Judicial Administration
Summary Court
The Summary Court exercises jurisdiction over a wide variety of civil and criminal
matters. Civil jurisdiction in monetary claims is limited by the amount of the claim,
which at present cannot exceed CI$20,000.
The Summary Court also hears affiliation, maintenance and domestic violence applications.
All criminal cases start in the Summary Court, with more serious cases being committed
to the Grand Court for trial on indictment. The Summary Court is empowered to impose
sentences of up to four years’ imprisonment, and in certain types of drug cases
this power is extended to 20 years or, on second or subsequent convictions, 30 years.
Customarily, there are three summary court sittings daily, one of which is usually
a traffic court where cases heard comprise mainly of traffic matters. The Summary
Court also sits as the Coroners Court when a Magistrate presides as coroner with
a jury.
Recent legislation created a Drugs Treatment Court jurisdiction within the Summary
Court where the emphasis will be upon the rehabilitation of abusers. This creation
as well as plans for a Family Court have emphasized the need to organize the work
of the Summary Court into divisions. In order to facilitate this and to better accommodate
the needs of the public coming before the Summary Court, there are now plans under
way for the relocation of this Court to a dedicated purpose built Court House away
from the Central Court House, on the out skirts of George Town.