#129 I served court documents at a Tuas industrial site this morning.

I served court documents at a Tuas industrial site this morning. #129

No lawyers. No process servers. Just me navigating the system as an individual claimant.

What struck me wasn’t just the act of service — it was everything leading up to it.

Over the past few days, I visited both the Supreme Court and State Courts service bureaus. The officers were doing their best, but it was clear they were overwhelmed.

At the same time, some facilities appeared underutilised. There seems to be a mismatch between demand and allocation of resources.

I also tried to engage private process servers. Many services that previously existed are no longer available, or are now bundled with costly legal consultation packages. What used to be a straightforward service has become difficult for individuals to access.

For a system that encourages access to justice, the reality on the ground can be very different for self-represented litigants.

Some observations:

• Finding a process server is surprisingly difficult
• Clear guidance on personal service is limited
• Court processes assume a level of legal familiarity most individuals do not have
• Administrative bottlenecks add unnecessary friction

There is a clear gap here.

In an age where logistics, mobility, and on-demand services are well developed, it is worth asking:

Why is the process of serving legal documents still so difficult for individuals?

There may be an opportunity for innovation — whether through legal tech, structured process-serving networks, or even platform-based solutions.

Access to justice is not just about laws and courts.
It is also about how accessible the process is to ordinary people.

If individuals have to navigate this alone, then the system is not yet as accessible as it should be.