The Subordinate Courts (Amendment) Act, 2023

An Act to amend the Subordinate Courts Act.
[26th December, 2023
ENACTED by the Parliament of Zambia.
1. This Act may be cited as the Subordinate Courts
(Amendment) Act, 2023 and shall be read as one with the
Subordinate Courts Act, in this Act referred to as the principal
Act.
2. The principal Act is amended by the insertion of the
following new section immediately after section 3:
3A. The Subordinate Court shall consist of the following
divisions:
(a) General Division;
(b) Economic and Financial Crimes Division;
(c) Gender Based Violence Division;
(d) Roads and Road Traffic Offences Division;
(e) By-Law Breaches Division; and
(f) any other division as the Chief Justice may, by
statutory instrument, prescribe.
Enactment
Short title
Cap. 28
Insertion of
section 3A
[No. 23 of 2023 407Subordinate Courts (Amendment)
Divisions of
Court
GOVERNMENT OF ZAMBIA
ACT
No. 23 of 2023
Date of Assent: 22nd December, 2023
Single copies of this Act may be obtained from the Government Printer,
P.O. Box 30136, 10101 Lusaka, Price K 4.00 each.

of Assent: 22nd December, 2023
Single copies of this Act may be obtained from the Government Printer,
P.O. Box 30136, 10101 Lusaka, Price K 4.00 each.

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
does not exceed an amount as may be
prescribed by rules of court;; and
(b) paragraph (c) and the substitution therefor of the
following:
(c) to hear and determine any action for recovery
of land where the value of the land in
question and the rent payable in respect of
that land does not exceed an amount as may
be prescribed by rules of court. 4. Section 21 of the principal Act is amended by the deletion
of subsection (2) and the substitution therefor of the following:
(2) Despite subsection (1), in civil causes and matters,
a Subordinate Court of the second class shall 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, does not exceed an amount as may be prescribed
by rules of court. 5.

property, debt or
damage claimed, whether as a balance of accounts or
otherwise, does not exceed an amount as may be prescribed
by rules of court. 5.

Section 22 of the principal Act is amended by the deletion
of paragraph (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, does not exceed an amount as
may be prescribed by rules of court. 6. The principal Act is amended by the insertion of the
following new section immediately after section 25:
25A. The Chief Justice may, by statutory order, appoint
the time at which sessions shall be held in the Subordinate
Courts. Amendment of
section 20
Amendment of
section 21
Amendment
of section 22
Insertion of
section 25A
Time of
sessions
408 [No. 23 of 2023 Subordinate Courts (Amendment)