01 Definitions
1.1. These Rules shall be referred to as “the SCMA Rules”.
1.2. In these Rules:
“Act” means the International Arbitration Act (Cap 143A) and any statutory re-enactment
thereof.
“Chairman” means the Chairman of the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration.
“Chamber” means the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration.
“Registrar” or “Assistant Registrar” means the Executive Director of SCMA or such other
person as the Chairman may appoint.
“SCMA Small Claims Procedure” means the procedure for claims under the sum of
US$150,000 made under Rule 46.
“Secretariat” means the Secretariat of the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration.
“Seat” means the juridical seat of the arbitration.
“Tribunal” means either a sole Arbitrator or all Arbitrators when more than one is appointed.
02 Scope of Application
These Rules shall apply to an arbitration agreement whenever parties have so agreed and shall
govern the arbitration save that, if any of these Rules is in conflict with a mandatory provision
of the Act (where the seat of the arbitration is Singapore) or the applicable law governing the
arbitration (where the seat of the arbitration is outside Singapore), from which the parties
cannot derogate, such provision or such applicable law, as the case may be, shall prevail.
03 Notice, Calculation of Periods of Time
3.1. Without prejudice to the effectiveness of any other form of written communication, written
communication may be made by fax, email or any other means of electronic transmission
effected to a number, address or site of a party. The transmission is deemed to have been
received on the day of transmission.
3.2. For the purposes of these Rules, any notice, including a notification, communication or
proposal, is deemed to have been received if it is physically delivered to the addressee or if
it is delivered at his habitual residence, place of business or mailing address, or, if none of
these can be found after making reasonable inquiry, then at the addressee’s last-known
residence or place of business. Notice shall be deemed to have been received on the day
it is so delivered.
3.3. For the purposes of calculating a period of time under these Rules, such period shall
begin to run on the day following the day when a notice, notification, communication or
proposal is received. If the last day of such period is an official holiday or a non-business
day at the residence or place of business of the addressee, the period is extended until the
first business day which follows. Official holidays or non-business days occurring during
the running of the period of time are included in calculating the period.
04 Commencement of Arbitration
4.1. Any party referring a dispute to arbitration under these Rules (“the Claimant”) shall
serve on the other party (“the Respondent”), a written Notice of Arbitration (“the Notice of
Arbitration”) which shall include the following:
a. a request that the dispute be referred to arbitration;
b. the identity of the parties to the dispute;
c. a reference to the arbitration clause or any separate arbitration agreement that is
invoked;
d. a reference to the contract out of, or in relation to, which the dispute arises;
e. a proposal as to the number of Arbitrators (i.e. one or three), if the parties have not
previously agreed on the number; and
f. the name(s) of the Claimant’s proposed Arbitrator(s).
4.2. The Notice of Arbitration may also include:
a. a brief statement describing the nature and circumstances of the dispute; and
b. the relief or remedy sought
05 Response by Respondent
5.1. Within 14 days of receipt of the Notice of Arbitration, the Respondent shall serve on the
Claimant, a Response including:
a. a comment in response to any proposals contained in the Notice of Arbitration; and
b. the name(s) of the Respondent’s proposed Arbitrator(s).
5.2. The Response may also include:
a. a confirmation or denial of all or part of the claims; and
b. a brief statement of any envisaged counterclaims.
06 Appointment of Tribunal
6.1. The parties may, notwithstanding any of the provisions in this Rule 6, agree on the number
of Arbitrators and the procedure for the appointment of the Arbitrators and any such
agreement shall prevail over the provisions in Rule 6. 3 Arbitrators shall be appointed
unless the parties have agreed otherwise.
6.2. If a sole Arbitrator is to be appointed, and parties are unable to agree on the appointment
within 14 days from the date of service of the Notice of Arbitration, the Chairman shall
appoint the sole Arbitrator upon the application of any of the parties. The Chairman is not
bound to appoint any of the nominees of the parties.
6.3. If 3 Arbitrators are to be appointed, each party shall appoint 1 Arbitrator, and the 2
Arbitrators thus appointed shall appoint the third Arbitrator.
6.4. Where a party fails to appoint the Arbitrator within 14 days of receipt of a request to do so
from the other party, or if the 2 Arbitrators fail to agree on the appointment of the third
Arbitrator within 14 days of their appointment, the appointment shall be made, upon the
request of a party, by the Chairman. An appointment service fee of S$750 per party is
payable to SCMA before release of the letter. If a full response is not received at time of
release of the appointment letter, the party applying for the appointment shall make the
full payment of S$1,500 for release and seek recovery of S$750 through their claims from
the other party.
6.5. An appointment fee of S$500 shall be paid to the Arbitrator upon appointment and is nonrefundable.
6.6. The booking fee for the Tribunal is S$1,500 per day and should be paid to the Arbitrator.
If the matter is settled beforehand, parties may request from the Arbitrator for a partial
refund but this shall be subject to Arbitrator’s discretion.
6.7. The Tribunal shall within 7 days of its appointment, inform the Secretariat of the
appointment along with a brief nature of the dispute, without disclosing the parties’
names.
6.8. The constitution of the Tribunal shall not be impeded by:
a. any dispute with respect to the sufficiency of the Notice of Arbitration or the Response
which shall be finally resolved by the Tribunal; or
b. failure by the Respondent to communicate a Response to the Notice of Arbitration.
In either circumstance, the Tribunal shall proceed as it considers appropriate.
07 Multi-party Appointment of the Tribunal
7.1. If there are more than 2 parties in the arbitration, the parties shall agree on the procedure
for appointing the Tribunal within 21 days of the date of service of the Notice of Arbitration.
7.2. If the parties are unable to do so, upon the lapse of the 21 day time period mentioned
above, the Tribunal shall be appointed by the Chairman as soon as practicable.
08 Service of Case Statements
8.1. Unless otherwise agreed, within 30 days after the appointment of the Tribunal, the Claimant
shall deliver to the Tribunal and serve on the Respondent, a Statement of Claimant’s Case.
8.2. Within 30 days after the Service of the Statement of Claimant’s Case, the Respondent shall
deliver to the Tribunal and serve on the Claimant, a Statement of Respondent’s Defence
and Counterclaim (if any).
