Budget 2026: New Bill to be tabled in 2026 to strengthen court powers in civil debt enforcement

[SINGAPORE] A new Bill will be tabled later in 2026 to simplify civil enforcement processes, giving courts greater powers to identify the assets of judgment debtors and introducing new enforcement modes to deter and punish non-compliance with court orders.

If passed, the new law will also create a new class of Civil Judgment Enforcement Officers, who will be regulated by a department under the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) and tasked with helping parties enforce civil judgments.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Law Eric Chua, who made the announcement during the ministry’s Committee of Supply debate on Monday (Mar 2), said that the aim of the new legislation is to make civil enforcement more effective, efficient and affordable.

“We received feedback that the time, effort and costs of enforcing judgments can be disproportionate to the judgment sum, leaving some judgments unenforced,” said Chua.

He added that the government has been consulting relevant stakeholders, including lawyers and the judiciary.