Can you represent yourself in court in Singapore?
Answered from official Singapore sources and the reported court record, as of — recomputed live.
An individual may act in person — as a litigant-in-person — in both civil and criminal proceedings in Singapore, without engaging a lawyer. A company is treated differently: it must generally be represented by a solicitor, unless the court grants leave for a director or officer to appear on its behalf.
What the question is really asking
The question of whether a person can conduct their own case turns on who has a right to appear before the court and who is being represented. In Singapore a natural person may act in person — described as a litigant-in-person — in both civil and criminal proceedings, presenting their own case without instructing a lawyer. The court still applies the same rules of procedure and evidence to a litigant-in-person as it does to a represented party.
A company, or another artificial entity, stands in a different position. Because it cannot itself speak, the Rules of Court require it to act through a solicitor, though the court may grant leave in limited circumstances for a director or officer to represent the company. Underlying all of this is the distinction between a litigant and an advocate: general rights of audience — the right to appear and argue on behalf of others — belong to advocates and solicitors who hold a current practising certificate under the Legal Profession Act, whereas a litigant-in-person appears only for themselves.
Reported judgments record where parties appeared in person and where counsel appeared, and how those matters were decided. The court record therefore shows, objectively, how often represented and in-person parties feature and what the courts ruled — without drawing any conclusion about outcomes attributable to a particular lawyer.
Official sources & how it works
The instruments and public records that govern the answer, each with its source and the year it describes.
The statute governing advocates and solicitors and rights of audience — who may appear and argue on behalf of others in the Singapore courts, and the practising certificate that authorises it.
Source: Legal Profession Act 1966 (Singapore) · as of 2020
The rules of civil procedure addressing representation, including a litigant-in-person acting for themselves and the requirement that a company act through a solicitor unless the court grants leave otherwise.
Source: Rules of Court 2021 (Singapore) · as of 2021
Can an individual conduct their own case?
Yes. A natural person may act as a litigant-in-person in civil and criminal proceedings, meaning they present their own case without a lawyer. The court applies the same rules of procedure and evidence to a litigant-in-person as to a represented party, so acting in person does not change the substantive requirements of the case.
Can a company represent itself without a lawyer?
Generally no. A company is an artificial person and, under the Rules of Court, must ordinarily act through a solicitor. A court may grant leave for a director or officer to represent the company in limited circumstances, but the default position is that an entity appears by its solicitor rather than through an employee or officer.
Who has the right to appear as an advocate?
General rights of audience — appearing and arguing on behalf of another person — belong to advocates and solicitors who hold a current practising certificate under the Legal Profession Act. A litigant-in-person, by contrast, may appear only for themselves and cannot argue a case on behalf of someone else.
Explore the court record
This is one part of what the reported record shows about how lawyers and litigation work in Singapore.
- For who actually appears in reported civil cases and how those matters were decided, see Civil Procedure Lawyers in Singapore: The Court Record.
- For the reported judgments across each court and the matters they heard, browse Singapore Courts — Cases & Judgments.
Methodology & disclaimer
This page explains the question factually from cited Singapore legislation, official public records and the reported Supreme Court court record. It describes how a process or requirement works in general; it does not tell any particular person what to do, is not a recommendation of any lawyer or firm, and is not legal advice. How a specific matter should be handled depends on its facts and is a question for a qualified lawyer.