8.3. Within 30 days after the Service of the Statement of Respondent’s Defence, if the
Claimant intends to challenge anything in the Statement of Respondent’s Defence and/or
Counterclaim, the Claimant shall then deliver to the Tribunal and serve on the Respondent,
a Statement of Claimant’s Reply and if necessary, Defence to Counterclaim.
8.4. No further case statements shall be served without the leave of the Tribunal.
09 Contents of Case Statements
9.1. The case statements shall contain the fullest possible particulars of the party’s claim,
defence or counterclaim and shall thus contain a comprehensive statement of the facts
and contentions of law supporting the party’s position.
9.2. It shall thus:
a. set out all items of relief or other remedies sought together with the amount of all
quantifiable claims and detailed calculations;
b. state fully its reasons for denying any allegation or statement of the other party; and
c. state fully its own version of events if a party intends to put forward a version of events
different from that given by the other party.
9.3. A case statement shall be signed by, or on behalf of, the party making it.
9.4. All written statements referred to in Rule 8 must be accompanied by all supporting
documents relevant to the issues between the parties
10 Default in Serving of Case Statements
10.1. If the Claimant fails within the time specified under these Rules or as may be fixed by the
Tribunal, to serve its Statement of Case, the Tribunal may issue an order for the termination
of the arbitral proceedings or make such other directions as may be appropriate in the
circumstances.
10.2. If the Respondent fails to submit a Statement of Respondent’s Defence, the Tribunal may
nevertheless proceed with the arbitration and make the Award.
11 Further Written Statements
11.1. The Tribunal will decide which further written statements, in addition to the case
statement(s) already filed, are required from the parties and shall fix the periods of time
for giving, filing and serving such statements.
11.2. All such further statements shall be given to the Tribunal and served on the Claimant or
Respondent, whichever is applicable.
12 Tribunal’s Fees
12.1. An Arbitrator may in his discretion require payment of his fees to date (which for these
purposes include any expenses) at appropriate intervals (which shall be not less than
3 months). Any such demand for payment shall be addressed to the parties and shall
be copied to any other member of the Tribunal. Any such demand for payment is without
prejudice to ultimate liability for the fees in question and to the parties’ joint and several
liabilities therefor.
12.2. If any amount due under Rule 12.1 above remains unpaid for more than 28 days after
payment has been demanded, the Arbitrator in his sole discretion may give written notice
to the parties and Arbitrators that he will resign his appointment if such amount still
remains unpaid 14 days after such notification. Without prejudice to ultimate liability for the
fees in question, any party may prevent such resignation by paying the amount demanded
within the said 14 days. Upon any resignation under this paragraph, the Arbitrator will be
entitled to immediate payment of his fees to date, and shall be under no liability to any
party for any consequences of his resignation.
13 Tribunal’s Security for Costs
13.1. Without prejudice to the rights provided for elsewhere under these Rules, a Tribunal is
entitled to reasonable security for its estimated costs (including its fees and expenses) up
to the making of an Award. The form of such security and when it shall be provided shall
be in the Tribunal’s discretion.
13.2. If a Tribunal exercises the right to request security, it shall advise the parties of its total
estimated costs.
13.3. The Tribunal shall have discretion as to which party or parties shall provide the security
and if more than one party the amount to be provided by each. If such party fails to provide
such security within the time set, any other party will be given 7 days’ notice in which to
provide it; failing which the Tribunal may vacate any hearing dates or, in the case of a
documents-only arbitration, refrain from reading and/or drafting.
13.4. With respect to the periods of time set out in this rule, the Tribunal shall be entitled at its
discretion to set such shorter periods as are reasonable in the circumstances.
13.5. Any security provided or payment made in accordance with these provisions shall be
without prejudice to ultimate liability as between the parties for the fees and expenses in
question, and to the parties’ joint and several liability to the Tribunal until all outstanding
fees and expenses have been paid in full.
14 Appointment of Substitute Arbitrator
14.1. In the event of the death, resignation or removal of any of the Arbitrators, a substitute
Arbitrator shall be appointed according to the Rules that were applicable to the
appointment of the Arbitrator that is being replaced.
15 Independence and Impartiality of the Tribunal
15.1. The Tribunal conducting arbitration under these Rules shall be, and remain at all times
independent and impartial, and shall not act as advocate for any party.
15.2. A prospective Arbitrator shall disclose to any party who approaches him in connection
with his possible appointment, any circumstances likely to give rise to justifiable doubts
as to his impartiality or independence.
15.3. An Arbitrator, once nominated or appointed, shall disclose any such circumstance referred
to in Rule 15.2 above to all parties.
16 Challenge to the Arbitrators
16.1. An Arbitrator may be challenged if there are circumstances that give rise to justifiable doubts as to his impartiality or independence.
16.2. An Arbitrator may also be challenged if he does not possess the qualifications required by the agreement of the parties.
16.3. A party may challenge an Arbitrator appointed on its nomination or with its agreement only for reasons of which it becomes aware after the appointment has been made.
16.4. A party who intends to challenge an Arbitrator shall deliver to the Tribunal(and where the Tribunal comprises of more than one Arbitrator, to eachArbitrator comprising the Tribunal) and on the other party or all other parties, whichever is applicable, a Notice of Challenge.
16.5. The Notice of Challenge shall be delivered to the Tribunal and served within 14 days from the appointment of the Arbitrator or within 14 days after the circumstances mentioned in Rule 16.1 or Rule 16.2 became known to that party.
16.6. The Notice of Challenge shall state the reasons for the challenge.
16.7. While the challenge is pending, the Tribunal may continue the arbitration proceedings and make an Award.
16.8. When an Arbitrator has been challenged by one party, the other party may agree to the challenge. The Arbitrator may also, after the challenge, withdraw from his office. However, it is not implied in either case that there has been an acceptance of the validity of the grounds for the challenge. In both cases, the procedure provided in Rule 6 read with Rule 14, shall be used for the appointment of a substitute Arbitrator.
17 Decision on Challenge
17.1. If the other party does not agree to the challenge under Rule 16 and the challenged Arbitrator does not withdraw, the party who brought the challenge may refer the matterto the Chairman for the Chairman to make a decision on the challenge.
17.2. If the Chairman sustains the challenge, a substitute Arbitrator shall be appointed or chosen pursuant to the procedure applicable to the appointment of an Arbitrator as provided in Rule 6 read with Rule 14.
