Written Answer by Minister for Law, Mr K Shanmugam, to Parliamentary Question on Outcomes Of Secondhand Cigarette Smoke-related Claims Filed With the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal in the Past Three Years

24 Feb 2021 Posted in Parliamentary speeches and responses

Mr Yip Hon Weng (Member of Parliament for Yio Chu Kang SMC)

Question
To ask the Minister for Law with regard to secondhand cigarette smoke-related claims being filed in the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal in the past three years, (a) what has been the typical waiting time from the filing of a claim to the conclusion of the hearing; and (b) what are the outcomes of these claims and how many have been resolved.

Written Answer:

1. From 2018 to 2020, 38 claims relating to excessive smoke, were filed with the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal (“CDRT”). Excessive smoke can be caused by activities, for example, like cigarette smoking.

2. Of these, 25 claims were resolved without a trial, or the CDRT process. 9 cases were resolved with a consent order and 16 cases were withdrawn or discontinued.

3. Of the remaining 13 claims:
   a. 3 were dismissed or struck off.
   b. An adjudicated order or default order was made for 4 cases. These are cases where the CDRT made an order after hearing the facts of the case, or granted an order in the absence of the respondent. An example of an outcome, is where respondents were ordered not to smoke along the common corridor or stairwell, and were also required to ensure that occupants of their flat abide by the same order.
   c. 6 cases are pending.
   

4. Most of the cases at the CDRT are generally concluded within 6 months of the filing of a claim. This typically included time taken to get parties to come to an amicable resolution.

Last updated on 24 Feb 2021