Introduction of Community Disputes Resolution Bill as part of the Community Dispute Management Framework

Bill will provide for the establishment of Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals for resolution of difficult disputes between neighbours

1. Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong introduced the Community Disputes Resolution Bill 2015 in Parliament on 19 January 2015.

2. The Bill introduces a new statutory tort of interference with the enjoyment or use of places of residence. The underlying principle is that no person should cause unreasonable interference with his neighbour's enjoyment or use of the neighbour's place of residence. The Bill provides for the establishment of Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals (CDRT) to hear cases involving intractable disputes between neighbours, after efforts including community mediation have been exhausted.
   

3. Currently, neighbours who are unable to resolve their disputes can seek assistance at the Community Mediation Centre (CMC). However, some of these disputes remain unresolved, partly because attendance is not compulsory and the no-show rate by one or more of the disputing parties is 60%. In May 2013, then-Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong raised the idea of having a more robust community dispute resolution framework to help residents who are dealing with conflicts with their neighbours.

4. The CDRT is part of this enhanced Community Dispute Management Framework. It is meant to provide a last resort for resolving difficult disputes between neighbours, after all other efforts have failed. There are three key aspects of the enhanced framework to resolving neighbourly disputes:

   a) Cultivating good neighbourliness to prevent disputes from arising;

   b) Using mediation as the primary means of resolving disputes: these include informal mediation by neutral third-parties such as grassroots leaders or formal mediation conducted at the CMC; and

   c) When all attempts to resolve the conflict have failed, bringing the case to CDRT where a judge will have the powers to order mandatory mediation, and issue orders and directions.

5. In a 

   public consultation

    on the framework last year, there was strong consensus about the need to cultivate good neighbourliness and to bring back the 'kampong spirit'. The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth will continue to work with the relevant agencies to promote good neighbourliness. The responsibility for being considerate, good neighbours belongs to everyone. Neighbours should talk to each other first to reach amicable solutions if they encounter problems. The legal recourse established by this Bill is intended as a final resort.

Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth
19 January 2015

Media articles

• Tribunal with more teeth to settle feuds (The Straits Times, 21 January 2015)

• Complex community disputes will undergo compulsory arbitration in future (LianHe Zaobao, 20 January 2015)

• New Bill aims to tackle community disputes (Channel NewsAsia, 19 January 2015)

Sources: Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) publications © SPH Limited. Reproduced with permission.