Statute Details
- Title: Coroners (Remuneration of Assessors) Regulations 2010
- Act Code: CA2010-RG1
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Current Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026 (including the 2025 Revised Edition)
- Revised Edition: 2025 RevEd (2 June 2025)
- Original Commencement (as per provided timeline): 2 Jan 2011 (SL 797/2010)
- Authorising Act: Coroners Act 2010 (Sections 32 and 49 referenced in the extract)
- Key Provisions: Regulation 2 (Definitions); Regulation 3 (Remuneration); Regulation 4 (Transport allowance); Regulation 5 (Time for submission of claims); Regulation 6 (Discretion to disallow); Regulation 7 (Certification of remuneration)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Coroners (Remuneration of Assessors) Regulations 2010 set out the framework for paying assessors who assist a Coroner during an inquiry. In practical terms, the Regulations address a common administrative and fairness issue: how much an assessor is paid, what expenses may be reimbursed, and what procedural steps must be followed to obtain payment.
Under the Coroners Act 2010, a Coroner may appoint an assessor to assist in the hearing of an inquiry. The assessor’s role is to provide assistance to the Coroner—often by bringing expertise or assisting with aspects of the inquiry. These Regulations do not create the assessor role itself; instead, they regulate the remuneration process once an assessor has been appointed.
The Regulations are relatively compact. They establish a standard hourly rate (with a daily cap), allow a limited transport allowance, impose a deadline for submitting claims, give the authorising officer discretion to disallow unreasonable or unnecessarily incurred claims, and require certification once remuneration is approved. For practitioners, the key value of the Regulations lies in their procedural and financial constraints—particularly the maximum daily remuneration and the time limit for claims.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Definitions (Regulation 2). The Regulations define “assessor” as an assessor appointed under section 32 of the Coroners Act 2010 to assist a Coroner in the hearing of an inquiry. This is important because remuneration under the Regulations is tied to an appointment under the Act, not merely to informal participation. The Regulations also define “attendance in court” to include attendance with a Coroner in the hearing of an inquiry or at any pre-inquiry review. This definition expands the situations that can trigger remuneration beyond the formal hearing itself.
Finally, “authorising officer” is defined as the State Coroner or the Coroner hearing the inquiry for which the assessor was appointed. This matters because the authorising officer controls the approval and disallowance of claims and issues the certificate required for payment. In practice, the authorising officer is the gatekeeper for both the substantive assessment of remuneration and the administrative processing of claims.
Remuneration of assessors (Regulation 3). Regulation 3 is the core payment provision. It provides that an assessor is to be remunerated at the rate of $100 per hour or part of an hour for (i) attendance in court and (ii) work done to assist the Coroner in connection with an inquiry. The phrase “or part of an hour” is significant: it prevents underpayment where time is recorded in fractions and ensures that partial hours are still compensated at the hourly rate.
Regulation 3(1) also imposes a maximum of $700 per day. This daily cap applies to the remuneration described in paragraph (1), meaning that even if an assessor’s work or attendance spans many hours in a day, the total remuneration for that day cannot exceed $700. For counsel and assessors, this cap is often the decisive factor in budgeting and in advising on expected compensation.
Transport allowance (Regulation 4). In addition to the remuneration under Regulation 3, an assessor may be allowed a transport allowance. The allowance is described as a fixed sum for each day’s attendance in court, not exceeding $20, as the authorising officer thinks fit. Notably, the allowance is payable “regardless of the mode of transport actually used or the actual expense or charge incurred.”
This is a simplified reimbursement model. It does not require proof of actual travel costs. Instead, it gives the authorising officer discretion to determine a fixed amount up to the $20 ceiling. For practitioners, the key point is that the transport allowance is discretionary (within the cap) and is not necessarily tied to actual expenditure. Where an assessor travels from a place of stay in Singapore to the location where attendance is required, the allowance may be claimed for that day.
Time for submission of claims (Regulation 5). Regulation 5 imposes a strict procedural requirement: an assessor must submit a claim for remuneration (including transport allowance) to the authorising officer in any form the authorising officer may require, no later than 2 months after accrual of the claim. The Regulations do not define “accrual” in the extract, but in practice it generally refers to when the entitlement to remuneration arises (for example, when the attendance or work occurs). The two-month deadline is therefore a critical compliance point.
