How to read a judgment
Shows how a judgment is built and how to read one: the issue the court must decide, the facts it relies on, the law it states, the reasons that apply the law to the facts, remarks it makes without deciding the case, and the orders at the end, through short appeal judgments from different areas of law.
10 cases, read in order · Updated
Legal information from the judgments, not legal advice. Disclaimer
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Step 1: Nicholas Eng Teng Cheng v Government of the City of Buenos Aires
First comes the issue, the question to answer: the Court of Appeal asked which law decides whether a Singapore company's corporate veil is lifted (making its owner personally liable), held Singapore law, and allowed the director's appeal.
The central issue in this appeal was therefore which law should apply to determine whether HN Singapore’s corporate veil should be lifted.
From the judgment Which law decides whether a Singapore company's corporate veil can be lifted?
The law of incorporation, not the law of the contract. The Court of Appeal held Singapore law applied, found no basis to lift the veil, and allowed the director's appeal against personal liability.
Court of Appeal · 15 May 2024 · [2024] SGCA 15 · Read the case
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Step 2: Changi Airport Group (Singapore) Pte Ltd v Comptroller of Income Tax
Then the facts, and who found them: the Board of Review found an airport's runways, taxiways and aprons were structures, not plant, and the Appellate Division upheld that as a reasonable conclusion on the facts.
In sum, the decisions of the Board and the Judge below were reasonable conclusions applying the legal principles to the facts.
From the judgment Are an airport's runways, taxiways and aprons plant that qualify for capital allowances?
No, here. The Appellate Division held the Board of Review reasonably found them to be structures, the premises on which aircraft move rather than apparatus used in the trade, and dismissed the airport operator's appeal.
High Court (Appellate Division) · 25 September 2025 · [2025] SGHC(A) 20 · Read the case
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Step 3: DKT v DKU
Next, the law the court states: the Court of Appeal held a challenge to an arbitration award for unfair process (breach of natural justice) asks whether the tribunal analysed an issue at all, not how adequately, and upheld the award.
The inquiry is not directed at the adequacy of the tribunal’s analysis, but with the existence and fact of such analysis.
From the judgment Can an arbitral award be set aside because the tribunal dealt with a defence only briefly?
No, not by that alone. The Court of Appeal held the question is whether the tribunal considered a point at all, not how well, upheld the award, dismissed the appeal and awarded indemnity costs.
Court of Appeal · 21 May 2025 · [2025] SGCA 23 · Read the case
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Step 4: Builders Hub Pte Ltd v JP Nelson Equipment Pte Ltd
The reasons apply the law to the facts: the Appellate Division held an adjudication determination (a fast interim ruling on a building payment claim) stands unless affected by fraud, and as this was not, set aside a $155,160 reduction.
Under that scheme, an adjudication determination (whether original or upon review) has temporary finality and can only be set aside (or varied) if it is affected by the fraud.
From the judgment Can a court reduce an adjudication award for a contractor's fraud that did not affect the award?
No. The Appellate Division held an adjudication determination can only be set aside or varied if affected by fraud, so the reduction of $155,160 was wrong, and allowed the main contractor's appeal.
High Court (Appellate Division) · 18 September 2024 · [2024] SGHC(A) 28 · Read the case
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Step 5: Tan Huat Chan v Wu Lee Choo
Reasons can turn on a document's words: in an ex tempore judgment (given at the hearing), the Appellate Division held a divorce consent order did not limit selling the former spouses' home to mutual agreement, affirming the order for sale.
We do not think that cl 3(a)(3) can be interpreted to mean that Springside can only be sold by mutual agreement. The clause does not stipulate this.
From the judgment Does a divorce consent order dividing proceeds if both spouses agree to sell bar a court-ordered sale?
No, here. Finding no express term barring a sale without mutual agreement, the Appellate Division dismissed the husband's appeal and affirmed the sale; as the proceeds belong to the spouses, it discharged the wife's undertakings to bequeath them.
