Low Hop Bing JCA:

Appeal

[1] The parties herein are referred to in their respective capacities in the High Court.

[2] This appeal lodged by the plaintiff revolves around two orders made by two learned judicial commissioners (JC1 and JC2). The order made by JC2 purports to amend JC1's order which has previously been approved, sealed and perfected by the learned registrar.

Factual Background

[3] Pursuant to an alleged breach of agreement (relating to rubber land) by the defendants, the plaintiff filed an action against the defendants, praying for, inter alia, an injunction.

[4] The plaintiff then applied, vide summons in chambers in encl. (3), for an ex parte injunction. Prayer (1) of the plaintiff's application ("prayer (1)") in encl. (3), where relevant, merits reproduction below:

1. Satu injunksi terhadap Defendan-Defendan supaya dengan ini dihalang daripada mengambil apa-apa langkah di dalam apa-apa cara pun dan melalui apa-apa bentuk sama ada melalui sendiri satu melalui kakitangan dan/atau agennya untuk memasuki satu kontrak dengan dan/atau membenarkan mana-mana pihak selain daripada Plaintif untuk menebang dan/atau menoreh dan/atau melupuskan pokok-pokok di ladang tersebut;

Our Translation

1. An injunction against the Defendants who are hereby restrained from taking any step in any manner whatsoever and howsoever, whether personally or by their employees and/or agents, to enter into any contract with and/or permitting any party, other than the Plaintiff, to fell and/or to tap and/or to dispose of the trees in the estate;

[5] The ex parte application was opposed. Upon hearing counsel, on 26 June 2006, JC1 granted an ad interim (one-month) injunction in favour of the plaintiff to hold over until the hearing of encl. (3) on 26 July 2006. At p. 121 of the appeal record, JC1's notes of proceedings ("the minutes"), where relevant, read as follows:

Nothing to be done on the related land until Enclosure 3 is disposed.

Undertaking as to damages.

(H) 26/7/06 at 9.30am.

Written submission.

[6] Based on the above minutes, the plaintiff's solicitor drafted the order in accordance with prayer (1).

[7] When the plaintiff's solicitors sent the draft order to the defendant's solicitors for approval, defendants' solicitors made amendments thereto, so as to read, where relevant, as follows:

1. Satu injunksi secara interim diberikan supaya kedua-dua pihak Plaintiff and Defendan-defendan dihalang daripada menebang, melupuskan atau menoreh pokok-pokok getah di atas hartanah yang relevan sehingga 26.7.2006 iaitu tarikh perbicaraan permohonan Lampiran 3.

(Our Translation

1. An interim injunction be granted whereby the Plaintiff and the Defendants are restrained from felling, disposing of or tapping the rubber trees on the relevant land until 26.7.2006 ie, the date of hearing of the application in Enclosure 3.)

[8]Vide letter dated 4 July 2006, the plaintiff's solicitors forwarded the draft order, as amended, to the learned registrar for approval.

[9] The order which the registrar subsequently approved, sealed and perfected on 27 June 2006 ("the sealed order") appears at pp. 147 and 148 of the appeal record, and, where relevant, reads as follows:

1. Satu injunksi terhadap Defendan-defendan supaya dengan ini dihalang daripada mengambil apa-apa langkah di dalam apa-apa cara pun dan dihalang daripada melalui apa-apa bentuk sama ada melalui sendiri atau melalui kakitangan dan/atau agennya untuk memasuki satu kontrak dengan dan/atau membenarkan mana-mana pihak selain daripada Plaintif untuk menebang, melupuskan atau menoreh pokok -pokok getah di atas hartanah tersebut sehingga permohonan Lampiran 3 di dengar dan diputuskan.

Our Translation

1. An injunction against the Defendants who are hereby restrained from taking any step, in any manner whatsoever and howsoever, whether personally or by employees and/or agents, to enter into any contract with and/or permitting any party other than the Plaintiff to fell, dispose of or tap the rubber trees o