Monetary jurisdiction of Small Claims Courts set to increase
27 Feb 2019
The monetary jurisdiction of Small Claims Courts is set to be increased to R20 000 in 2019.
The deputy minister of justice and constitutional development, John Jeffery, announced this during an address at the KwaZulu-Natal Small Claims Court Workshop in Durban.
He added that the increase will be effective as from 1 April 2019.
The deputy minister holds the view that the “proposed increase is in the interest of access to civil justice and will further assist our people to have their legal matters resolved”.
He described Small Claims Courts as “seeking to improve access to justice and make civil justice inexpensive and accessible to those who cannot afford litigation in the ordinary civil courts”.
The deputy minister also announced that the Guidelines for Commissioners and Guidelines for Clerks have been finalised and will also come into force effective on 1 April 2019.
“The aim of the Guidelines is to try and assist with some of the issues that we know Commissioners and Clerks battle with on a daily basis, such as how the consumer protection legislation and National Credit Act impact on the work of the Small Claims Courts.”
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(This article is provided for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. For more information on the topic, please contact the author/s or the relevant provider.)