Lawrence Li See Kit v Debate Association (Singapore)
Key facts
| Court | High Court (General Division) |
|---|---|
| Decided | |
| Judge | See Kee Oon |
| Charges / claim | Tort, Administrative Law, Unincorporated Associations and Trade Unions |
| Counsel | Invictus Law Corporation, Paul Ong Chambers LLC, Darren Tan Tho Eng, Joshua Tan Ming En, Paul Ong Min-Tse, Silas Siew Wei Ying |
Source: [2023] SGHC 154, High Court (General Division), decided — eLitigation. Updated .
Catchwords
Practice Areas
Judges (1)
Counsel (6)
Case Significance
Lawrence Li See Kit v Debate Association (Singapore) [2023] SGHC 154 is a reserved judgment of See Kee Oon J in the General Division of the High Court, delivered on 23 May 2023 in Suit No 441 of 2021. The plaintiff, Li See Kit Lawrence, sued as father and personal representative of the estate of Li Guangsheng, Lucas (the deceased), alleging that the Debate Association (Singapore), a registered society, caused the deceased to suffer an acute stress reaction leading to his suicide on 8 August 2018. The claim was framed in breach of the contract of membership, negligence and breach of a duty of care, and the rule in Wilkinson v Downton, alongside natural justice issues of fair hearing and bias.
[2023] SGHC 154 explained
Lawrence Li See Kit v Debate Association (Singapore) ([2023] SGHC 154) is a Singapore judgment decided by the High Court (General Division) on 23 May 2023. It is categorised under Tort, Administrative Law, and Unincorporated Associations and Trade Unions. Within this corpus it has since been cited by 3 other reported Singapore judgments, a measure of how often later decisions have referred to it. This page summarises what the reported decision covers and links the primary sources — the full judgment, the statutes it cites, and the other cases it engages with — so the decision can be read in context. It is reference information, not legal advice, and it does not state the outcome or any holding beyond what the official judgment records.
What is [2023] SGHC 154 about?
Lawrence Li See Kit v Debate Association (Singapore) ([2023] SGHC 154) is a High Court (General Division) decision from 2023. Its published catchwords are “Tort — Negligence — Breach of duty”, “Tort — Rule in Wilkinson v Downton”, “Administrative Law — Natural justice — Breach of fair hearing rule”, and “Administrative Law — Natural justice — Breach of rule against bias”, which indicate the subject matter the judgment addresses. The full reasoning and orders are in the judgment itself, linked below.
Which legislation does [2023] SGHC 154 consider?
The judgment refers to Civil Law Act (Cap 43), First Schedule to the Supreme Court of Judicature Act (Cap 322), and Supreme Court of Judicature Act (Cap 322). The statutes cited are listed in full on this page, each linking to its primary text.
How influential is [2023] SGHC 154?
Within this corpus, [2023] SGHC 154 has been cited by 3 later reported Singapore judgments. That count reflects references from other decisions held in this corpus only and is a conservative lower bound on how often the case has actually been cited.
Summary
Lawrence Li See Kit, as personal representative of his deceased son's estate, sued the Debate Association (Singapore), alleging that its negligent and reckless conduct caused the deceased an acute stress reaction leading to his suicide, and advancing claims in breach of membership contract, negligence and under the rule in Wilkinson v Downton. The court allowed the claim in part, granting declarations that the ban and notice issued against the deceased were ultra vires and in breach of natural justice, but dismissed the remaining contract and tort claims.
What did the court consider in Lawrence Li See Kit v Debate Association (Singapore) [2023] SGHC 154?
See Kee Oon J heard the claim brought by Li See Kit Lawrence, as personal representative of the deceased Li Guangsheng Lucas, against the Debate Association (Singapore) over the deceased's acute stress reaction and his suicide on 8 August 2018.
What causes of action were raised in Lawrence Li See Kit v Debate Association (Singapore) [2023] SGHC 154?
The claim was premised on breach of the contract of membership with the deceased, negligence and breach of a duty of care, and the rule in Wilkinson v Downton, together with natural justice complaints of unfair hearing and bias.
Statutes Cited
Cases Cited (38)
Related cases
Other Singapore judgments involving the same parties or counsel.
Referenced in
Statutes interpreted in this judgment
Legal concepts & references
Judgment
Read the full judgment on the official Singapore Courts portal.
Read on eLitigationSource: eLitigation ([2023] SGHC 154)