Golden Star Marine v Star Formula Marine: Breach of Contract & Sale of Goods
In a suit before the General Division of the High Court of Singapore, Golden Star Marine Pte Ltd (Plaintiff) sued Star Formula Marine Services Pte Ltd (Defendant) for breach of contract related to the sale of goods. The Defendant filed a counterclaim for services and goods sold to the Plaintiff. The court found in favor of the Plaintiff, awarding USD1,854,803.66 and SGD5,804.50, and dismissed the Defendant's counterclaim.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
General Division of the High Court1.2 Outcome
Judgment for Plaintiff
1.3 Case Type
Civil
1.4 Judgment Type
Judgment
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
Singapore court case involving Golden Star Marine and Star Formula Marine, addressing breach of contract and sale of goods, with a counterclaim.
1.7 Decision Date
2. Parties and Outcomes
| Party Name | Role | Type | Outcome | Outcome Type | Counsels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Star Marine Pte Ltd | Plaintiff | Corporation | Judgment for Plaintiff | Won | |
| Star Formula Marine Services Pte Ltd | Defendant | Corporation | Counterclaim Dismissed | Dismissed |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Lai Siu Chiu | Senior Judge | Yes |
4. Counsels
4. Facts
- Golden Star Marine sued Star Formula Marine for outstanding invoices.
- The parties had a long-standing business relationship and a contra arrangement for their accounts.
- A Vietnam Project was a 50:50 joint venture between the plaintiff and the defendant.
- Star Formula Marine unilaterally took over the Vietnam project, cutting out Golden Star Marine's share.
- Star Formula Marine raised a counterclaim for services and goods sold to Golden Star Marine.
- The court found Star Formula Marine's counterclaim to be unsubstantiated and fabricated.
- The court determined that the contra arrangement between the parties extended to the Vietnam Project.
5. Formal Citations
- Golden Star Marine Pte LtdvStar Formula Marine Services Pte Ltd, Suit No 11 of 2019, [2021] SGHC 98
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Vietnam Project initiated | |
| Memorandum of Agreement executed by RS Marine, Searights, and New Finley | |
| Novation Agreement dated | |
| Payment arrangement changed without Bernard's knowledge | |
| Meeting between Bernard and Martin | |
| Plaintiff demanded payment of outstanding invoices | |
| Suit filed | |
| Trial commenced | |
| Judgment reserved |
7. Legal Issues
- Breach of Contract
- Outcome: The court found that the defendant breached the contract.
- Category: Substantive
8. Remedies Sought
- Monetary Damages
9. Cause of Actions
- Breach of Contract
10. Practice Areas
- Commercial Litigation
11. Industries
- Marine
- Petroleum
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
- Marine gas oil
- MGO
- Vietnam Project
- Bareboat charter
- Contra arrangement
- Invoices
- Joint venture
15.2 Keywords
- Breach of contract
- Sale of goods
- Marine industry
- Singapore
- Commercial dispute
17. Areas of Law
| Area Name | Relevance Score |
|---|---|
| Breach of Contract | 75 |
| Contract Law | 70 |
| Commercial Law | 65 |
| Debt Recovery | 60 |
| Sale of Goods | 50 |
| Evidence | 40 |
| Remedies | 30 |
16. Subjects
- Commercial Transactions
- Sale of Goods
- Breach of Contract
- Debt Recovery