YDQ v YDR
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Judges (1)
Counsel (2)
Parties (2)
Case Significance
YDQ v YDR [2026] SGFC 74 is a decision of the Family Court delivered by District Judge Kow Keng Siong on 26 May 2026, in proceedings ancillary to divorce interim judgment granted in January 2025. The father (YDQ) sought a coercive court order under FC/SUM 1152 of 2026 compelling the mother (YDR) to ensure their two children attended a four-day church camp, to personally transport them daily, and to bear half the registration and ancillary costs. The mother opposed. District Judge Kow dismissed the application, addressing two interconnected questions: whether it is appropriate for a parent to use the court's coercive powers to compel children's participation in a religious activity over the other parent's objection, and whether the court should adjudicate which parent's religious preference is correct. The judgment emphasises judicial restraint and the court's role as a last resort in parenting disputes, citing five Singapore authorities and engaging the Guardianship of Infants Act and the Women's Charter. A Rajandran appeared as counsel for the respondent.
Summary
YDQ v YDR arose from a dispute between estranged parents with joint custody over whether the mother should be compelled by court order to send their two young children to a four-day church camp and bear half the registration costs, over the mother's objection. The court considered the limits of judicial intervention in parenting disputes touching on religion, conscience, and the exercise of care and control. The father's application was dismissed on the basis that the mother's refusal was not irrational or calculated to undermine the father's relationship with the children, and judicial restraint was warranted.
Can a Singapore family court compel a parent to take children to a religious activity over the other parent's objection?
In YDQ v YDR [2026] SGFC 74, District Judge Kow Keng Siong dismissed such an application on 26 May 2026, holding that a court should exercise judicial restraint and act as a last resort in parenting disputes, and should not use coercive powers to resolve disagreements about a single religious event like a four-day church camp.
Statutes Cited
Cases Cited (5)
Judgment
Read the full judgment on the official Singapore Courts portal.
Read on eLitigationSource: eLitigation ([2026] SGFC 74)