PEBEC, Rivers set up claims court for MSMEs

  The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), in partnership with the Rivers State judiciary, has launched a small claims court in Rivers for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The small claims court improves the speed of adjudication for commercial disputes involving financial claims under N5m by introducing self-representation and delivery of judgments within […]

 

The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), in partnership with the Rivers State judiciary, has launched a small claims court in Rivers for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The small claims court improves the speed of adjudication for commercial disputes involving financial claims under N5m by introducing self-representation and delivery of judgments within 60 days, among other transformative procedural rules, a statement by Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Special Adviser to the President, Ease of Doing Business, and PEBEC’s secretary, revealed.

She said, “Rivers State Judiciary is the eighth state judiciary to establish specialised small claims court within its magistracy, and joins Edo, Ekiti, Jigawa, Kano, Lagos, Nasarawa and Ogun states in this intervention.”

She added that, “While affirming his commitment to implementing more innovative reforms, the Chief Judge (CJ) of Rivers State, Honourable Justice Simeon C. Amadi, stated that the establishment of the court is the latest in a host of judicial reforms being implemented by the state judiciary.”

She expressed optimism that the partnership with the Rivers State Judiciary would effectively deliver speedy access to justice for MSMEs operating in the state.