TEY LENG YEN v MAI XUN YAO

[2023] SGHC 194 High Court (General Division) 19 July 2023 HC/OA 391/2023

13 cases cited (11 SG, 2 foreign)

Key facts

Court	High Court (General Division)
Decided	19 July 2023
Judge	Tan Siong Thye
Charges / claim	Civil Procedure
Counsel	RHTLaw Asia LLP, Titanium Law Chambers LLC, Isabel Ho Ci Xian (Isabel He Cixian), Kwong Yan Li Callie, Ng Hweelon, Sharon Chong Chin Yee

Source: [2023] SGHC 194, High Court (General Division), decided 19 July 2023 — eLitigation. Updated 10 July 2026.

Catchwords

Civil Procedure — Appeals — Leave

Practice Areas

Civil Procedure

Judges (1)

Tan Siong Thye Delivered

Counsel (6)

RHTLaw Asia LLP Firm Titanium Law Chambers LLC Firm

Isabel Ho Ci Xian (Isabel He Cixian) Counsel for the applicant

Kwong Yan Li Callie Counsel for the respondent

Ng Hweelon Counsel for the applicant

Sharon Chong Chin Yee Counsel for the respondent

Parties (2)

Mai Xun Yao Respondent

Tey Leng Yen Applicant

Case Significance

Tey Leng Yen v Mai Xun Yao [2023] SGHC 194 is an ex tempore judgment of Tan Siong Thye SJ in the General Division of the High Court, delivered on 19 July 2023 in Originating Application No 391 of 2023. The applicant, Tey Leng Yen, sought permission to appeal against the District Judge's decision in Registrar's Appeal DC/RA 85/2022, where the DJ had allowed Mai Xun Yao's appeal against the Deputy Registrar's award of costs of $40,000 in Tey's favour. The DJ found that the Deputy Registrar had not taken into account an offer to settle made by the respondent before trial and rejected by the applicant, and accordingly reversed the award and ordered costs of $20,000 in Mai Xun Yao's favour; the applicant then applied in DC/SUM 706/2023 for permission to appeal, which the DJ denied.

Summary

Tey Leng Yen sought permission to appeal against a District Judge's costs decision which had reversed a Deputy Registrar's award of $40,000 in her favour and instead awarded $20,000 to the respondent Mai Xun Yao, on the basis of an offer to settle that had not been considered. The High Court held there was no prima facie case of error or question of general principle decided for the first time and dismissed the application for permission to appeal.

What was Tey Leng Yen v Mai Xun Yao [2023] SGHC 194 about?

It was an application before Tan Siong Thye SJ, decided on 19 July 2023, in which Tey Leng Yen sought permission to appeal a District Judge's costs decision in Registrar's Appeal DC/RA 85/2022 concerning a dispute with Mai Xun Yao.

How did the costs award change in [2023] SGHC 194?

The Deputy Registrar had awarded costs of $40,000 in Tey Leng Yen's favour. Finding an offer to settle had not been considered, the District Judge reversed this and ordered costs of $20,000 in Mai Xun Yao's favour, with disbursements to be fixed if not agreed.