JUSTICE

Judiciary set to roll-out small claim courts next year

In Summary

• Justice Stephen Githinji said the courts will fasten access to justice by the public since they are fast, simple and inexpensive.

•He said the courts will not deal with criminal cases but only civil disputes.

Justice Daniel Musinga judge at the Court of Appeal
Justice Daniel Musinga judge at the Court of Appeal
Image: COURTESY

The Judiciary is set to roll out establishment of small courts in 2020.

These courts will specifically be dedicated to handle civil cases whose whose pecuniary value does not exceed Sh200, 000.

The court of appeal Judge  Justice Daniel Musinga on Tuesday said these courts will strive to resolve matters within a day and at most three days.

"The courts will be manned by people we call adjudicators who are simply advocates with at least three years experience in the judiciary," he said.

He said adjudicators will directly deal with only the parties involved without involvement of lawyers or advocates.

Musinga was speaking in Uasin Gishu County during a consultative forum on the dispensation of justice.

According to him, these courts will deal with civil cases faster than the current system.

"These courts will help reduce the backlog in the current judiciary system since the determination of disputes in the courts will be done within a day, at most three days," he said.

His sentiments were echoed by Justice Stephen Githinji, a judge at the High Court who said the courts will fasten access to justice by the public since they are fast, simple and inexpensive.

"We are targeting 150 cases in the high court and at least 50 in the lower courts. This will deal with maybe 25 percent of the backlog in the system," Githinji said.

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