In Venetian Macau Ltd v Hu Yangning [2026] SGHC 180, Mr Justice Philip Jeyaretnam set aside the registration of a Hong Kong monetary judgment under the Reciprocal Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act 1959 (REFJA). The underlying claim derived from casino credit extended in Macau.
- Public Policy Threshold: The Court held that enforcing foreign judgment debts rooted in underlying gambling credit directly breaches Singapore’s statutory public policy. The availability of regulated local casino gambling does not displace the general statutory policy against enforcing credit-extended gambling obligations.
- Comity Subordinated: Statutory public policy bars under the REFJA override general common law principles of international comity, leaving foreign judgment creditors unable to enforce such awards against Singapore-sited assets.
- Source: Read Rajah & Tann's Singapore Foreign Judgment Enforcement Report.
- Source: Access Rajah & Tann's Singapore Foreign Judgment Enforcement Briefing.
Singapore: Public Policy Bar to Foreign Judgment Enforcement (Venetian Macau v Hu Yangning)