LIM OON KUIN & 2 Ors v Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP

[2023] SGHC 222 High Court (General Division) 15 August 2023 HC/OS 666/2020 ( HC/RA 93/2023,HC/RA 92/2023 ) · HC/OS 704/2020 ( HC/RA 91/2023,HC/RA 90/2023 )

31 cases cited (20 SG, 11 foreign)

Key facts

Court	High Court (General Division)
Decided	15 August 2023
Judge	Goh Yihan
Charges / claim	Civil Procedure, Abuse of Process
Counsel	Advocatus Law LLP, Damodara Ong LLC, LVM Law Chambers LLC, Christopher Anand s/o Daniel, Harjeen Kaur, Leonard Chua Jun Yi, Lim Yi Zheng, Lok Vi Ming, Ning Jie, Ong Ziying Clement, Pak Waltan, Preshin Manmindar, Sun Lupeng Cedric, Suresh s/o Damodara, Wong Xiao Wei, Yeo Yi Ling Eileen, Zhuang Wenxiong

Source: [2023] SGHC 222, High Court (General Division), decided 15 August 2023 — eLitigation. Updated 10 July 2026.

Catchwords

Civil Procedure — Amendments Civil Procedure — Striking out Abuse of Process — Henderson v Henderson doctrine

Practice Areas

Civil Procedure Abuse of Process

Judges (1)

Goh Yihan Delivered

Counsel (17)

Advocatus Law LLP Firm Damodara Ong LLC Firm LVM Law Chambers LLC Firm Christopher Anand s/o Daniel Counsel for the applicant

Harjeen Kaur Counsel for the applicant

Parties (4)

Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP Respondent

Lim Chee Meng Applicant Lim Huey Ching Applicant Lim Oon Kuin Applicant

Case Significance

Lim Oon Kuin and others v Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP and another matter [2023] SGHC 222 is a reserved judgment of Goh Yihan JC in the General Division of the High Court, delivered on 15 August 2023. It concerns four Registrar's Appeals (Nos 90 to 93 of 2023) arising from two Originating Summonses, HC/OS 704/2020 and HC/OS 666/2020, in which the applicants Lim Oon Kuin, Lim Chee Meng and Lim Huey Ching challenged Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP acting for the interim judicial managers, judicial managers and liquidators of Hin Leong Trading (Pte) Ltd and Ocean Tankers (Pte) Ltd. The appeals concern applications to amend and to strike out, and the Henderson v Henderson abuse of process doctrine.

Summary

Lim Oon Kuin, Lim Chee Meng and Lim Huey Ching brought four appeals concerning two originating summonses that sought to restrain Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP from acting against them in matters connected to Hin Leong Trading and Ocean Tankers, involving applications to amend and to strike out the summonses. The respondent had provided an undertaking, accepted by the applicants, that it would not act for the relevant parties. The court dismissed all four appeals.

What was Lim Oon Kuin v Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP [2023] SGHC 222 about?

It concerned four Registrar's Appeals before Goh Yihan JC arising from two Originating Summonses in which Lim Oon Kuin, Lim Chee Meng and Lim Huey Ching challenged Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP over its work for the liquidators of Hin Leong Trading and Ocean Tankers, decided on 15 August 2023.

What issues did [2023] SGHC 222 raise?

The four appeals concerned the applicants' applications to amend Originating Summons 704 and to strike out, together with the Henderson v Henderson abuse of process doctrine, in proceedings against Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP relating to Hin Leong Trading and Ocean Tankers.

Statutes Cited

Penal Code (Cap 224) Cases on this Act →

s 294(a) s 377A

Cases Cited (31)

SG (4)

[2021] SGHC 144 [2021] SGHC 47 [2022] SGHC 309 [2023] SGHC 106

SLR (16)

[1993] 3 SLR(R) 640 [1997] 3 SLR(R) 649 [1999] 3 SLR(R) 959 [2003] 3 SLR(R) 198 [2005] 1 SLR(R) 502 [2007] 1 SLR(R) 453 [2010] 1 SLR 52 [2012] 1 SLR 457 [2012] 4 SLR 476 [2015] 5 SLR 1104 [2016] 4 SLR 1365 [2017] 2 SLR 760 [2018] 3 SLR 117 [2019] 2 SLR 710 [2022] 2 SLR 253 [2022] 2 SLR 280

UK (9)

[1982] AC 529 [1987] AC 189 [2002] 2 AC 1 [2003] EWCA Civ 815 [2009] EWHC 255 [2014] AC 160 [2019] EWHC 1676 [2020] EWHC 567 [2022] EWHC 1407

MY (2)

[1973] 2 MLJ 74 [2019] 12 MLJ 164