International arbitration: spotlight on Singapore

• The background and key features of the Singapore International Commercial Court.
• The unique aspects of the court which are well suited to the resolution of international disputes, and certain challenges to be aware of.

In December 2021, the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC) adopted a standalone set of court rules (SICC Rules) to govern its proceedings. The SICC is a court within the Singapore judiciary designed to resolve cross-border disputes, traditionally the province of international arbitration. The court has some unique features typically not available in arbitration. At the same time, it retains features of arbitration that are well suited for resolution of international disputes. This note will review and comment on some of those features.

Background

For background, the SICC is a specialised court within Singapore’s national judiciary designed to handle cross-border commercial disputes having ‘little connection to the actual physical jurisdictions