TANG SWEA PHING v CHAN TAM HOI @ PAUL CHAN

Case Significance

Tang Swea Phing v Chan Tam Hoi (alias Paul Chan) and another appeal [2024] SGHC 167 was a grounds of decision of the General Division of the High Court of Singapore, delivered by Pang Khang Chau J on 29 June 2024 after hearings across several dates in 2022, 2023 and 2024. It comprised two cross-appeals — District Court Appeals Nos 22 and 23 of 2022 — against the judgment in District Court Suit No 1387 of 2019. Ms Tang Swea Phing, the appellant in DCA 22, had been the first defendant below, while Mr Chan Tam Hoi @ Paul Chan, the appellant in DCA 23, had been the plaintiff.

In the underlying suit, Mr Chan sued Ms Tang and SDCS Holdings Pte Ltd ("SDCS") for defamation, alleging that Ms Tang had engaged SDCS to recover a sum of $120,000 from him and that SDCS had defamed him in the course of doing so; he sought damages to be assessed and a permanent injunction. As reflected in the catchwords, the appeals engaged the defamation defence of justification, the tortious liability of a principal for its agent, and the remedy of nominal damages in defamation. Ms Tang was represented by Carson Law Chambers (Lim Tean), and Mr Chan by Drew & Napier LLC, including Wendell Wong and Faith Hwang.