The Subordinate Courts Act, 2018

An Act to amend the Subordinate Courts Act. [11th April, 2018
ENACTED by the Parliament of Zambia
1. This Act may be cited as the Subordinate Courts
(Amendment) Act, 2018 and shall be read as one with the
Subordinate Courts Act, in this Act referred to as the principal Act. 2. Section 3 of the principal Act is amended by the deletion of
paragraph (a) and substitution therefor of the following:
(a) a Subordinate Court of the first class to be presided over
by a chief resident magistrate, principal resident
magistrate, senior resident magistrate, resident
magistrate or a magistrate of the first class. 3. Section 20 (1) of the principal Act is amended by the deletion
of—
(a) paragraph (a) and the substitution therefor of the
following:
(a) in all personal suits, whether arising from contract,
tort, or from both, where the value of the property,
debt or damage claimed, whether as balance of
accounts or otherwise is, where the court is
presided over by a—
(i) chief resident magistrate, not more than one
hundred thousand kwacha;
(ii) principal resident magistrate not more than
ninety thousand kwacha;
Subordinate Courts (Amendment) [No.

ot more than one
hundred thousand kwacha;
(ii) principal resident magistrate not more than
ninety thousand kwacha;
Subordinate Courts (Amendment) [No.

4 of 2018 95
Enactment
Short title
Amendment
of Section 3
GOVERNMENT OF ZAMBIA
ACT
No. 4 of 2018
Date of Assent: 9th April, 2018
Cap. 28
Amendment
of Section 20
Single copies of this Act may be obtained from the Government Printer,
P.O. Box 30136, 10101 Lusaka, Price K4.00 each.

Cap. 28
Amendment
of Section 20
Single copies of this Act may be obtained from the Government Printer,
P.O. Box 30136, 10101 Lusaka, Price K4.00 each.

(iii) senior resident magistrate, not more than
seventy thousand kwacha;
(iv) resident magistrate not more than fifty
thousand kwacha; and
(v) magistrate of the first class, not more than
thirty thousand kwacha;; and
(b) paragraph (c) and the substitution therefor of the
following:
(c) to hear and determine any action for the recovery
for land where—
(i) the value of the land in question is two
hundred thousand kwacha;
(ii) the rent payable in respect thereof does not
exceed the sum of fifty thousand kwacha
by the year; or
(iii) in case of a Subordinate Court presided over
by a chief resident magistrate, principal
resident magistrate or a senior resident
magistrate, the rent payable in respect
thereof does not exceed one hundred
thousand kwacha by the year. 4. The principal Act is amended by the deletion of section 21
and the substitution therefor of the following new section:
21. In civil causes and matters, a Subordinate Court of
the second class shall, within the territorial limits of its
jurisdiction, have all the jurisdiction conferred by section twenty
upon a Subordinate Court of the first class, subject to the
limitations contained in that Section.

ve all the jurisdiction conferred by section twenty
upon a Subordinate Court of the first class, subject to the
limitations contained in that Section.

(2) In civil causes and matters, a Subordinate Court of
the second class shall, subject to subsection (1), have
jurisdiction in personal suits, whether arising from contract,
tort, or from both, where the value of the property, debt or
damage claimed, whether as a balance of accounts or
otherwise, is not more than twenty-five thousand kwacha. 5. Section 22 of the princpal Act is amended by the deletion of
paragrah (a) and the substitution therefor of the following:
(a) in all personal suits, whether arising from contract or from
tort or from both, where the value of property or debt or
damage claimed, whether as balance of accounts or
otherwise, is not more than twenty thousand kwacha. 96 No. 4 of 2018] Subordinate Courts (Amendment)
Amendment
of Section 21
Amendment
of Section 22
Civil
jurisdiction
of
Subordinate
Courts of
second class