Justice Ministers Raises Ceiling For Small Claims to £5000
Justice Minister Naomi Long has increased the upper limit for claims which can be heard in the small claims court.
This is a significant step up in the ceiling for claims particularly as the economy starts to move towards a recession and many people and businesses may find themselves in financial difficulties due to debts defaulting.
From today, the maximum value of a claims which can be heard in the small claims court increases from £3,000 to £5,000.
The increase was brought forward following consideration of responses to a public consultation on increasing the general civil jurisdiction of the county court.
Legal provision for the increase was made by in the County Courts (Financial Limits) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022 earlier this year, and comes into operation today.
Naomi Long said: “I am delighted that the maximum value of claims to the small claims court today increases from £3,000 to £5,000.
“I want the system for making civil claims to be as efficient as possible by ensuring that cases are heard in the right court setting, consistent with their complexity and relative value.
“The small claims court is designed to bring speedy resolution for citizens in lower value cases.
“Increasing the maximum financial value of claims which that court can hear helps to ensure a more accessible justice system, supporting litigants who may not otherwise wish to pursue a claim in the county court.”
The small claims court is a separate court within the County Court system presided over by a District Judge.
While it hears a range of civil claims, it excludes personal injury, road traffic injury claims, defamation (libel & slander), gifts made under a will, the ownership of land, or the property rights of married couples.
The small claims court is much more informal than the county court, and is designed to quickly bring resolution to issues between parties.
