Magistrates Court (Civil) (Amendment) Rules, 2025 (No. 8)

These rules replace the tariff paragraphs in the Second Schedule to the Magistrates Court (Civil) Rules, 2018, setting new party-and-party costs in US dollars.

Part I, the fixed items, now allows US$5 for a demand; US$5 for a summons where the particulars of claim do not exceed one folio, with US$5 for each additional folio; US$5 for applying for and obtaining default judgment; US$10 for a warrant of execution, ejectment or arrest and a civil imprisonment summons; US$3 for an application for a garnishee order including the affidavit; US$5 per unit for attending court in civil imprisonment and garnishee proceedings and applications to suspend a warrant of arrest, excluding waiting time; and US$5 for any application not otherwise provided for.

In Part II, attendance by a legal practitioner is allowed at US$10 for each quarter hour, formal attendance by a practitioner at US$10 and by a practitioner's employee at US$5. Travelling and waiting time before, during or after attendance at court is US$10 a quarter hour, as is appearing in court, at an inspection in loco, during a trial or pre-trial conference, or on taxation.

Drafting any process, pleading, application, affidavit, instruction to another practitioner, witness statement, letter, bill of costs or other document is allowed at US$10 a folio, subject to a minimum of US$10 for a summons and US$10 for a plea or claim in reconvention.

The practical effect is a re-denomination of the civil costs tariff into US dollars at modest levels — relevant to any litigant recovering costs and to practitioners drawing bills in the magistrates court.