Wee Soon Kim Anthony v The Law Society of Singapore: Review of Taxation of Costs
In Wee Soon Kim Anthony v The Law Society of Singapore, the High Court of Singapore reviewed an application to review the taxation of costs. Mr. Wee had made a complaint to the Law Society against two solicitors and later sought to claim costs for work allegedly done by another firm of solicitors, K.S. Chia Gurdeep & Param, in relation to an application and appeals. The court reduced the sum claimed by Mr. Wee under item 29 to $1,000 and ordered that he pay costs of the review which I fixed at $300.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
High Court1.2 Outcome
Sum claimed by Mr Wee under item 29 reduced to $1,000 and ordered that he pay costs of the review which I fixed at $300.
1.3 Case Type
Civil
1.4 Judgment Type
Grounds of Decision
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
The High Court reviewed the taxation of costs, reducing the disbursement claimed by Mr. Wee for work done by another firm due to insufficient justification.
1.7 Decision Date
2. Parties and Outcomes
| Party Name | Role | Type | Outcome | Outcome Type | Counsels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Law Society of Singapore | Respondent | Statutory Board | Review granted | Won | |
| Wee Soon Kim Anthony | Applicant, Appellant | Individual | Disbursement Claim Reduced | Partial | |
| Davinder Singh and another, proposed interveners | Third Party | Individual |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Woo Bih Li | Judge | Yes |
4. Counsels
| Counsel Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Goh Aik Leng Mark | Goh Aik Leng & Partners |
| Hri Kumar | Drew & Napier LLC |
4. Facts
- Mr. Wee complained to the Law Society against two solicitors.
- An Inquiry Committee recommended the complaint be dismissed.
- Mr. Wee applied for an order directing the Law Society to apply for a Disciplinary Committee.
- Solicitors applied to intervene in the originating summons.
- Mr. Wee filed a Bill of Costs claiming $25,000 for work done by K.S. Chia.
- Mr. Wee represented himself in the Application and appeals.
- Assistant Registrar taxed off $15,000 and allowed $10,000 for item 29.
5. Formal Citations
- Wee Soon Kim Anthony v The Law Society of Singapore, CA 600018/2001, [2003] SGHC 32
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Mr. Wee applied by way of Originating Summons No 37 of 2000 for an order under s 96(1) of the Legal Profession Act. | |
| K.S. Chia sent a letter to Goh Aik Leng & Partners regarding costs paid for work related to Civil Appeal No 600018 of 2001. | |
| High Court rendered decision. |
7. Legal Issues
- Taxation of Costs
- Outcome: The court reduced the disbursement claimed due to insufficient justification.
- Category: Procedural
- Fairness and Reasonableness of Costs Award
- Outcome: The court determined that the original sum awarded was not fair and reasonable given the vague information provided.
- Category: Substantive
8. Remedies Sought
- Review of Taxation of Costs
9. Cause of Actions
- No cause of actions
10. Practice Areas
- Litigation
11. Industries
- Legal Services
12. Cited Cases
| Case Name | Court | Affirmed | Citation | Jurisdiction | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No cited cases | |||||
13. Applicable Rules
| Rule Name |
|---|
| No applicable rules |
14. Applicable Statutes
| Statute Name | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| Legal Profession Act | Singapore |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Taxation of costs
- Disbursement
- Bill of costs
- Inquiry Committee
- Legal Profession Act
15.2 Keywords
- costs
- taxation
- legal profession
- singapore
- high court
17. Areas of Law
| Area Name | Relevance Score |
|---|---|
| Legal Profession Act | 90 |
| Costs | 85 |
| Taxation of Legal Costs | 75 |
| Civil Practice | 70 |
| Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility | 60 |
| Affidavits | 50 |
16. Subjects
- Civil Procedure
- Costs
- Legal Profession