YEO SU LAN (YANG SHULAN) v THOMAS HONG & 2 Ors

[2023] SGHC 44 High Court (General Division) 24 February 2023 HC/S 465/2021 ( HC/RA 8/2023 )

6 cases cited (2 SG, 4 foreign) Cited by 2 cases

Key facts

Court	High Court (General Division)
Decided	24 February 2023
Judge	Goh Yihan
Charges / claim	Civil Procedure
Counsel	Adroit Law LLC, Advocatus Law LLP, Matthew Chiong Partnership, Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP, Sterling Law Corporation, Amy Seow, Christopher Anand s/o Daniel, Ervin Tan, Eugene Quah Siew Ping, Harjean Kaur, Jodi Siah Be Koen, Lim Cheng Hock Lawrence, Saadhvika Jayanth, Yeo Choon Hsien Leslie, Yeo Yi Ling Eileen

Source: [2023] SGHC 44, High Court (General Division), decided 24 February 2023 — eLitigation. Updated 10 July 2026.

Catchwords

Civil Procedure — Parties — Consolidation Civil Procedure — Parties — Joinder — Whether co-plaintiffs may be joined to a counterclaim

Practice Areas

Civil Procedure

Judges (1)

Goh Yihan Delivered

Counsel (15)

Adroit Law LLC Firm Advocatus Law LLP Firm Matthew Chiong Partnership Firm Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP Firm Sterling Law Corporation Firm Amy Seow Counsel for the defendant Christopher Anand s/o Daniel Counsel for the defendant

Ervin Tan Counsel for the defendant

Eugene Quah Siew Ping Counsel for the plaintiff Harjean Kaur Counsel for the defendant Jodi Siah Be Koen Counsel for the defendant

Lim Cheng Hock Lawrence Counsel for the plaintiff

Saadhvika Jayanth Counsel for the defendant Yeo Choon Hsien Leslie Counsel for the defendant Yeo Yi Ling Eileen Counsel for the defendant

Parties (8)

Soup Empire Holdings Pte Ltd Defendant

The Dim Sum Place (CCP) II Pte Ltd Defendant

W Food Empire Pte Ltd Defendant

Lim Cheng San Defendant

Tan Li Khim (Chen Liqin) Defendant

Teo Li Lian (Zhang Lilian) Defendant

Thomas Hong Defendant

Yeo Su Lan (Yang Shulan) Plaintiff

Case Significance

Decided 24 February 2023 by Goh Yihan JC, this was the third defendant Soup Empire Holdings Pte Ltd's appeal (Registrar's Appeal No 8 of 2023) against Assistant Registrar Kenneth Wang's dismissal of its application to consolidate HC/S 877/2021 with HC/S 465/2021, the latter brought by plaintiff Yeo Su Lan (Yang Shulan) against Thomas Hong, Tan Li Khim and Soup Empire Holdings. At the hearing on 1 February 2023 Goh Yihan JC dismissed the appeal and upheld the AR's decision, affirming the order that the two suits be heard one immediately after the other. The judge set out written views because the appeal raised the novel issue of whether a court can join a co-plaintiff in a counterclaim who is otherwise a third party to the main claim.

Summary

This was the third defendant Soup Empire Holdings Pte Ltd's appeal against an Assistant Registrar's dismissal of its application to consolidate two related suits arising from a minority oppression claim in the food and beverage business. The appeal raised the novel issue of whether a co-plaintiff who is a third party to the main claim may be joined to a counterclaim. Goh Yihan JC dismissed the appeal, upheld the AR's decision, and affirmed the order for the two suits to be heard consecutively.

What did the court decide in Yeo Su Lan v Thomas Hong [2023] SGHC 44?

Goh Yihan JC dismissed Soup Empire Holdings Pte Ltd's appeal on 1 February 2023, upholding the Assistant Registrar's refusal to consolidate two suits and affirming they be heard consecutively. The judgment also addressed a novel question about joining a co-plaintiff to a counterclaim.

Can a co-plaintiff be joined to a counterclaim in Singapore ([2023] SGHC 44)?

The appeal in [2023] SGHC 44 raised the novel issue of whether a court can join a co-plaintiff in a counterclaim who is otherwise a third party to the main claim. Goh Yihan JC provided his views after dismissing the consolidation appeal.