CNA Explains: Why are lawyers using so much paper for court cases in this digital day and age?

Printing costs in recent court cases ran into the thousands of dollars as hard copies are still required for some court proceedings.

Printing costs are expected to be a mainstay in court cases in Singapore, but they might go down as people become more tech-savvy. (Photo: iStock)

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SINGAPORE: Even in an era of electronic filing and artificial intelligence-enabled courtrooms, Singapore law firms are still racking up thousands of dollars in printing bills, with the recent Bloomberg defamation case running a printing tab of more than S$35,000 (US$27,500).

In another recent case, Prudential Assurance Company Singapore, which won a suit brought by a woman seeking a payout for brain surgery , is asking for more than S$8,000 in disbursements from the woman, according to documents seen by CNA.

This includes around S$3,000 in fees for printing-related charges.

Such costs are usually sought by the winning party against the losing party in civil suits as part of disbursements - a set of fees for miscellaneous expenses like filing, postage and transport.

But why are printing costs still a regular feature in a digital-first world where local courtrooms are embracing technology? CNA speaks to lawyers to find out.

Are high printing costs routine?

High printing costs are routine particularly in document-heavy litigation cases, said Mr Jonathan Tan, partner of dispute resolution at Withers KhattarWong.

Although the Singapore Court system has embraced the use of technology and electronic hearing bundles, hard copies are still required for certain matters such as appeals, he said.

Hearing bundles are compilations of court documents that are used or referenced during court hearings, trials and appeals. These comprise written submissions, legal authorities, affidavits, expert reports and other documentary evidence, said Mr Tan.

Printing is routinely one of the main disbursements sought by parties, said Mr Ng Yuan Siang, a former associate director with Eugene Thuraisingam LLP, who is currently taking a break from practice.

Mr Kanthan Raghavendra, a senior associate from Kalidass Law, said that while printing was a familiar item in disbursements, he did not describe high printing charges as routine.

He said disbursements cover a much wider range of case expenses such as filing fees, translation and expert fees.

"It is important to look at the printing item separately rather than assume a large disbursement total reflects a large amount spent on paper," he said.

How high can printing costs run?

Mr Ng said printing costs for straightforward pre-trial applications are usually in the range of high double digits to the low hundreds.

Less complex trials or pre-trial applications would range from hundreds to low thousands, while complex trials incur printing costs in the range of thousands, he said.

Mr Tan said the range can be extremely broad and there is no meaningful average as printing costs vary significantly from case to case.

However, he said they can run into tens of thousands of dollars in large commercial trials or appeals because of the sheer volume of documents involved.

Cases with the highest printing costs usually involve disputes where the evidence spans a long period of time, said Mr Tan.

This includes emails and WhatsApp messages over several years or financial records such as pay slips, invoices and supporting documents.

Mr Raghavendra said he has seen over S$200,000 in total disbursements for "exceptionally substantial litigation", which includes expenses beyond printing.

This case was a lengthy civil case with multiple parties and substantial affidavits, exhibits, submissions, authorities and hearing bundles.

"The charges accumulated because lengthy documents were reproduced in several sets. It illustrates how printing can become a significant item in an exceptional case, even though the charge per page is modest," said Mr Raghavendra, adding that this is not typical of litigation today.

What needs to be printed?

Although the use of electronic hearing bundles by lawyers and the court are increasingly common, hard copies of hearing bundles are still required for certain types of hearings, said Mr Tan.

Judges and lawyers sometimes prefer to refer to and work off hard copies, he added.

Mr Ng said there are typically agreed bundles for criminal trials, containing evidence that both sides have admitted to by agreement.

If either party wishes to add any further documentary exhibits, at least four to five hard copies of each document or bundle are generally required, he said.

These are for the judge, for the lawyers printing them, for opposing counsel, for the witness and for the interpreter if there is one, said Mr Ng.

At the end of a trial, written closing and reply submissions also need to be printed and exchanged, he added.

Mr Ng said the practice directions themselves require hard copies in "many cases".