17.3. The decision of the Chairman under Rule 17.1 shall not be subject to any appeal.
18 Removal of the Tribunal
18.1. A court of competent jurisdiction may, on the application of a party, remove an Arbitrator:
a. who is physically or mentally incapable of conducting the proceedings or where there are justifiable doubts as to his ability to do so; or
b. who has refused or failed to use all reasonable dispatch in conducting the arbitration or making an Award.
18.2. The Arbitrator(s) concerned is entitled to appear and be heard at the hearing of the application to remove him.
18.3. Upon the removal of the Arbitrator, a substitute Arbitrator shall be appointed; Rule 6 read with Rule 14 similarly applies.
19 Conduct of the Proceedings in the Event of the Substitution of Arbitrator(s)
In the event of the appointment of any substitute Arbitrator, the reconstituted Tribunal shall, at its discretion, decide if, and to what extent, prior proceedings shall be repeated before it.
20 Jurisdiction of the Tribunal
In addition to the jurisdiction to exercise the powers defined elsewhere in these Rules or any applicable statute for the time being in force, the Tribunal shall have jurisdiction to:
a. rule on its own jurisdiction;
b. determine all disputes arising under or in connection with the transaction or the subject of reference, having regard to the scope of the arbitration agreement and any question of law arising in the arbitration;
c. receive and take into account such written or oral evidence as it shall determine to be relevant; and
d. proceed with the arbitration and make an Award notwithstanding the failure or refusal of any party to comply with these Rules or with the Tribunal’s written orders or written directions, or to exercise its right to present its case but only after giving that party written notice that it intends to do so.
21 Applicable Law
The Tribunal shall apply the law designated by the parties as applicable to the substance of the dispute. Failing such designation by the parties, the Tribunal shall apply the law determined by the conflict of laws rules which it considers applicable.
22 Juridical Seat of Arbitration
22.1. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, the juridical seat of arbitration shall be Singapore. Where the seat of the arbitration is Singapore, the law of the arbitration under these Rules shall be Singapore law and the Act.
22.2. An Award made under these Rules shall be deemed to be made in the juridical seat of arbitration.
22.3. Regardless of the seat of the arbitration, all physical hearings and meetings of the arbitration shall be held in Singapore save where parties agree otherwise or where theTribunal directs.
23 Language of Arbitration
Unless otherwise agreed by the parties and theTribunal, the language of the arbitration shall be English.
24 Interpreters
24.1. If required, one or both of the parties may appoint an interpreter with the leave of the Tribunal.
24.2. The interpreter shall be independent of both parties and the party appointing the interpreter shall pay for the interpreter’s fees.
24.3. If the interpreter is appointed by both parties,the fees will be shared by both parties in suchproportion as the Tribunal may determine.
25 Conduct of the Proceedings
25.1. The Tribunal shall have the widest discretion allowed by the Act (where the seat of the arbitration is Singapore) or the applicable law (where these at of the arbitration is outside Singapore) to ensure the just, expeditious, economical and final determination of the dispute.
25.2. Subject to these Rules, it shall be for the Tribunal to decide the arbitration procedure, including all procedural and evidential matters subject to the right of the parties to agree to any matter.
25.3. Unless the parties agree that the reference is ready to proceed to an Award on the exclusive basis of the written submissions that have already been served, both parties must complete the Questionnaire set out in Schedule A. Every such Questionnaire must contain the declaration set out at the end of the Questionnaire below, which shall be signed by a properly authorized officer of the party on whose behalf it is served. Completed Questionnaires must be delivered to the Tribunal and the other party within 14 days after the time fixed for the service of the Statement of the Claimant’s Reply.
26 Communications between Parties and the Tribunal
26.1. Where the Tribunal sends any written communication to one party, it shall send a copy of it to the other party or parties as the case may be.
26.2. Where a party sends any written communication (including statements, expert reports or evidentiary documents) to the Tribunal, the same shall be copied to the other party or all other parties, whichever is applicable, and show to the Tribunal that the same has been so copied.
26.3. Where the Tribunal consists of more than one Arbitrator, any communication to the Tribunal must be sent to each of the Arbitrators.
27 Party Representatives
Any party may be represented by persons of their choice, subject to such proof of authority as the Tribunal may require. The names and addresses of such representatives shall be notified to the other party or parties.
28 Hearings
28.1. Unless the parties have agreed on a documents-only arbitration or that no hearing should be held, the Tribunal shall hold a hearing for the presentation of evidence by witnesses, including expert witnesses, or for oral submissions.
28.2. TheTribunal shall fix the date, time and place of any meetings and hearings in the arbitration, and shall give the parties reasonable notice thereof.
28.3. Prior to the hearing, the Tribunal may provide the parties with a list of matters or questions to which it wishes them to give special consideration.
28.4. In the event that a party to the proceedings, without sufficient cause, fails to appear at a hearing of which the notice has been given, the Tribunal may proceed with the arbitration and make the Award.
28.5. All meetings and hearings shall be in private unless the parties agree otherwise.
29 Bookings Fees
29.1. For a hearing of up to 10 days, there shall be payable to the Tribunal a booking fee of such sum per Arbitrator as the Chamber may from time to time decide, for each day reserved. The booking fee will be invoiced to the party asking for the hearing date to be fixed or to the parties in equal shares at the discretion of the Tribunal and shall become due and shall be paid within 14 days of confirmation of the reservation or 6 months in advance of the first day reserved(“the start date”), whichever date be later. If the fee is not paid in full by the due date, the Tribunal will be entitled to cancel the reservation forthwith without prejudice to its entitlement to be paid the fee in question or the appropriate proportion thereof in accordance with Rule 29.4 below. In the event of a cancellation under this provision, either party may secure reinstatement of the reservation by payment within7 days of any balance outstanding.
29.2. For hearings of over 10 days, the booking fee in Rule 29.1 above shall for each day reserved, be increased by 30% in the case of a hearing of up to 15 days and 60% in the case of a hearing of up to 20 days and may, at the discretion of the Tribunal, be subscribed in non- returnable instalment payments. For hearings in excess of 20 days, the booking fee shall be at the rate for a hearing of 20 days plus such additional sum as may be agreed with the parties in the light of the length of the proposed hearing.
