Filing a Single Application Pending Trial (SAPT) (from 1 April 2022)

About the summons for SAPT

Under the Rules of Court 2021 (ROC 2021), the Court must consider all matters necessary to bring the proceedings to a conclusion in accordance with the Ideals. In order to achieve this, the interlocutory matters have to be streamlined. 

Therefore, the SAPT aims to prevent parties from litigating in a step-by-step fashion and in the process, generating a host of interlocutory applications and appeals. Such an approach increases costs for parties and the time taken before a case is ready for trial. 

As far as possible, the Court must order a SAPT to be made by each of the parties. This means that each party must file one SAPT (and not for all parties to jointly file one SAPT). The SAPT must deal with all matters that are necessary for the case to proceed expeditiously.

For matters heard in the General Division of the High Court, after the SAPTs are filed by the parties, the Court may direct parties to file an SAPT Checklist (Paragraph 56(12)-(13) Supreme Court Practice Directions 2021, Form 8 in Appendix B of the Supreme Court Practice Directions 2021). The SAPT Checklist is intended for parties to indicate their preferred sequence of the matters set out in the SAPT. The Court will give directions for the SAPT Checklist to be prepared in the following manner: 

• At the point of filing the SAPT, the party filing the SAPT (“the Applicant”) must complete columns A, B and C of the SAPT Checklist Template and serve it on respondent (“the Respondent”).
• The parties are to confer on the Applicant’s proposed sequence of the matters to be heard as set out in column C of the SAPT Checklist
• Where the parties agree on the proposed sequence for the matters to be heard as set out in column C of the SAPT Checklist, the Respondent is to indicate this in column D of the SAPT Checklist
• Where the Respondent does not agree to the whole or any part of the Applicant’s proposed sequence for the matters to be heard as set out in column C of the SAPT Checklist, the Applicant is to include brief reasons for the Applicant’s position, and the Respondent is to set out in column D of the SAPT Checklist the Respondent’s proposed sequence for the matters to be heard as well as brief reasons for the Respondent’s position. 
• The Respondent must file the completed SAPT Checklist at least one week before the date of the RCC where the issue of the filing of the SAPT will be discussed, or within such other period as the Court may direct.

The Court will then issue the Court’s Directions on SAPT to inform parties of the sequence of the matters to be heard for the respective SAPTs.

For matters heard in a Magistrate's Court or District Court, directions for the sequence of matters to be heard in respect of a SAPT will generally be given at a Case Conference.

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