ASSESSMENT OF THE PLATEAU STATE SMALL CLAIMS COURT PROCEDURE AS A MECHANISM FOR QUICK DETERMINATION OF COMMERCIAL DISPUTES

Abstract

The need to secure speedy determination of cases bordering on debt recovery from commercial transactions has a long history. Quick, easy and non-complicated approach to the resolution of disputes undoubtedly promotes the ease of doing business. Globally, efforts have been made overtime to put the mechanism in place to address that need through procedural reforms and measures. The aim of this work is to assess the Plateau State Small Claims Court procedure encapsulated in the District Court Law Practice Direction, 2022. It then becomes pertinent to determine what the procedure seeks to achieve, how best the aspirations of the business community have been met by the law and the bottlenecks, if any, that litigants face. A doctrinal approach was adopted to undertake the study. The work finds that the small claims procedure is quite innovative and, if applied and implemented deliberately, it is capable of revolutionizing the ease of doing business. The work recommends the deployment of adequate personnel and infrastructure to make the court efficient and fully functional for quick disposal of cases pending before the court.