By Malane Barlow

The Small Claims Court in Carnarvon was launched on 1 August 2008 and will go a long way towards improving access to justice for this community in the Northern Cape. The Mayor of the Kareeberg Municipality, the Office Manager of the Carnarvon Magistrates Court, a local pastor, members of the Carnarvon Small Claims Court’s Advisory Board as well as approximately 100 members of the local community were in attendance.

Deputy Director of Legal Administration; Mr Reyaad Motlekar representing the Regional Office, attended and addressed the audience. Mr Motlekar explained t the purpose of the Small Claims Court and how it would assist the community of Carnarvon.

Anyone except companies, corporations or associations may institute a claim at the court. This means ordinary community members in their private capacity may institute claims. These claims may not be for amounts more than R7000. An added benefit for communities is that no money is required before or during the proceedings which makes it more accessible to the public.

Further to this, the court procedures are informal and simple and no lawyer may appear on claimant’s behalf. Claimants can represent themselves, or have legal assistants or clerks of the small claims court assist them for free.

Mrs Tuis, the clerk of the Carnarvon Small Claims Court explained the procedure for instituting a claim.

This Launch is the second of its kind in the Northern Cape for the current financial year. The first launch was held in April in Victoria West and was also very successful.