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1.
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Mr Rushford (Legal Advisers) Mr Crowson (HKIŎD) Mr Stuart HKIOD) -
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SMALL CLAIMS TRIBUNAL
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You will wish to see the memorandum at folio 11/7
below.
2. The memorandum seeks the approval of members of EXCO for the establishment of a Small Claims Tribunal. The purpose of the Tribunal, if set up, would be to settle disputes of a minor nature, ie the collection of small debts. The success of the Labour Tribunal in settling minor disputes over labour matters has obviously encouraged the Hong Kong Government to set up a Small Claims Tribunal.
3. A list of the types of claims that would be handled by the Tribunal are given at para 11 of the memorandum. It has been suggested that the monetary limit of jurisdiction of the proposed Tribunal would be set at HK$3,000. It is thought that the Tribunal would be able to handle about 20,000 cases per annum.
4.
The benefits to be gained by setting up a Tribunal are - it would cut the cost to litigants cut down the waiting time for a case to be heard and speed up the work of the District Courts by reducing the workload on them.
5. The establishment of the proposed Tribunal has the support of the Chief Justice, subject to the level of the post of Adjudicator (see para 21). The Law Society
and the Bar Association are also in favour.
29 July 1974
Ableton
A L Wotton
Hong Kong&Indian Ocean Department K 245 MA 668
A.R.R.
29.7-
LAST ENTRY.