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From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
The Cross River State Judiciary in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC, commenced a two-day training for magistrates and Court officials on the operations of the Small Claims Court.
The two-day training is aimed at exposing members of the bench to the operations of the court and the processes of adjudication to enhance justice delivery.
Speaking on the training, the state chief judge, Justice Akon Ikpeme said the state has gone far with the establishment of the SCC and that they have created a website and printed practice directions.
She explained that the trainees are expected to work hard, make monthly returns and fast-track small claims cases.
In her words, “Cases that lasted ten to fifteen years before are expected to be dispensed within sixty days particularly cases involving money liquidation.
“Justice has been brought closer to the doorsteps of the people as they do not need to go to the regular courts for small claims”, Justice Ikpeme said.
Speaking via Zoom during the training, Olaniyan Babayemi, a resource person said the SCC is a specialized tribunal.
He said it is also a global system which aims to provide quick, short and informal access to Justice.
Jaafar Shuaibu, a Reform Leader at PEBEC in his presentation said hearing in the SCC shall be from day to day and the entire hearing period shall not be more than 30 days from the first date of hearing including a seven day period for facilitating an amicable settlement of the dispute.
He also disclosed that the entire proceedings from filing till judgment shall not exceed 60 days and that time, speed and urgency are the pillars on which the SCC is predicated.
At least twenty magistrates and Court officials participated in the first day of the training.
The SABER programme is a performance-based intervention jointly implemented by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning and Secretariat of PEBEC.
