Supreme Court gets much-needed relief

The signing of a ministerial order on January 15 by Justice Minister Mark Golding will result in many Jamaicans being redirected from the Supreme Court to the Resident Magistrate’s Court for civil claims.

Golding, who moved a resolution which received the approval of the Senate yesterday, noted that the current maximum limit of monetary jurisdiction of the RM court is civil matters is $250,000.

He said the current limits results in many relatively minor civil cases being brought in the Supreme Court, which stresses the capacity of that court to handle its case load.

He says it can also be more expensive, onerous and time-consuming for minor civil claims to the Supreme Court in Kingston.

Among the adjustments is for common-law claims to be increased to $1 million.

The ministerial order will also see the maximum value of a deceased's estate for probate and administration jurisdiction increased from $1.5 million to $3 million.

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