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Note: To search for hearing details for a specific case, visit the hearing list page.

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Types of Decisions

Find out about the different types of judicial decisions made by the courts.

Judicial Decisions

At the end of case proceedings, the court will give its decision. The court’s decision may be delivered orally or in writing, on the same day or later.

Types of Judicial Decisions

Where the court delivers its decision orally, the parties should be prepared to take their own notes of the decision. These are known as Oral Decisions.

After the case proceedings have concluded, the court may adjourn the case to consider the evidence and arguments from both parties and inform the parties to attend court at a later date for the delivery of the oral decision.

At other times, the oral decision may be made and given on the same day at the end of the case proceedings. This is also sometimes referred to as an ex tempore decision.

These are court decisions which are in written form, either for the purpose of publication or for the parties’ reference.

The court’s written decision may be delivered on the same day or later. If given on the same day at the end of the case proceedings, it is sometimes referred to as an ex tempore decision.

Written decisions include cases where the court has previously conducted a physical hearing, and thereafter conveys its decision in writing. It also includes cases where the court decides the matter based purely on the parties’ written submissions (i.e. “on paper”), and thereafter conveys its decision in writing.

Written decisions which are published will have a case reference known as a neutral citation for easy identification (e.g. Public Prosecutor v ABC [2023] SGDC 1; Tan v Lim [2023] SGMC 1).

Brief Reasons or Brief Grounds

When delivering a decision, the court may also prepare brief written reasons for its decision. As this is not intended for publication, it will not have a neutral citation, and may be referred to as Brief Reasons or Brief Grounds.

Judgment

At other times, the court may prepare full written reasons for its decision which is intended for publication. This written decision is known as a Judgment and will have a neutral citation.

Grounds of Decision

Generally, if an appeal is filed against the decision of the court and no Judgment was issued earlier, the court will prepare a document which sets out the full reasons for its decision. This document is known as the Grounds of Decision and will have a neutral citation. Grounds of Decision may also be issued in cases where no appeal is filed

Court decisions with neutral citations are considered as published decisions. All published decisions of the Supreme Court since 2000 are available here. The State Courts’ and Family Justice Courts’ published decisions for the last three months can be accessed here.

Important Judgments and Grounds of Decision of the Supreme Court may be reported in the Singapore Law Reports (e.g. Public Prosecutor v ABD [2023] 1 SLR 1; Tan v Tan [2023] 1 SLR 24) published by the Singapore Academy of Law. The decision on whether or not to publish in the Singapore Law Reports is decided by the Council of Law Reporting.

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