A new court to handle cases of debts and other commercial related cases has been unveiled by the Bauchi State judiciary.
The court, named “Small Claims Court”, is set up to promote ease of doing business.
It was unveiled at the weekend by the state chief judge, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar, with three branches across the state to intervene in monetary transaction disputes under the Magistrates, Kawu Bala, Abdullahi Garba, and Zainab Shu’aibu.
Justice Umar said the successful operationalisation of the court largely depends on a functional and committed judicial committee under the chairmanship of Justice Mu’azu Abubakar.
“The Bauchi State Judiciary is starting this judicial intervention with three courts in which two will be situated in the Bauchi Judicial Division and one in the Katagum Judicial Division. The monetary jurisdiction of this court is a maximum of N3 million.”
Rabi said the intervention would be improved upon in order to ease accessibility to the courts across the 20 local government areas of the state.
To this end, she said the judicial committee had posted key support officials such as sheriff’s, bailiffs, clerks, registrars, among others, to the various courts, in addition to a website created for the High Court of Justice and a portal for the Small Claims Court hosted on the website.
“The profile page will be populated by historical information on Small Claims Court, copy of the Practice Directions No.2 of 2022 and handbook, location of each court, names and designation of each presiding judge, performance reports, copies of judgments and any other information the committee may prescribe from time to time”.
The Chief Judge further disclosed, “All necessary forms, summons and files have been printed. I can comfortably assure you that we are ‘good to go’” as she formally inaugurated the Small Claims Court of Bauchi state.
