Community Disputes Management Framework

Community Disputes Management Framework

The Government conducted a public consultation from 9 March to 21 April 2014 to seek views from the public on how to encourage good neighbourliness, and to improve the management of disputes between neighbours. A summary of responses from the public consultation can be found here [PDF, 241 KB].

The Community Disputes Resolution Bill was passed by Parliament on 13 March 2015. The Bill introduced a new statutory tort and provided for the establishment of the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals (CDRT) to hear cases involving intractable disputes between neighbours after all efforts, including community mediation, have been exhausted. The CDRT comprises specialised courts which will only hear claims between neighbours over issues related to the enjoyment or use of places of residences.

With the Community Disputes Resolution Act, upstream and downstream measures have been introduced to improve the management of neighbour disputes, ranging from:

• Public education to promote neighbourliness and amicable dispute resolution;

• Setting up of a Community Advisory Panel (CAP) on Neighbourhood Noise to develop community norms;

• Developing mediation capabilities among grassroots leaders to informally mediate disputes; and

• Increasing awareness and accessibility of community mediation.

Enhancements to the Community Disputes Management Framework

An inter-agency committee regularly reviews the Community Disputes Management Framework (CDMF) to ensure its continued effectiveness.

A public consultation was conducted from 11 to 31 May 2023 on the proposed enhancements to the CDMF. A series of engagement sessions were also held in July 2023 with stakeholders such as frontline personnel, academics and members of the public. A summary of the feedback received can be found here.

The Community Disputes Resolution (Amendment) Bill was passed by Parliament on 12 November 2024. The Bill introduced enhancements that facilitate effective resolution of neighbour disputes to promote a stronger, and more gracious and harmonious community for all by:

• Encouraging the increased use of community mediation to resolve neighbour disputes at an early stage;

• Piloting a new Community Relations Unit to address a small minority of severe neighbour noise disputes and hoarding cases; and

• Enhancing the processes and powers of the CDRT, so that cases that are brought before it as a last resort can be resolved more effectively.

More details on the enhancements can be found here.

Neighbours should take time and effort to communicate frequently, with empathy and consideration for each other. Such ties go a long way towards building social capital that can weather everyday friction. For the minority of cases that cannot be resolved via community self-help, the enhanced CDMF will provide a wider range of options to facilitate effective resolution of neighbour disputes.

Guidelines for resolving disputes between neighbours

1. What to do when you have a dispute with your neighbour?

   • Approach and discuss the issue with your neighbour calmly. Amicable resolution can help preserve neighbourly relations.

   • If necessary, seek help from your grassroots leaders through your nearest Community Club (CC). Locate your nearest CC and their contact information here.

2. What if you cannot resolve the dispute on your own?

   • Apply for voluntary mediation with the Community Mediation Centre (CMC). You can register your case online or call the hotline at 1800-CALL-LAW (1800-2255-529).

   • If mediation is successful and both parties consent, the settlement agreement can be registered as a CDRT order. This allows for quicker and simpler legal recourse if the agreement is breached.

3. What happens if your neighbour declines or fails to respond to a mediation invitation?

   • In suitable cases, a Mediation Direction can be issued by authorised agencies to direct disputing parties to attend mediation at the CMC.

   • Examples of such cases include parties who had not previously attempted mediation and parties who failed to respond to an invitation for voluntary mediation.

4. What if mediation is unsuccessful?

   • Residents can consider seeking recourse from the CDRT as a last resort, if the dispute remains unresolved even after best efforts at amicable resolution.

   • The CDRT is housed at the State Courts located at 1 Havelock Square, Singapore 059724. You can find out more on how to file a claim with the CDRT and download the forms online at the Singapore Courts website.