High Court (Appellate Division) · 13 May 2026 · [2026] SGHC(A) 15 · Read the case
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Step 6: GIL v Public Prosecutor
A decision can rest on two grounds, each enough: the Court of Appeal refused permission to refer a question of law on smartwatch evidence, finding no conflict of judicial authority and that the answer had not affected the outcome.
Having found that there was no conflict of judicial authority concerning the proper interpretation of s 116A(1) of the Evidence Act, and that in any event the determination of the Question did not affect the outcome of the case, we dismissed the applicant’s application for permission to refer the Question to the Court of Appeal.
From the judgment Does the Evidence Act presume that a smartwatch's record that its wearer was asleep is true?
No. The Court of Appeal held s 116A(1) presumes a working device accurately produced or communicated the record, not that its content is true, found no conflict of authority, and dismissed the permission application.
Court of Appeal · 6 May 2025 · [2025] SGCA 21 · Read the case
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Step 7: Ren Xinwu v Homing Holdings Pte. Ltd. (in liquidation) and another
An appeal court can agree for different reasons: the Court of Appeal dismissed a shareholder's appeal as his application was unnecessary, not on res judicata (no reopening decided matters) as the Judge held, and expressed no view on it.
In the circumstances, while we agreed with the Judge’s decision to dismiss the application, we did so for different reasons.
From the judgment Must liquidators require a court application before letting a shareholder use company documents?
No, here. The Court of Appeal held the liquidators had no reason to impose that condition and the application was unnecessary, so dismissed the appeal on different grounds from the judge, expressing no view on res judicata.
Court of Appeal · 16 July 2026 · [2026] SGCA 32 · Read the case
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Step 8: Priscilla Lim Suk Ling and another v Amber Compounding Pharmacy Pte. Ltd. and another
The reason that decides (the ratio) differs from remarks not needed to decide the case (obiter): the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal because a consent judgment limited the damages claimable, mooting both issues, then gave views on them anyway.
That being the case, the Narrow Issue, although correctly decided by the Judge, was rendered moot and the appeal was allowed on this basis.
From the judgment Can a claimant seek wrongful-loss damages when a consent judgment admits only use of its confidential information?
No. The Court of Appeal held the consent judgment, resting solely on admitted unauthorised use, limited the claimants to traditional damages for wrongful gain, and allowed the appeal.
Court of Appeal · 20 May 2024 · [2024] SGCA 16 · Read the case
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Step 9: Park Hotel Group Management Pte. Ltd. v Aw Eng Hai and others
Orders end the case: the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal in part, cutting $6,202,644.35 from a landlord's proof of debt (its liquidation claim) and allowing a fresh one, upheld the rest; each side bears its costs.
Given that the appellant has succeeded in only one of its grounds of appeal, we think it is appropriate for us to order that the appellant and the respondents are to bear their own costs of the appeal.
From the judgment Can a landlord prove for rent losses made worse by closing the hotel for a voluntary refurbishment?
No, here. The Court of Appeal held that loss was avoidable and allowed the appeal in part, expunging the net rent claimed for 1 January 2023 to 27 June 2023, with liberty to file a fresh proof.
Court of Appeal · 4 March 2026 · [2026] SGCA 9 · Read the case
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Step 10: Towa Corporation v Asmpt Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Two appeals, two orders: the Court of Appeal dismissed TOWA's appeal, allowed ASMPT's in part on one disputed cost item, had the experts work it out, left interest for the time before judgment alone and awarded ASMPT costs.
The parties’ experts shall jointly derive the quantum of the Contested Unclassified Costs.
From the judgment When are costs that cannot be traced to one product shared out in a patent damages assessment?
When such costs would rise with more sales of the product, they are allocated proportionally. The Court of Appeal allowed the infringer's appeal in part on that point and dismissed the patentee's appeal.
Court of Appeal · 22 November 2024 · [2024] SGCA 52 · Read the case