Ong Jane Rebecca v PricewaterhouseCoopers: Striking Out Application & Procedural Compliance
In Ong Jane Rebecca v PricewaterhouseCoopers and others, the High Court of Singapore addressed an appeal regarding the striking out of portions of the plaintiff's claim. The plaintiff, Ong Jane Rebecca, sued PricewaterhouseCoopers and a firm of solicitors for alleged negligence. The third defendant applied to strike out parts of the claim, which was rejected by the assistant registrar for being filed out of time. Choo Han Teck J dismissed the appeal, emphasizing the importance of adhering to procedural rules and allowing the third defendant to apply for an extension of time.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
High Court1.2 Outcome
Appeal dismissed. The third defendant was at liberty to apply for an extension of time to file his application to strike out those paragraphs he wish to have struck out.
1.3 Case Type
Civil
1.4 Judgment Type
Grounds of Decision
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
Ong Jane Rebecca sues PricewaterhouseCoopers for negligence. The court addresses the striking out application and emphasizes procedural compliance.
1.7 Decision Date
2. Parties and Outcomes
| Party Name | Role | Type | Outcome | Outcome Type | Counsels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ong Jane Rebecca | Plaintiff | Individual | Appeal Dismissed | Lost | |
| PricewaterhouseCoopers | Defendant | Corporation | Application to Strike Out Upheld | Won | Sylvia Tee |
| PricewaterhouseCoopers | Defendant | Limited Liability Partnership | Application to Strike Out Upheld | Won | Sylvia Tee |
| Third defendant | Defendant | Other | Application to Strike Out Rejected | Lost | Chandra Mohan s/o Rethnam, Gillian Hauw Hui Ying |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Choo Han Teck | J | Yes |
4. Counsels
| Counsel Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Sylvia Tee | Allen & Gledhill LLP |
| Chandra Mohan s/o Rethnam | Rajah & Tann LLP |
| Gillian Hauw Hui Ying | Rajah & Tann LLP |
4. Facts
- Plaintiff sued her former husband in 1991 for fraudulent transfer of assets.
- The first defendant was engaged as the plaintiff's expert in the 1991 proceedings.
- The third defendant acted for the plaintiff in proceedings in 2004 and 2005.
- The plaintiff's statement of claim is 271 pages long.
- The third defendant applied to strike out parts of the plaintiff's claim.
- The striking out application was filed out of time.
- The assistant registrar rejected the striking out application.
5. Formal Citations
- Ong Jane Rebecca v PricewaterhouseCoopers and others, Suit No 156 of 2006 (Registrar's Appeal No 158 of 2011), [2011] SGHC 146
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Plaintiff sued her former husband and his mother. | |
| Third defendant acted for the plaintiff in previous proceedings. | |
| Third defendant acted for the plaintiff in previous proceedings. | |
| Plaintiff commenced Suit No 156 of 2006. | |
| Deadline for filing striking out applications. | |
| Third defendant filed application to strike out. | |
| Pre-trial conference held before the assistant registrar. | |
| Decision date. |
7. Legal Issues
- Striking Out Application
- Outcome: The court held that the application to strike out was properly rejected due to non-compliance with filing deadlines.
- Category: Procedural
- Sub-Issues:
- Filing deadlines
- Extension of time
- Compliance with court orders
- Negligence
- Outcome: The court did not make a determination on the merits of the negligence claim.
- Category: Substantive
8. Remedies Sought
- Monetary Damages
9. Cause of Actions
- Tort
- Contract
- Negligence
10. Practice Areas
- Litigation
11. Industries
- Accounting
- 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 |
|---|---|
| No applicable statutes | |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Striking out
- Pre-trial conference
- Extension of time
- Statement of claim
- Frivolous and vexatious
- Rules of Court
- Registrar's appeal
15.2 Keywords
- Striking out application
- Civil procedure
- Negligence
- Singapore High Court
- PricewaterhouseCoopers
- Ong Jane Rebecca
16. Subjects
- Civil Litigation
- Procedure
17. Areas of Law
- Civil Procedure
- Tort Law
- Contract Law