New Laws Enhance Dispute Resolution in Singapore
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong has outlined new legislative measures aimed at fostering mediation over litigation in neighbour disputes. The amendment to the Community Disputes Resolution Act allows officers to mandate mediation, addressing issues where neighbours either refuse mediation or fail to attend agreed sessions. This move, debated and passed in Parliament on November 12, seeks to prevent disputes from escalating unnecessarily.
Under these new laws, the creation of the Community Relations Unit (CRU) equips officers with investigative and enforcement powers to handle severe disruptions like noise complaints, with noise being the predominant issue, accounting for over 90,000 complaints in recent years. CRU officers can deploy noise sensors, issue advisories, and, when necessary, abatement orders to curb disturbances.
The Community Mediation Centre (CMC) has proven effective in resolving disputes with an 80% success rate for voluntary mediation since 2014. However, Mr. Tong noted that even if mandatory mediation does not always result in settlements, the process itself is beneficial. Additionally, successful mediations can now be formalized as CDRT orders, providing legal enforceability to agreement terms.
Mr. Tong emphasized mediation as the preferred method, urging neighbours to communicate directly before resorting to legal action. The enhanced powers of the CDRT include interim and mandatory treatment orders, especially for cases involving mental health, aiming for swift resolution of severe or prolonged disputes.
The CRU will initially operate as a pilot in Tampines from the second quarter of 2025, focusing on severe noise and hoarding cases, with the intention of promoting self-regulation within communities. MPs like Louis Ng, Alex Yam, and Lim Biow Chuan suggested expanding the CRU’s scope to include secondary smoke complaints, although Mr. Tong highlighted that such issues are decreasing and currently make up a small fraction of complaints.
Questions also arose regarding property damage like leaks, with Mr. Tong confirming that the CDRT could handle such cases if they constitute unreasonable interference. Concerns about fostering dependency on legal solutions were raised by Nominated MP Syed Harun Alhabsyi, to which Mr. Tong responded by stressing the importance of dialogue and mediation in maintaining community cohesion and trust.