However, Mr Raghavendra said not everything filed in a case generally needs to be printed.

Why is there still a need for printing given the courts' digitalisation?

Mr Ng said that while the courts have an e-filing system that handles filings, trials and other types of hearings still run largely on paper.

"During a trial, many judges and counsel prefer marking up physical bundles, and witnesses are referred to hardcopy documents in the witness box," he said.

"Multiple copies of the same documents are needed to ensure that everyone is literally on the same page, which matters especially in complex trials when the documents can get voluminous."

Mr Ng added that many lawyers, especially more senior ones, prefer to work with hard copies, as flipping physical tabs is generally faster and more reliable than using a PDF.

However, he said some lawyers have turned to softcopy solutions such as LiquidText - an editing application touted as "better than paper" - and some lawyers "swear by it".

Mr Raghavendra said printing has "fallen substantially".

"I now generally attend court with a laptop rather than a physical case file," he said.

However, taking a digital case file for a simple mention or case conference that spans mere minutes is a different setting from a trial which can go on for days.

"A hard copy may still be required by a direction or useful when a witness, an unrepresented person or a client needs to follow a particular document," said Mr Raghavendra.

Does the type of court matter?

Mr Raghavendra said a criminal matter in the State Courts generally features limited printing before trial.

At trial, particular documents may be required in hard copy form for a witness, an unrepresented person or the court.

A civil suit in either the State Courts or the High Court may involve more extensive affidavits, exhibits, submissions and hearing bundles, although these are increasingly prepared electronically, said Mr Raghavendra.

"The applicable procedure, directions or preferences for the specific hearing may determine what must be supplied in hard copy," he said.

Mr Tan said High Court cases do not necessarily require more printing than a case in the State Courts.

However, cases in the High Court often involve higher-value and more complex disputes, which can mean a more comprehensive documentary trail adduced as evidence and therefore increased printing costs, said Mr Tan.

Mr Ng said documents for a complex trial in the State Courts could rival a High Court trial in terms of the volume of documents.

Who prints the documents?

Mr Raghavendra said printing is generally done in-house at his firm, although a reliable printing provider close to the office might be tapped on by firms when a large bundle needs to be produced quickly.

Mr Ng concurred that most of the printing at his law firm was done in-house, while the more complex or voluminous documents were outsourced.

Mr Tan similarly said modest printing jobs are undertaken by his firm.

However, each lawyer or law firm may have their own preferred printers for large-volume printing, he said.

He said Withers KhattarWong regularly works with several sets of external printers they have built up relationships with.

These printers are familiar with the law firm's requirements and working style, he said.

Will printing costs remain a feature of disbursements?

Printing costs will remain a feature of disbursements where hard copies are reasonably needed, but Mr Raghavendra said he expects the amounts to continue declining.

"Courts, lawyers and clients increasingly use electronic documents. Printing is becoming more targeted to a particular hearing or person, rather than a routine exercise of reproducing the whole file," he said.

Mr Tan said printing costs will continue to be a mainstay but the need for hard copies will decline as digital literacy and technology fluency grow.

Mr Raghavendra stressed that the distinction between billing a client and recovering costs from another party matters.

For costs orders in civil cases, lawyers may prepare a breakdown of filing fees, photocopying, binding and other expenses but if the amount cannot be agreed on, the court can determine it.

It does not follow that every expense is recoverable in full, he said.

Mr Tan said that while large printing figures can be eye-catching, they are often a reflection of the scale and complexity of the litigation, rather than the cost of producing paper alone.

"In major commercial disputes, the volume of evidence can be enormous, and the key question is generally whether the costs were reasonably incurred and proportionate to the needs of the case," he said.

