• An injunction is a court order issued for the purpose of restraining a defendant from doing an act. Injunctions are usually awarded where damages or monetary compensation from the defendant are insufficient to compensate the plaintiff. Injunctions can be used to stop the defendant from carrying out an act or to freeze the defendant’s assets.
• There are various types of injunctions issued by courts in Singapore, including final or perpetual injunctions, interim or interlocutory injunctions, prohibitory injunctions, mandatory injunctions, mareva injunctions and quia timet injunctions.
• In emergencies, interim injunctions may be obtained within several days to restrain the defendant’s actions. Courts may also grant a final injunction after judgement is reached.
• The plaintiff usually has to engage a lawyer to apply for an injunction on their behalf, because of the need to comply with the rules and procedures of the court.

The school applied to the court for three injunctions prior to the start of the trial in order not to disclose the names of the two students as well as that of the school. It also sought to have proceedings held in camera, and to seal all court documents and records. However, the latter two injunctions were rejected by the Deputy Registrar of the State Courts as current laws and legislation are sufficient to protect the children involved in the case, and redundant applications may violate the principle of open justice. (Lianhe Zaobao, 24/5/2020)

强制令 (Mainland China, Hong Kong), 法院指令 (Mainland China), 限制令 (Hong Kong)