State Courts Act 1970
Table of Contents
Long Title
Part 1 PRELIMINARY
1 Short title
2 Interpretation
Part 2 CONSTITUTION
3 State Courts
4 Constitution of State Courts
5 Seals of courts
6 Process of courts
6A Sittings of State Courts
7 Sittings in private, etc.
8 State Court may conduct hearing through electronic means of communication
Part 3 APPOINTMENTS, POWERS AND DUTIES
8A Appointment of Presiding Judge of State Courts
9 Appointments and qualifications of District Judges
10 Appointments and qualifications of Magistrates
11 Justices of the Peace
12 Appointments and qualifications of registrar and deputy registrars of State Courts
13 Powers and duties of deputy registrars
14 State Court officers
15 Powers and duties of certain State Court officers, etc.
15A Solicitor, etc., authorised to act as bailiff
16 Special powers of bailiffs
17 Oaths of judicial officers and certain other officers
18 Appointments and revocations to be gazetted
Part 4 JURISDICTION
Civil Jurisdiction of District Courts
19 General civil jurisdiction
20 (Repealed)
21 (Repealed)
22 Abandonment of part of claim to give District Court jurisdiction
23 Jurisdiction by agreement in certain actions
24 (Repealed)
25 Jurisdiction in actions for recovery of immovable property
26 Equity jurisdiction
27 (Repealed)
28 Jurisdiction to issue writ of distress
29 Jurisdiction to grant relief by interpleader
30 Variation of District Court limit
31 Powers of District Court same as General Division of High Court
32 Powers of District Judge in chambers
33 Assessors
34 Jurisdiction of registrar
35 Division of causes of action
36 Examination of witnesses abroad in District Court cases
37 (Repealed)
38 (Repealed)
39 Costs of certain actions commenced in General Division of High Court which could have been commenced in a State Court
40 (Repealed)
41 Allocation of proceedings to General Division of High Court
42 Finality of judgments and orders of District Court
43 Satisfaction of judgments and orders for payment of money
44 Enforcement of judgments of District Courts
45 Execution of deed or indorsement of negotiable instrument
46 (Repealed)
47 General provision relating to civil appeals
48 Agreement not to appeal
49 Appeal not to operate as stay of execution or enforcement
49A Oral hearing not needed generally
49B Summary dismissal of certain matters
Criminal Jurisdiction of District Courts
50 Jurisdiction of District Courts exercising criminal jurisdiction
Jurisdiction of Magistrates’ Courts
51 Criminal jurisdiction of Magistrates’ Courts
52 Civil jurisdiction of Magistrates’ Courts
53 (Repealed)
54 Judgments and orders of Magistrates’ Courts
54AA Agreement not to appeal
Transfers of Civil Proceedings
54A General power to transfer from Magistrate’s Court to District Court
54B General power to transfer from State Courts to General Division of High Court
54C General power to transfer from General Division of High Court to State Courts
54D General power to transfer from District Court to Magistrate’s Court
54E Transfer of counterclaim from State Courts to General Division of High Court
54F Transfer of counterclaim from Magistrate’s Court to District Court
54G Costs in cases transferred from one court to another
55 (Repealed)
56 (Repealed)
56A (Repealed)
Part 5 ADMINISTRATION
57 Registry of State Courts
58 Nature of business at any sitting
59 Distribution of business
60 Office of State Court
61 Vacations for District and Magistrates’ Courts
62 List of touts
63 Impounding documents
64 Disqualification of judicial officers
65 Judicial officers not to act where interested
66 Officers of court not to bid at sales under any written law
67 Misconduct of officers
68 Protection of judicial and other officers
69 Rules of Court
Part 6 SUPPLEMENTAL
70 Conversion of pending petitions to writs of summons and originating summonses
Legislative History
Abbreviations