Singapore · Courts
Court structure of Singapore
Every tier of the judiciary, what it hears, and where an appeal goes next.
The hierarchy, top to bottom
- Final appellate — Court of Appeal
- Apex court since Privy Council appeals ended in 1994.
- Appellate — Appellate Division of the High Court
- Created in 2021 to hear most civil appeals.
- First instance — General Division of the High Court
- Includes the Singapore International Commercial Court.
- First instance — State Courts
- District and Magistrates' Courts, plus Small Claims and Community Courts.
- Religious — Syariah Court
- Muslim marriage and divorce; concurrent jurisdiction with the Family Justice Courts on some issues.
Every court in the hierarchy
- supremeSingaporeCourt of Appeal of SingaporeFinal appeals in civil and criminal matters from the High Court and the Appellate Division, and constitutional references.
- appellateSingaporeHigh Court of SingaporeUnlimited civil and criminal first-instance jurisdiction, judicial review of administrative action, admiralty, insolvency and probate, and appeals from the State Courts.
- first-instanceSingaporeState Courts of SingaporeCivil claims within statutory limits in the District and Magistrates' Courts, the bulk of criminal prosecutions, and specialised jurisdiction in the Small Claims Tribunals, Employment Claims Tribunals and Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals.
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