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最近的一些法庭案件中，由于某些法庭程序仍然需要纸质副本，印刷费用高达数千美元。

预计打印成本仍将是新加坡法庭案件的主要支出，但随着人们科技素养的提高，这一成本可能会下降。（图片：iStock）

这段音频是由人工智能工具生成的。

新加坡：即使在电子归档和人工智能法庭时代，新加坡律师事务所仍然要支付数千美元的打印费用，最近的彭博诽谤案的打印费用就超过了 35,000 新元（27,500 美元）。

据 CNA 看到的资料显示，在另一起近期案件中，新加坡保诚保险公司赢得了一名女性提起的脑部手术赔偿诉讼，该公司要求该女性支付超过 8000 新元的支出。

这其中包括约 3000 新元的印刷相关费用。

在民事诉讼中，胜诉方通常会向败诉方索要此类费用，作为诉讼支出的一部分——诉讼支出包括申请费、邮资和运输费等杂项费用。

但在一个数字化优先、地方法庭纷纷拥抱科技的时代，为什么印刷成本仍然是一项常规支出？CNA采访了多位律师，以找出答案。

高昂的印刷成本是常态吗？

Withers KhattarWong 律师事务所争议解决合伙人 Jonathan Tan 表示，高昂的打印成本是常态，尤其是在文件繁多的诉讼案件中。

他表示，虽然新加坡法院系统已经接受了使用技术和电子听证卷宗，但某些事项（例如上诉）仍然需要纸质文件。

谭先生表示，庭审卷宗是法庭听证、审判和上诉过程中使用或引用的法庭文件汇编，包括书面陈述、法律依据、宣誓书、专家报告和其他书面证据。

曾任 Eugene Thuraisingam LLP 副董事的 Ng Yuan Siang 先生表示，印刷费用通常是各方寻求的主要支出之一，他目前已暂停执业。

Kalidass Law 的高级合伙人 Kanthan Raghavendra 先生表示，虽然印刷费用是支出中的常见项目，但他并不认为高额印刷费用是例行公事。

他表示，支出涵盖了更广泛的案件费用，例如立案费、翻译费和专家费。

他说：“重要的是要单独看待印刷项目，而不是假设支出总额大就意味着纸张支出大。”

印刷成本究竟能高到什么程度？

吴先生表示，简单的审前申请的印刷成本通常在两位数到几百元之间。

他说，不太复杂的审判或审前申请的印刷费用在几百到几千美元之间，而复杂的审判则会产生数千美元的印刷费用。

陈先生表示，印刷成本的范围可能非常广泛，没有有意义的平均值，因为印刷成本因具体情况而异。

然而，他表示，在大型商业审判或上诉中，由于涉及的文件数量庞大，费用可能高达数万美元。

谭先生表示，印刷成本最高的案件通常涉及证据跨越较长时间的纠纷。

这包括数年的电子邮件和 WhatsApp 消息，或工资单、发票和证明文件等财务记录。

拉加文德拉先生表示，他已看到超过 20 万新元的支出，用于“金额异常巨大的诉讼”，其中包括印刷以外的费用。

这是一起旷日持久的民事案件，涉及多方当事人，并有大量的宣誓书、证据、陈述、权威资料和庭审卷宗。

拉加文德拉先生表示：“费用累积的原因是篇幅较长的文件需要复印多份。这说明，即使每页的费用不高，在特殊案件中，印刷费用也可能成为一项重要的支出。”他还补充说，这种情况在当今的诉讼中并不常见。

需要打印哪些内容？

谭先生表示，虽然律师和法院使用电子听证卷宗的情况越来越普遍，但某些类型的听证会仍然需要纸质听证卷宗。

他还补充说，法官和律师有时更喜欢参考纸质文件并根据纸质文件开展工作。

吴先生表示，刑事审判通常会有双方同意的证据包，其中包含双方都认可的证据。

他说，如果任何一方希望增加任何其他书面证据，通常至少需要每份文件或文件包的四到五份纸质副本。

吴先生说，这些文件是给法官、打印文件的律师、对方律师、证人和翻译人员（如果有的话）准备的。

他还补充说，审判结束后，还需要打印并交换书面结案陈词和答辩状。

吴先生表示，实践指南本身在“很多情况下”需要纸质版本。

不过，拉加文德拉先生表示，并非案件中提交的所有材料都需要打印出来。

鉴于法院已经数字化，为什么仍然需要印刷？

吴先生表示，虽然法院有电子归档系统来处理归档，但审判和其他类型的听证会仍然主要依靠纸质文件进行。

他说：“在审判过程中，许多法官和律师更喜欢在纸质卷宗上做标记，证人也会在证人席上看到纸质文件。”

