Rivers State Judiciary Launches Small Claims Court

Rivers State Judiciary, in collaboration with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), has launched a small claims court in the state.

The small claims court would, among others, improve the speed of adjudication for commercial disputes involving financial claims under N5m by introducing self-representation and delivery of judgments within 60 days, among other transformative procedural rules.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President, Ease of Doing Business/PEBEC, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, stated that Rivers State Judiciary is the 8th state judiciary to establish specialised Small Claims Court within its magistracy.

She stated that other states with small claims court include Edo, Ekiti, Jigawa, Kano, Lagos, Nasarawa, and Ogun judiciaries.

Affirming his commitment to implementing more innovative reforms, the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon C. Amadi, DSSRS, stated that the establishment of the court is the latest in a host of judicial reforms being implemented by the state.

In her remarks, Oduwole expressed her appreciation to the Rivers State Judiciary for collaborating efficiently with the PEBEC Secretariat team on the delivery of this reform, which effectively delivers speedy access to justice for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises operating in the state.