29.3. The booking fee for any third Arbitrator shall be due and payable as above, save that the booking fee due to any third Arbitrator appointed less than 6 months before the start date shall be due forthwith upon his appointment and payable within 14 days thereof.
29.4. When a hearing is adjourned or a hearing date is vacated prior to or on or after the start date due to the following:-
a. at the request of one or both of the parties, or
b. by reason of settlement of any dispute, or
c. by reason of cancellation pursuant to Rule29.1 above or
d. by reason of the indisposition or death of any Arbitrator;
then, unless non-returnable instalment or other payments have been agreed, the booking fee will be retained by (or, if unpaid, shall be payable to) the Tribunal either in full, if the date is adjourned or vacated less than 3 months before the start date, or 50% if the date is adjourned or vacated 3 months or more before the start date. Any interlocutory fees and expenses incurred will also be payable or, as the case may be, deductible from any refund if the date is adjourned or vacated 3 months or more before the start date.
29.5. Where, at the request of one or both of the parties, or by reason of the indisposition or death of any Arbitrator, a hearing is adjourned or a hearing date is vacated and a new hearing date is fixed, a further booking fee will be payable in accordance with Rule 29.1 and Rule 29.2 above.
29.6. An Arbitrator who, following receipt of his booking fee or any part thereof is for any reason replaced is, upon settlement of his fees for any interlocutory work, responsible for the transfer of his booking fee to the person appointed to act in his place. In the event of death, the personal representative shall have corresponding responsibility.
30 Witnesses
30.1. TheTribunal may require each party to give notice of the names and designations of the witnesses he intends to call at any hearing.
30.2. No party shall adduce expert evidence without the leave of the Tribunal.
30.3. Any witness who gives evidence may be questioned by each party or its representative subject to any rulings made by the Tribunal.
30.4. A witness may be required by the Tribunal to testify under oath or affirmation.
30.5. Subject to such order or direction which the Tribunal may make, the testimony of witnesses may be presented in written form, either as signed statements or by duly sworn/affirmed affidavits. If a witness does not attend the hearing to give oral evidence, the Tribunal may place such weight on his written testimony as it thinks fit.
30.6 The Tribunal shall determine the admissibility, relevance, materiality and weight of the evidence given by any witness.
31 Experts Appointed by the Tribunal
31.1. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, the Tribunal may:
a. appoint one or more experts to report to the Tribunal on specific issues; and/or
b. require a party to give any such expert any relevant information or to produce and provide access to any relevant documents, goods or property for inspection by the expert.
31.2. Unless otherwise agreed to by the parties, if a party so requests or if the Tribunal deems it fit, the expert shall, after delivery of his written or oral report, participate in a hearing, at which the parties may question him and to present expert witnesses in order to testify on the points at issue.
31.3. Rule 31.2 above shall not apply to an assessor appointed by agreement of the parties, or to an expert appointed by the Tribunal to advise solely in relation to procedural matters.
32 Closure of Proceedings
32.1. The Tribunal shall at an appropriate stage declare the proceedings closed and proceed to an Award.
32.2. The Tribunal may also, in view of exceptional circumstances, reopen the proceedings at any time before the Award is made.
33 Additional Powers of the Tribunal
33.1. In addition to the powers conferred by the Act or the applicable law at the juridical seat of arbitration, the Tribunal shall also have the power to:
a. allow any party, upon such terms (as to costs and otherwise) as it shall determine, to amend claims or counterclaims;
b. extend or abbreviate any time limits provided by these Rules;
c. conduct such enquiries as may appear to the Tribunal to be necessary or expedient;
d. order the parties to make any property or thing available for inspection;
e. order any party to produce to the Tribunal, and to the other parties for inspection, and to supply copies of any documents or classes of documents in their possession, custody or power which the Tribunal determines to be relevant;
f. order samples to be taken from, or any observation to be made from or experiment conducted upon, any property which is or forms part of the subject matter of the dispute;
g. make orders or give directions to any party for interrogatories; and
h. make such orders or give such directions as it deems fit in so far as they are not inconsistent with the Act or any statutory re-enactment thereof (if applicable) or such law which is applicable or these Rules.
33.2. If the parties so agree, the Tribunal shall also have the power to add other parties (with their consent) to the arbitration and make a single Final Award determining all disputes between them.
33.3. Where two or more arbitrations appear to raise common issues of fact or law, the Tribunals shall have the power to direct that the two or more arbitrations shall be heard concurrently and where such an order is made, the Tribunals may give such directions as the interests of fairness, economy and expedition require, including:
a. that the documents disclosed by the parties in one arbitration shall be made available to the parties to the other arbitration upon such conditions as the Tribunals may determine; and/or
b. that the evidence given in one arbitration shall be received and admitted in the other arbitration, subject to all parties being given a reasonable opportunity to comment upon it and subject to such other conditions as the Tribunals may determine.
34 Decision Making by the Tribunal
Where a Tribunal has been appointed, any direction, order, decision or Award of the Tribunal shall be made by the whole Tribunal or by a majority. If an Arbitrator refuses or fails to sign the Award, the signatures of the majority shall be sufficient, provided that the reason for the omitted signature is stated.
35 Preliminary Meetings
The Tribunal may decide at any stage that the circumstances of the arbitration require that a preliminary meeting be convened. The purpose of the preliminary meeting(s) would include, to enable the parties and the Tribunal to set out the procedure of the arbitration, review the progress of the arbitration; to reach agreement so far as possible upon further preparation for, and the conduct of the hearing; and, where agreement is not reached, to enable the Tribunal to give such directions as it thinks fit.
36 The Award
36.1. Unless all parties agree otherwise, the Tribunal shall make its Award in writing within 3 months from the date on which the proceedings are closed and shall state the reasons upon which its Award is based. The Award shall state its date and shall be signed by the Tribunal or a majority of the Tribunal.
36.2. The Tribunal may make interim Awards or separate Awards on different issues at different times.
36.3. All Awards shall be issued by the Tribunal or by a majority of the Tribunal in accordance with Rule 34.
36.4. By agreeing to arbitration under these Rules, the parties undertake to carry out the Award without delay.
36.5. The members of a Tribunal need not meet together for the purpose of signing their Award or for effecting any corrections thereto.
