractual matters.