From a legal and administrative perspective, this deadline can affect whether payment is processed. If claims are submitted late, the authorising officer may refuse or disallow them, either directly under the claim process or indirectly by treating them as unreasonable or unnecessarily incurred. Counsel advising assessors should therefore treat the two-month period as a hard deadline and ensure timely submission.
Discretion of authorising officer to disallow claims (Regulation 6). Regulation 6 provides that the authorising officer may disallow any claim or part of any claim which, in the authorising officer’s view, is unreasonable or has been unnecessarily incurred. This is a broad discretionary power. It allows the authorising officer to scrutinise the amount claimed and the circumstances giving rise to the claim.
Because the Regulations already contain objective elements (e.g., $100 per hour and $700 per day; transport allowance not exceeding $20), the discretion in Regulation 6 likely targets issues such as excessive time claimed, lack of justification for work done, or travel/attendance patterns that the authorising officer considers unnecessary. For practitioners, this provision underscores the importance of maintaining proper records of attendance and work performed, and of presenting claims in a manner that aligns with the Regulations’ structure.
Certification of remuneration (Regulation 7). Once the authorising officer approves the remuneration to be paid, the authorising officer must issue a certificate certifying the sum to be paid to the assessor. This certification requirement is the formal administrative step that enables payment. It also provides an audit trail: the certificate confirms the approved amount and indicates that the authorising officer has exercised the approval function under the Regulations.
In practice, the certificate can be important for internal processing and for any subsequent queries about payment. It also reinforces that remuneration is not automatic; it is subject to approval and certification.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Regulations are structured as a short set of numbered regulations. They begin with Regulation 1 (Citation), followed by Regulation 2 (Definitions). The substantive payment rules are set out in Regulations 3 and 4 (remuneration and transport allowance). The procedural and administrative controls appear in Regulations 5 to 7: the deadline for submitting claims, the authorising officer’s discretion to disallow unreasonable or unnecessarily incurred claims, and the requirement to issue a certificate once remuneration is approved.
For practitioners, this structure is useful because it mirrors the lifecycle of payment: (1) identify the assessor and relevant attendance/work; (2) calculate remuneration and transport allowance within the statutory limits; (3) submit claims within the deadline; (4) expect scrutiny and possible disallowance; and (5) obtain certification for payment.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Regulations apply to assessors appointed under section 32 of the Coroners Act 2010 to assist a Coroner in the hearing of an inquiry. The remuneration regime is therefore limited to those who have been formally appointed as assessors for a Coroner’s inquiry. It does not extend to other participants, witnesses, or experts who may be involved informally.
They also apply to the authorising officer—the State Coroner or the Coroner hearing the inquiry—who must approve remuneration, decide whether to disallow claims, and issue the certificate certifying the approved sum. The authorising officer’s discretion under Regulation 6 is central to how claims are processed.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Although the Regulations are brief, they are operationally significant. Coroners’ inquiries can involve complex factual and procedural steps, and assessors may contribute substantial time and expertise. The Regulations provide a clear baseline for remuneration ($100 per hour or part of an hour) and a predictable daily maximum ($700 per day). This helps assessors understand their compensation and helps the administration manage costs.
From a compliance standpoint, the Regulations also impose practical obligations. The two-month deadline for submitting claims (Regulation 5) and the authorising officer’s discretion to disallow unreasonable or unnecessarily incurred claims (Regulation 6) mean that payment is not merely a matter of entitlement—it depends on timely and well-supported claims. Practitioners advising assessors should therefore focus on record-keeping (attendance and work performed) and on meeting the submission timeline.
Finally, the certification requirement (Regulation 7) is important for governance and auditability. It ensures that remuneration is approved and documented. In any dispute about payment, the certificate and the authorising officer’s decision-making process may be central to resolving issues about the approved amount.
Related Legislation
- Coroners Act 2010 (including provisions on appointment of assessors and the authorising framework referenced by the Regulations)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Coroners (Remuneration of Assessors) Regulations 2010 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.