36.6. As soon as practicable after an Award has been made it shall be notified to the parties by the Tribunal serving on them, a notice in writing which shall inform the parties of the amount of the fees and expenses of the Tribunal, and which shall indicate that the Award is available for sending to, or collection by the parties upon full payment of such amount. At the stage of notification, neither the Award nor any copy thereof need be served on the parties and the Tribunal shall be entitled thereafter to refuse to deliver the Award or any copy thereof to the parties except upon full payment of its fees and expenses.
36.7. If any Award has not been paid for and collected within one month of the date of publication, the Tribunal may give written notice to either party requiring payment of the costs of the Award, whereupon such party shall be obliged to pay for and collect the Award within 14 days.
36.8. The Tribunal shall send a copy of the Award to the Chamber within 14 days from the date of collection by one of the parties.
36.9. Unless any party, by a notice in writing, informs the Chamber of its objection to publication within 60 days of the publication of an Award, the Award may be publicised by the Chamber for academic and professional purposes. The publication will be redacted to preserve anonymity as regards the identity of the parties, of their legal or other representatives and of the Tribunal.
36.10. The fee for authenticating arbitration Awards is S$ 150 and should be paid to SCMA.
37 Currency and Interest
37.1. The Tribunal may make an Award in any currency as it considers just.
37.2. The Tribunal may award simple or compound interest on any sum awarded at such rate or rates and in respect of such period or periods both before and after the date of the Award as the Tribunal considers just.
38 Additional Award
38.1. Within 30 days after the receipt of the Award, either party, with notice to the other party, may request the Tribunal to make an additional Award as to claims presented in the arbitral proceedings but omitted from the Award.
38.2. If the Tribunal considers the request for an additional Award to be justified and considers that the omission can be rectified without any further hearings or evidence, it shall notify all the parties within 7 days of the receipt of the request, that it will make an additional Award, and complete the additional Award within 60 days after the receipt of the request.
39 Correction of Awards and Additional Awards
39.1. Within 30 days of receiving an Award, unless another period of time has been agreed upon by the parties, a party may by notice to the Tribunal request the Tribunal to correct the Award, any errors in computation, any clerical or typographical errors or any errors of similar nature.
39.2. If the Tribunal considers the request to be justified, it shall make the correction(s) within 30 days of receiving the request. Any correction shall be notified in writing to the parties and shall become part of the Award.
39.3. The Tribunal may correct any error of the type referred to in Rule 39.1 above on its own initiative within 30 days of the date of the Award.
40 Settlement
40.1. If, before the Award, not being a partial Award, is made; the parties agree on a settlement of the dispute, the Tribunal shall either issue an order for the termination of the arbitral proceedings or, if requested by both parties and accepted by the Tribunal, record the settlement in the form of an arbitral Award on agreed terms. The Tribunal is not obliged to give reasons for such an Award.
40.2. The parties shall:
a. notify the Tribunal immediately if the arbitration is settled or otherwise terminated;
b. make provision in any settlement for payment of the costs of the arbitration.
40.3. If the continuation of the arbitral proceedings becomes unnecessary or impossible for any reason not mentioned in Rule 40.1 above, before the Award is made, the Tribunal shall inform the parties of its intention to issue an order for the termination of the proceedings. The Tribunal shall have the power to issue such an order unless a party raises justifiable grounds for objection.
40.4. Copies of the order for termination of the arbitral proceedings or of the arbitral Award on agreed terms, signed by the Tribunal, shall be communicated by the Tribunal to the parties.
41 Costs
41.1. The Tribunal shall specify in the final Award, the costs of the arbitration and decide which party shall bear them and in what proportion they shall be borne.
41.2. “Costs of the arbitration” shall include:
a. the fees and expenses of the Tribunal; and
b. the costs of expert advice or of other assistance rendered.
41.3. The Tribunal has power to order in its Award that all or part of the legal or other costs of one party shall be paid by the other party. The Award shall fix such costs or direct the costs be taxed by the Tribunal if not agreed by the parties.
41.4. When deciding which party shall bear the costs of the arbitration and the legal or other costs of the parties and the amounts of such costs, the Tribunal may take into account any unreasonable refusal by a party to participate in mediation.
42 Fund Holding Terms and Charges:
42.1. A Fund Holding fee of S$1,200 per annum is payable to SCMA (not pro-rated);
42.2. A transaction fee of S$100 per transaction (excluding disbursements and/or bank charges with charges being borne by depositors) is payable to SCMA;
42.3. Interest, if any, on the deposit to accrue to the benefits of the depositors;
42.4. SCMA shall be free from any liability with respect to the funds held when acting on the instructions of the Tribunal.
42.5. The SCMA fund holding fee of S$ 1,200 per annum is payable on the date of receipt of the funds by SCMA and every year thereafter. Termination of the fund holding at any part of the year shall be considered a full year for purposes of the fund holding fee. Unless otherwise instructed, the SCMA fund holding fee, transaction fee and other disbursements incurred (if any) will be deducted from the fund holding account.
43 Waiver
A party which is aware of non-compliance with these Rules and yet proceeds with the arbitration without promptly stating its objection to such non-compliance shall be deemed to have waived its right to object.
44 Confidentiality
The parties and the Tribunal shall at all times treat all matters relating to the arbitration (including the existence of the arbitration) and the Award as confidential. A party or any Arbitrator shall not, without the prior written consent of the other party or the parties, as the case may be, disclose to a third party any such matter except:
a. for the purpose of making an application to any competent court;
b. for the purpose of or in relation to an application to the courts of any State to enforce the Award;
c. pursuant to the order of a court of competent jurisdiction;
d. in compliance with the provisions of the laws of any State which is binding on the party making the disclosure; or
e. in compliance with the request or requirement of any regulatory body or other authority which, if not binding, nonetheless would be observed customarily by the party making the disclosure.
45 Exclusion of Liability
45.1. The Tribunal, the Chairman, the Chamber and any of its officers, employees or agents shall not be liable to any party for any act or omission in connection with any arbitration conducted under these Rules.
45.2. After the Award has been made and the possibilities of correction and additional Awards have lapsed or been exhausted, neither the Tribunal nor the Chairman shall be under any obligation to make any statement to any person about any matter concerning the arbitration, and no party shall seek to make any Arbitrator or the Chairman or the Chamber or any of its officers, employees or agents a witness in any legal proceedings arising out of the arbitration.
