TNAG-1449-FCO40-1953-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 296

Sir,

Speech by the Attorney General, Mr. Michael Thomas, Q.C.

Second Reading of Small Claims Tribunal

(Amendment) Bill 1986

12 March 1986

I move that the Small Claims Tribunal (Amendment)

Bill 1986 be read a second time.

2.

In

The Small Claims Tribunal was set up under an

Ordinance on 1 October 1976 as a court in which claims,

currently not exceeding $5,000, can be processed in a

quick and inexpensive manner. It has since proved its

value, both to individuals and to commercial concerns.

1983 the Chief Justice set up a Working Party to consider

the practice and procedure of the Tribunal. In its report

the Working Party recommended legislative amendments to

increase the jurisdiction of the Tribunal, to remove

the time limits for hearing a claim and to amend certain

other procedures of the Tribunal. This Bill seeks to

effect the necessary legislative amendments and at the

same time to make some minor amendments to the practice

and procedures of the Small Claims Tribunal.

3.

The Bill contains two principal proposals.

14.

First,