Bauchi High Court to Establish 20 Small Claims Courts
The Bauchi State High Court has finalised plans to establish small claims courts in all 20 local government areas of the state to handle cases involving small contract businesses, unpaid rents, invoices, debts and other liquidated money demands.
The Chief Registrar of the Court, Fatima Abubakar, disclosed this on Tuesday, during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Bauchi.
She said the development follows the successes recorded by the three specialised courts piloted in Bauchi and Azare.
According to her, the initiative was as a result of the success recorded by three specialized courts previously established in Bauchi and Azare in 2022.
“These courts entertained claims from N1m to N3m, and it has accelerated proceedings where a litigant is free to represent himself without engaging a lawyer.
“The court procedure is being simplified from filing a case to judgment within sixty days. The courts have interpreters and filing fees subsidised,” she said.
Abubakar said the Judiciary in Bauchi state as at 2024 now has 17 high court judges and 35 Magistrates.
“The last number of high court judges was 12, but today we have 17, and nine additional Magistrates bringing the number to 35.”
According to her, the new judges were trained at the National Judicial Institute Abuja, while the Magistrates were trained in Bauchi, adding that they all moved to their permanent designated courts in the year under review.
“As of today, the Bauchi state government has renovated the twin court complex that houses eight high court halls. Also Magistrates’ courts two and three were renovated, currently, work is ongoing at the other courts, ” she said.
Abubakar commended the Bauchi state government for providing the enabling environment that strengthened the judicial process in the state.