46 Small Claims Procedure
Application
46.1. The expedited procedure set out in this Rule shall apply if the aggregate amount of the claim and/or counterclaim in dispute is less than US$150,000 (excluding interest and costs) or is unlikely to exceed US$150,000(excluding interest and costs).
46.2. This Rule may also apply to any claim in excess of US$150,000 (excluding interest and costs) if the parties agree in writing that the claim shall be dealt with under this Rule.
46.3. This Rule shall not apply if the parties expressly agree that this Rule shall not apply to that arbitration.
Time Abridgement
46.4. For the purposes of service of case statement(s) referred to in Rule 8, the time limit for each statement shall be reduced to 14 days.
Summary Determination
46.5. The Tribunal shall as soon as practicable, proceed to give directions for the determination of the matters in issue summarily.
46.6. Unless the Tribunal so requires, there shall be no oral hearing. The oral hearing if so directed shall be held for arguments only and the Tribunal may allocate and limit the time for such a hearing.
46.7. Unless the Tribunal requires the production of any document or class of documents it considers relevant for the determination of the matters in dispute, no party may seek any order for discovery, further particulars or interrogatories.
46.8. The Tribunal may draw such inferences from any document disclosed or not disclosed as the Tribunal deems appropriate.
Time for Making Award
46.9. The Tribunal shall issue the Award within 21 days either from the date of receipt of all parties’ Statement of Case or, if there be an oral hearing, from the close of the oral hearing.
46.10. No reason need be given for an Award made under this procedure.
Appointment of Arbitrator(s)
46.11. Notwithstanding Rule 6.1, a sole Arbitrator shall be appointed unless parties otherwise agree.
46.12. The fees of the Arbitrator(s) shall be capped at US$5,000 or, if there is a counterclaim, US$8,000 in total per Arbitrator (which for small claims, it is usually a sole Arbitrator).
Costs
46.13. The Tribunal may order that all or part of the legal or other costs of one party shall be paid by the other party but the amount of legal costs to be paid by that other party shall not exceed US$7,000, or if there is a counterclaim, US$ 10,000 in total for each party’s lawyers.
Applicability of Rules
46.14. Save as expressly provided for or modified by this Rule, all other provisions of the Rules shall apply mutatis mutandis to arbitration under the procedure set out in this Rule.
47 SCMA Expedited Arbitral Determination of Collision Claims (SEADOCC)
47.1. Parties seeking a determination of a dispute arising out of a collision may agree to refer the dispute to the terms of SEADOCC as set out in Schedule B.
47.2. Cost and Fees
a. The Arbitrator will be entitled to charge the rates set out in the Engagement Letter for work carried out in preparing a Liability Award or Settlement Award as described in these Terms.
b. The costs of the Arbitrator (“the Arbitrator’s Costs”) will be shared equally between the Parties regardless of the outcome of the SEADOCC Arbitration. The Parties shall be jointly and severally liable for payment of all the Arbitrator’s Costs. Payment will be made promptly within 30 days of receiving his or her invoice. Thereafter the Arbitrator shall be entitled to charge interest at 5% per annum on any unpaid Arbitrator’s Costs.
48 Singapore Bunker Claims Procedure (SBC Terms)
The parties to any contract for the sale and/or supply of bunkers may agree that the Singapore Bunker Claims Procedure (SBC Terms) as set out in Singapore Standards Council SS600:2014 shall apply to any or all disputes arising out of or in connection with of the contract for the sale and/or supply of bunkers.
49 Adjournment
If a case is for any reason adjourned part-heard, the Tribunal will be entitled to an interim payment, payable in equal shares or otherwise as the Tribunal may direct, in respect of fees and expenses already incurred, appropriate credit being given for any fee relating to the booking of premises in connection with the arbitration.
50 Service of Documents
Where a party is represented by a lawyer or other agent in connection with any arbitral proceedings, all notices or other documents required to be given or served for the purposes of the arbitral proceedings together with all decisions, orders and Awards made or issued by the Tribunal shall be treated as effectively served if served on that lawyer or agent.
51 General
51.1. Three months after the publication of a final Award, the Tribunal may notify the parties of its intention to dispose of the documents and to close the file, and it will act accordingly unless otherwise requested within 21 days of such notice being given.
51.2. In relation to any matters not expressly provided for herein the Tribunal shall act in accordance with the spirit of these Rules.
52 Amendment to Rules
These Rules may from time to time be amended by the Chamber.
SCHEDULE A - Questionnaire
(Information to be provided as required in Rule 25)
As far as possible, the procedural issues should be agreed by the parties. If agreement has been
possible, then this should be made clear in the answers to the Questionnaire.
- A brief note of the nature of the claim.
- Estimated quantum of the claim/ of any counterclaim.
- The main issues requiring determination raised by the claim and any counterclaim.
- Whether any amendments to the claim, defence or counterclaim are required?
- Whether any of the issues are suitable for determination as a preliminary issue?
- Whether there are there any areas of disclosure that remain to be dealt with?
- Whether the arbitration will be a documents-only arbitration or whether an oral hearing is required?
- What statement evidence is it intended to adduce and by when; and (if there is to be a hearing) what oral evidence will be adduced?
- What expert evidence is it intended to adduce by way of reports and/or oral testimony and by when will experts’ reports be exchanged?
- Estimated length of the hearing, if any.
- Which witnesses of fact and experts are likely to be called at the hearing, if there is to be one?
- Estimated costs of the party with a breakdown.
- Does either party consider that it is entitled to security for costs and, if so, in what amount?
- Does the party consider that the case is suitable for mediation?
DECLARATION (TO BE SIGNED BY A PROPERLY AUTHORISED OFFICER OF THE PARTY COMPLETING
THE QUESTIONNAIRE):
On behalf of the [Claimant/Respondent] I, the undersigned [name] being [state position in
organisation] and being fully authorised to make this declaration, confirm that I have read and
understood, and agree to, the answers given above.
…………………………………………… …………………………………………..
Signed Dated
SCHEDULE B - SCMA EXPEDITED ARBITRAL DETERMINATION OF COLLISION CLAIMS
THE SEADOCC TERMS
The Terms
1. These Terms relate to the maritime arbitration procedure referred to herein, which will be
governed exclusively by the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (“the SCMA”).
2. This procedure will be known as the SCMA Expedited Arbitral Determination of Collision Claims
(“SEADOCC”) and these Terms may be referred to as “the SEADOCC Terms”.
