News

Photo: The Straits Times

In the first three months of operations of Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals (CDRT), close to 30 “neighbours from hell” cases have been hauled to court to resolve ugly community spat.

Under the Community Disputes Resolution Act, the tribunals are bestowed powers to resolve neighbours disputes. Previously, Community Mediation Centre (CMC) served as the only resort people can turn to if they could not settle their disputes.

CDRT has jurisdiction on claims of up to $20,000. An Exclusion Order can also be applied to force the neighbour to move out of his home.

Photo: Stomp

An inconsiderate neighbour turns the common area into a private ‘chillax’ corner for friends’ gathering. They smoke and make noise at the common corridor till early hours in the morning for the past five years. The common area was even converted into a BBQ pit and fixed with fixture to hang their clothes.

Photo: Community Mediation Centre

26 mediators, equipped with the required experience and skills to handle disputes have been selected to handle cases ordered by Community Dispute Resolution Tribunals (CDRTs).

Neighbours who are excessively noisy or hard to live with can now be hauled to court if mediation fails to resolve the issues. Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals (CDRT) commence today, and it will empower judges in ordering an offender to pay damages of up to $20,000, or apologise to his neighbour.

Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) introduced a new approach that allow civilians, as community wardens to assist police in attending to noise complaints among residents. The new approach will be tested out in Tampines North and Boon Lay for six months as part of a new initiative under the Community Disputes Management Framework led by MCCY.

Neighbours with unresolved disputes can soon turn to a tribunal for help.

Parliament passed the Community Disputes Resolution Bill on Friday that allows a tribunal judge to order an offender to pay damages of up to $20,000, or apologise to his/her neighbour.

About 100 responses were received during the 6 weeks long (9 March to 21 April 2014) public consultation exercise on the proposed Community Dispute Management Framework.

Members of the public were consulted on the four key areas:

1. Encourage good neighbourliness and considerate behaviour
2. Role of the Government in improving the management of community disputes
3. Access to effective mediation in the community
4. Adjudication to resolve difficult disputes only where mediation has failed

Despite few participants highlighted formal mediation was not always effective, most respondents were supportive of informal mediation by grassroots leaders and formal mediation by the Community Mediation Centre to help resolve disputes.

Eleven individuals received Good Neighbour Awards on Saturday at a ceremony held by the Housing Development Board as part of HDB Community Week 2013.

The award recognises and honours residents who have gone through the extra mile for their neighbours. The recipients were selected from a pool of 2,500 nomination entries.