How do 1,102 investors, who claim they have been duped into investing in a Ponzi scheme, bring an action in the Singapore courts? To many, the first thing to do would be to launch a class-action lawsuit against the respondents.
In Singapore, such “class-action” lawsuits operate differently from those in U.S. litigation. Traditionally, a group of litigants in Singapore with a common interest would have to band together to commence what is known as a “representative action,” pursuant to Order 15, Rule 12 of the Rules of Court (Cap 322, 2014 Rev Ed). The alternative would be for the litigants to each commence separate proceedings and later consolidate them into one single action.