Objective
3. SEADOCC aims to provide a fair, timely and cost-effective means of determining liability for
a collision in circumstances where it has not been possible or appropriate to reach such an
apportionment of liability using other means of dispute resolution.
4. The purpose of arbitration under these Terms (“the SEADOCC Arbitration”) is to provide a
binding decision on liability (“the Liability Award”) for a collision between two or more ships
(“the Collision”) by a single appointed Arbitrator (“the Arbitrator”).
5. The Arbitrator will be appointed jointly by each Party to the dispute arising out of the collision
(together “the Parties”). It is a condition precedent of the Parties taking part in SEADOCC that
they agree in writing to the identity and appointment of the Arbitrator and commencement of a
SEADOCC Arbitration.
6. By agreement between the Parties, the Arbitrator may also be called upon to review the
quantum of the inter-ship claims and, pursuant to an agreement on the apportionment of
liability between the Parties or a Liability Award under these Terms, provide a final and binding
Award on the payment to be made on the balance of claims from one Party to the other (“the
Settlement Award”).
7. The Parties will be free to appoint any person as an Arbitrator. It is envisaged that this would
be someone with legal or practical experience in dealing with claims arising from collisions
between vessels, drawn from the maritime community in Singapore. The SCMA will maintain
a list of Arbitrators (“the SEADOCC Panel”) who have taken part in SEADOCC Arbitration and
produced at least one Liability Award as defined herein.
8. The Parties hereby agree that the determination of the apportionment of liability and, where
agreed between the Parties, the assessment of inter-ship claims arising out of the Collision
will be conducted under the SEADOCC Terms, rather than in accordance with the procedure
of the Courts of any jurisdiction. The SEADOCC Terms may however be varied by agreement
between the Parties.
9. The juridical seat of the SEADOCC Arbitration shall be Singapore. Unless the parties agree to
the contrary, the dispute shall be determined according to Singapore law.
10. The SEADOCC Terms shall govern the SEADOCC Arbitration save that if any of these Terms
is in conflict with a mandatory provision of the International Arbitration Act (Cap 143A) and
any statutory re-enactment thereof in Singapore (“the Act”), from which the Parties cannot
derogate, such provisions shall prevail.
11. The SCMA will not be liable for any claims or disputes arising out of the appointment of any
Arbitrator, whether chosen from the SEADOCC Panel or not. The Parties will make any such
appointments at their own risk.
Initial Assessment
12. As soon as possible following the appointment of the Arbitrator, he or she will hold an initial
meeting or telephone conference with the Parties to establish the nature of their dispute, the
broad issues involved, the likely level of documentation and the service they require.
13. Based on this, the Arbitrator will provide an estimate of his or her likely costs for providing the
Liability Award and/or Settlement Award. This will be indicative only and will not be binding on
the Arbitrator.
Engagement Letter and Options
14. On appointment, the Arbitrator will provide the Parties with an engagement letter (“the
Engagement Letter”) clearly setting out his or her hourly rates and terms and conditions which
shall be no greater than his or her usual hourly rates.
15. The Arbitrator may also seek a letter of comfort or security from the Parties’ respective P&I
insurers or such other body as the Arbitrator shall consider satisfactory, confirming that these
insurers shall in the first instance be jointly and severally liable for settling the Arbitrator’s
Costs as defined herein.
Early settlement
16. If the Parties settle their dispute at any stage following the appointment of the Arbitrator
(“an Early Settlement”), they will inform him or her as soon as reasonably possible.
17. The Arbitrator will be entitled to the costs and expenses of any work conducted prior to and up
to the date of an Early Settlement in accordance with the Engagement Letter.
Submissions
18. The Parties shall each within 14 days of the Arbitrator’s appointment provide him or her with
the following documents and information (collectively “the Evidence”):
a. A summary of the background facts of the case set out on no more than six pages of A4
paper.
b. A maximum of one lever arch file of key documents (“The Arbitration Bundle”), which may
be provided in electronic form, such as:
i. Navigation charts;
ii. Deck and engine logbook extracts;
iii. Deck and engine bell books;
iv. Engine data logger records;
v. Course recorder extracts;
vi. Weather forecasts and reports; if relevant
vii. STCW Crew certificates for those officers and ratings involved in the incident;
viii. Any photographs or notes made by the witnesses;
ix. Other ship’s documents or records which may be relevant to the case;
x. Any key advices provided to the Parties by their legal advisors;
xi. Any criminal or civil reports by national maritime administrations;
xii. Any surveyors’ reports; and/or
xiii. Any available AIS data.
c. Copies of any ECDIS or VDR/SVDR data, including playback software, from the respective
Ships.
19. The Parties will promptly after provision of the Evidence to the Arbitrator make appropriate
arrangements for the simultaneous exchange of their Arbitration Bundles.
20. The Arbitrator will review the Evidence and determine whether there is any additional
information or documentary evidence (“Additional Evidence”) which might assist him or her in
making the Liability Award. It is envisaged that this initial review would be conducted within
14 days of the Parties providing to the Arbitrator their Arbitration Bundles. The Arbitrator will
then provide a written list of any such Additional Evidence to the Parties.
21. The Parties shall within 14 days of the Arbitrator’s written request provide such Additional
Evidence as he or she may request. Neither Party shall be obliged to provide such Additional
Evidence to the Arbitrator, but the Arbitrator may draw whatever inference he or she considers
appropriate in the circumstances from any failure to do so.
22. Where Additional Evidence is provided to the Arbitrator, the Parties will at the same time serve
on each other an identical copy of their respective Additional Evidence. The Parties will make
appropriate arrangements for the simultaneous exchange of such Additional Evidence.
23. The Arbitrator will then prepare a draft Liability Award in writing, with reasons (“the Draft
Award”) on the apportionment of liability for the Collision, which he will provide to the Parties
for their consideration.
24. The Parties agree that once such a Draft Award has been published they will be bound to obtain
a final written Liability Award from the Arbitrator, subject to the Parties achieving an Early
Settlement and regardless of whether they provide further written submissions in response to
the Draft Award as set out below.
25. The Draft Award will normally be available to the Parties within six weeks after the Parties have
provided such Additional Evidence as the Arbitrator may require.