“需要多份相同的文件副本，以确保每个人都完全理解同一份文件，这在复杂的审判中尤为重要，因为文件数量可能非常庞大。”

吴先生补充说，许多律师，尤其是资深律师，更喜欢使用纸质文件，因为翻阅纸质标签通常比使用 PDF 文件更快、更可靠。

不过，他表示，一些律师已经转向使用 LiquidText 等软拷贝解决方案——这是一款被誉为“比纸质文件更好”的编辑应用程序——一些律师“对它赞不绝口”。

拉加文德拉先生表示，印刷业“大幅下滑”。

他说：“我现在通常带着笔记本电脑而不是纸质案卷出庭。”

然而，将数字案件档案用于简单的提及或案件会议（通常只需几分钟）与可能持续数天的审判是不同的情况。

拉加文德拉先生说：“指示可能仍然要求提供纸质副本，或者当证人、没有律师代表的人或客户需要遵循特定文件时，纸质副本也很有用。”

法院类型重要吗？

拉加文德拉先生表示，在州法院审理的刑事案件中，审判前通常只有有限的印刷记录。

审判时，证人、未聘请律师的人或法庭可能需要特定文件的纸质副本。

拉加文德拉先生表示，无论是在州法院还是高等法院，民事诉讼都可能涉及更广泛的宣誓书、证据、陈述和听证会材料，尽管这些材料越来越多地以电子方式准备。

他说：“具体听证会的适用程序、指示或偏好可能会决定哪些材料必须以纸质形式提供。”

陈先生表示，高等法院的案件并不一定比州法院的案件需要更多的印刷材料。

谭先生表示，高等法院的案件通常涉及金额更大、争议更复杂的案件，这意味着需要提供更全面的书面证据，因此印刷成本也会增加。

吴先生表示，国家法院复杂审判的文件数量可能与高等法院审判的文件数量不相上下。

谁负责打印文件？

拉加文德拉先生表示，他的公司通常自行印刷，但当需要快速制作大量文件时，公司可能会选择办公室附近可靠的印刷供应商。

吴先生也表示，他所在律师事务所的大部分打印工作都是内部完成的，而更复杂或数量庞大的文件则外包出去。

陈先生也表示，他的公司承接一些规模较小的印刷业务。

但他表示，每个律师或律师事务所可能都有自己偏好的大批量打印供应商。

他表示，Withers KhattarWong 经常与他们建立合作关系的几家外部印刷商合作。

他说，这些打印机熟悉这家律师事务所的要求和工作方式。

印刷成本是否会继续计入支出？

印刷成本仍将是合理需要纸质副本的支出项目的一部分，但拉加文德拉先生表示，他预计这些金额将继续下降。

他说：“法院、律师和客户越来越多地使用电子文档。打印工作也变得更加有针对性，针对特定的听证会或个人，而不是例行公事地复制整个文件。”

陈先生表示，印刷成本仍将是主要因素，但随着数字素养和技术熟练程度的提高，对纸质印刷品的需求将会下降。

拉加文德拉先生强调，向客户收费和向另一方追回费用之间的区别很重要。

对于民事案件的费用裁定，律师可以准备一份列明立案费、复印费、装订费和其他费用的明细清单，但如果金额无法达成一致，则由法院裁定。

他说，这并不意味着每一笔费用都能全额收回。

谭先生表示，虽然大额印刷费用可能引人注目，但这通常反映的是诉讼的规模和复杂性，而不是单纯的纸张生产成本。

他说：“在重大商业纠纷中，证据的数量可能非常庞大，关键问题通常是费用是否合理产生，是否与案件的需要相称。”

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