Simpler State Court process for civil claims
Claims involving amounts up to $60k will be resolved faster and cost less
Published on Jan 2, 2015 8:38 AM
By K. C. Vijayan Senior Law Correspondent
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The shake-up of the Family Court system may have been one of the most significant developments in the legal scene last year, but a much less-heralded move could well have a similar impact.
In November, the Supreme Court inserted a new Order 108 into the Rules of Court, which in essence prescribes how lawyers do their work in civil cases.
Order 108's main aim is to simplify the State Court process when dealing with civil claims involving $60,000 and less - and as a result, shorten the time it takes to resolve a case and, crucially, cut costs significantly.
Lawyer Mohandas Naidu said: "A $60,000 civil claim involving a three-day trial that could cost up to $25,000 can now be billed for less than $10,000 if settled promptly under the new rules."