26. The Parties shall within 21 days of receiving the Draft Award provide to the Arbitrator any further
written submissions they may have, on not more than four pages of A4 paper, in response to the
Draft Award.
27. Where the Parties provide further written submissions to the Arbitrator, the Parties will
promptly make appropriate arrangements for the simultaneous exchange of such further
written submissions.
28. The Arbitrator will then prepare his or her Liability Award with reasons on the apportionment
of liability for the collision. The Liability Award will normally be available to the Parties within
four weeks after the Parties have provided their further written submissions in response to the
Draft Award.
29. It is envisaged that the timescale from the appointment of the Arbitrator to the publication of
the Liability Award will be no longer than five months, and hopefully shorter than this, subject
to any exceptional circumstances.
Inter-ship Claims and Settlement
30. By agreement between the Parties, the Arbitrator may also provide a Settlement Award on the
payment to be made on the balance of inter-ship claims arising out of the Collision from one
Party to the other.
31. The Arbitrator shall make such directions and orders as he or she considers necessary to
obtain evidence on claims (“the Quantum Evidence”) including invoices, vouchers and payment
receipts. Having reviewed the Quantum Evidence, the Arbitrator will then provide a Settlement
Award.
32. The Liability Award and any Settlement Award will be final and binding on the Parties. The
Liability Award and any Settlement Award shall each have the force of an Arbitration Award
made under the Act.
Costs and Fees
33. The Arbitrator will be entitled to charge the rates set out in the Engagement Letter for work
carried out in preparing a Liability Award or Settlement Award as described in these Terms.
34. The costs of the Arbitrator (“the Arbitrator’s Costs”) will be shared equally between the Parties
regardless of the outcome of the SEADOCC Arbitration. The Parties shall be jointly and severally
liable for payment of all the Arbitrator’s Costs. Payment will be made promptly within 30 days
of receiving his or her invoice. Thereafter the Arbitrator shall be entitled to charge interest at
5% per annum on any unpaid Arbitrator’s Costs.
File Closure
35. Three months after the publication of the Liability Award and/or Settlement Award (as
appropriate) the Arbitrator shall notify the Parties of his or her intention to dispose of the
Evidence and any other documents and to close the file. He or she will act accordingly unless
otherwise requested by either Party within 21 days of such notice being given.
Law and Jurisdiction
36. Any dispute arising under these Terms shall be subject to Singapore Law and the exclusive
Jurisdiction of the Singapore Courts.
Dated this [ ] day of [ ]
SCHEDULE C - SCMA ARB-MED-ARB PROTOCOL (“SCMA AMA PROTOCOL”)
1. This SCMA AMA Protocol shall apply to all disputes submitted for resolution under the SCMA
Arb-Med-Arb Clause or other similar clause (“SCMA AMA Clause”) and/or any dispute which
parties have agreed to submit for resolution under this SCMA AMA Protocol. Under the SCMA
AMA Protocol, parties agree that any dispute settled in the course of the mediation at the
Singapore Mediation Centre (“SMC”), Singapore International Mediation Centre (“SIMC”) or any
other recognized mediation institution (each of which known as the “Mediation Centre”) shall
fall within the scope of their arbitration agreement.
2. A party wishing to commence arbitration under the “SCMA AMA” Clause shall commence
arbitration under the SCMA Rules.
3. The parties will inform the Mediation Centre of the arbitration commenced pursuant to an
“SCMA AMA” Clause within 4 working days from the commencement of the arbitration, or
within 4 working days from the agreement of the parties to refer their dispute to mediation
under the “SCMA AMA” Protocol. The parties will send to the Mediation Centre a copy of the
notice of arbitration.
4. The Tribunal shall be constituted in accordance with the SCMA Rules and/or the parties’
arbitration agreement.
5. The Tribunal shall, after the exchange of the Notice of Arbitration and Response to the Notice of
Arbitration, stay the arbitration. The parties will send the Notice of Arbitration and the Response
to the Mediation Centre for mediation at the Mediation Centre. Upon the Mediation Centre’s
receipt of the documents, the Mediation Centre will inform the parties of the commencement
of mediation at the Mediation Centre (the “Mediation Commencement Date”) pursuant to
the relevant Mediation Rules applicable at the Mediation Centre. All subsequent steps in the
arbitration shall be stayed pending the outcome of mediation at the Mediation Centre.
6. The mediation conducted under the auspices of the Mediation Centre shall be completed within
8 weeks from the Mediation Commencement Date, unless, the parties in consultation with
the Mediation Centre extends the time. For the purposes of calculating any time period in the
arbitration proceedings, the time period will stop running at the Mediation Commencement
Date and resume upon notification by either party to the Tribunal of the termination of the
mediation proceeding.
7. At the termination of the 8-week period (unless the deadline is extended by the parties in
consultation with the Mediation Centre) or in the event the dispute cannot be settled by mediation
either partially or entirely at any time prior to the expiration of the 8-week period, the Mediation
Centre shall promptly inform the parties of the outcome of the mediation, if any.
8. In the event that the dispute has not been settled by mediation either partially or entirely,
either party may inform the Tribunal that the arbitration proceeding shall resume. Upon the
date of such notification to the Tribunal, the arbitration proceeding in respect of the dispute or
remaining part of the dispute (as the case may be) shall resume in accordance with the SCMA
Rules.
9. In the event of a settlement of the dispute by mediation between the parties, the Mediation
Centre shall inform the parties that a settlement has been reached. If the parties request the
Tribunal to record their settlement in the form of a consent Award, the parties shall refer the
settlement agreement to the Tribunal and the Tribunal may render a consent Award on the
terms agreed to by the parties.
Financial Matters
10. Parties shall also pay the Mediation Centre administrative fees and expenses for the mediation
(“Mediation Advance”) in accordance with the respective Mediation Centre’s Schedule of Fees
(“the Deposit”). The quantum of the Deposit will be determined by the Mediation Centre.
11. Where a case is commenced pursuant to the “SCMA AMA” Clause and where parties have
agreed to submit their dispute for resolution under the “SCMA AMA Protocol” before the
commencement of arbitration proceedings, the Mediation Advance shall be paid upon the
submission of the case for mediation at the Mediation Centre.
12. Any party is free to pay the Deposit of the other party, should the other party fail to pay its share.
The Mediation Centre shall inform the parties if the Deposit remains wholly or partially unpaid.
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