THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1977
OVER $5.5 MILLION AWARDED BY SMALL CLAIMS TRIBUNAL
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THE SMALL CLAIMS TRIBUNAL HAS AWARDED OVER $5.5 MILLION TO CLAIMANTS IN ITS FIRST ELEVEN MONTHS' OPERATION, ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED BY THE JUDICIARY.
SINCE ITS INCEPTION LAST OCTOBER, 5,802 CASES WERE RECEIVED, AND SO FAR 3,250 OF WHICH HAVE BEEN HEARD, SOME WERE WITHDRAWN OR SETTLED.
+ IN ITS EARLY DAYS, THE TRIBUNAL HANDLED SLIGHTLY OVER 100 CASES A MONTH, A SPOKESMAN OF THE JUDICIARY SAID, +NOW WE ARE HANDLING AN AVERAGE OF 500 CASES PER MONTH.+
CLAIMANTS IN THOSE DAYS WERE MAINLY INDIVIDUALS, BUT AS MORE PEOPLE BECAME AWARE OF THE SIMPLE AND INFORMAL PROCEDURE OF THE TRIBUNAL, THE WORKLOAD HAS INCREASED STEADILY.
+FIRMS AND LARGE COMMERCIAL ORGANISATIONS MAKING USE OF THE FACILITIES ARE BEGINNING TO SET A TREND, HE SAID.
THE TRIBUNAL HAS THE JURISDICTION OF HANDLING CLAIMS NOT EXCEEDING $3,000. CLAIMS DEALT BY IT VARIED FROM A FEW DOLLARS TO $3,000.
MOST OF THE CLAIMS INVOLVED ARE DISHONOURED CHEQUES, NON- PAYMENTS OF GOODS SOLD, HIRE-PURCHASE AGREEMENTS, BUILDING MANAGEMENT FEES, BORROWING NOTE AND NON-PAYMENT OF RATES.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED MOST OFTEN WERE LACK OF RELEVANT INFORMATION OF DEFENDANTS.
+ IN MANY CASES CLAIM FORMS AND NOTICE OF HEARING CANNOT BE SERVED ON THE DEFENDANTS BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO THE REGISTRY BY THE CLAIMANTS, HE ADDED.
HE SAID THAT RELEVANT AND ESSENTIAL INFORMATION OF DEFENDANTS IS NECESSARY TO ENABLE A QUICK CONCLUSION OF THE CASE.
THE HEARING AT THE TRIBUNAL IS INFORMAL AND IS CONDUCTED IN EITHER CHINESE OR ENGLISH. BOTH THE CLAIMANT AND THE DEFENDANT MUST ATTEND THE HEARING AT THE APPOINTED DATE, AND THEY MUST BRING ALONG THEIR WITNESSES OR DOCUMENTS IN SUPPORT OF THEIR CASE.
THOSE WISHING TO MAKE A CLAIM MUST FIRST OBTAIN A CLAIMS FORM FROM EITHER THE VICTORIA DISTRICT COURT OR THE KOWLOON DISTRICT COURT. OFFICERS FROM THE TRIBUNAL WOULD WILLINGLY OFFER ASSISTANCE TO EITHER PARTIES.
FEES FOR BRINGING THE PROCEEDINGS DEPEND ON THE AMOUNT OF CLAIM, BUT THE MINIMUM IS $5 AND THE MAXIMUM IS $20.
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