Blenwel Agencies now has to pay up 12 times the sum in legal costs - including $5,000 in costs - for bringing its case right up to the Court of Appeal.

The Appeals Court, explaining its reasons in a judgement released last week, reminded lawyers against bringing up such 'hopeless applications' in future.

Justifying the $5,000 in costs it put on Blenwel's tab, the court noted that the carpark operator had sought leave to appeal after its application for such leave had already been rejected by a district court and the High Court, and that the tab covered the work done by the motorist's lawyers in preparing for the appeal.

Judge of Appeal Andrew Phang, writing on the court's behalf, said Blenwel had already used up - unsuccessfully - two chances to apply for leave to appeal under the law, so lawyers needed to think seriously about 'adverse consequences' before advising their clients to take the route to the Appeals Court.

Blenwel's failure in the two lower courts set it back by $1,600 in costs, in addition to some $30,000 in legal fees for court hearings spanning three years.

Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.