VPRS 8518 Magistrates Court Special Complaints Register

Civil Cases in Petty Sessions/Magistrates' CourtsSuccessive Justices' Acts and, more recently, Magistrates' Courts Acts have empowered Petty Sessions/Magistrates' Courts to determine cases for damages and debts within a jurisdictional limit (that is a maximum dollar amount set by legislation). Minor debt cases typically heard by Petty Sessions/Magistrates' Courts included claims to recover unpaid fees for services provided by tradespeople or professionals or for goods delivered to a person but not paid for. The types of damages cases typically heard in Petty Sessions/Magistrates' Courts include claims for damages arising out of motor vehicle accidents where normal motor vehicle insurance does not apply, or where the parties cannot agree as to which of them is at fault.Background: The Special Jurisdiction of Petty Sessions/Magistrates' CourtsThe special jurisdiction of petty sessions courts was formally established by the Justices' Act 1928. From this time, and until the 1979 Magistrates' Courts (Civil Jurisdiction) Act took effect there were two mechanisms within Petty Sessions/Magistrates Courts for the redress of civil complaints.The "ordinary jurisdiction" empowered the court to determine cases for damages or debts where the precise amount of the claim could be determined according to some objective scale. For example where a complainant sought to recover a debt for goods delivered to the respondent it would usually be possible to objectively determine the value of the goods, interest accrued and the complainants legal expenses and to set the amount of the claim accordingly. Claims brought to court in the ordinary civil jurisdiction often used the system of judgement by default. This system provided that where a court issued a summons to a respondent for a civil claim and the respondent did not respond to it by giving notice of his or her intention to defend the claim, a judgement could be made in favour of the complainant without a formal court hearing.In its "special jurisdiction" the court itself determined the appropriate amount of redress and operated within a higher jurisdictional limit. Claims for damages arising out of a motor vehicle accident were typically handled in the special jurisdiction. Unlike the ordinary jurisdiction, justices of the peace could not determine special jurisdiction cases, rather a stipendiary magistrate would preside.The 1979 Magistrates' Court (Civil Jurisdiction) Act abolished the distinction between ordinary and special complaints and established a single civil jurisdiction. However the Act still provided for "debts and liquidated demands", being cases where the amount could be calculated and fixed prior to court and "unliquidated damages" where the amount was determined by the court. In the 1980's some matters formerly heard in the "ordinary" civil jurisdiction or as debts and liquidated demands have been dealt with by the Small Claims Tribunal.ContentSpecial Complaints Registers are generally in a common format, giving details of the case number, the name of the complainant, the name of the respondent, how the case came to the court (type and date of summons), a description of the cause or proceeding, the decision or order and any remarks. In order to authenticate entries made in the register the presiding stipendiary magistrate signed it at the end of each day.

小额诉讼法庭/治安法院的民事案件
历届《治安法官法》及近期的《治安法院法》授权小额诉讼法庭/治安法院在管辖限额（即立法设定的最高金额）内审理损害赔偿及债务案件。小额诉讼法庭/治安法院通常受理的小额债务案件包括：追讨工匠或专业人士提供服务的未付费用，或已交付但未付款的货物款项。该类法院通常受理的损害赔偿案件包括：机动车事故引发的损害赔偿请求（如普通机动车保险不适用，或双方无法就过错方达成一致时）。

背景：小额诉讼法庭/治安法院的特别管辖权
小额诉讼法庭的特别管辖权由1928年《治安法官法》正式确立。自该法生效至1979年《治安法院（民事管辖权）法》实施期间，小额诉讼法庭/治安法院设有两种处理民事申诉的机制。
“普通管辖权”授权法院审理可依据客观标准确定索赔金额的损害赔偿或债务案件。例如，若原告追讨已交付被告货物的债务，通常可客观确定货物价值、应计利息及原告的法律费用，并据此设定索赔金额。普通民事管辖权下的案件常采用缺席判决制度：若法院就民事索赔向被告发出传票，而被告未提交答辩意向通知，则可在无正式庭审的情况下作出有利于原告的判决。
在“特别管辖权”下，法院自行确定适当的赔偿金额，并在更高的管辖限额内运作。机动车事故引发的损害赔偿请求通常由特别管辖权处理。与普通管辖权不同，太平绅士无权审理特别管辖权案件，而由受薪治安法官主持。
1979年《治安法院（民事管辖权）法》废除了普通与特别申诉的区分，确立单一民事管辖权。但该法仍保留“债务及已确定债权”（指庭审前可计算并确定金额的案件）及“未确定损害赔偿”（指金额由法院判定的案件）的分类。20世纪80年代，部分原属普通民事管辖权或债务及已确定债权的案件转由小额索赔审裁处处理。

内容
特别申诉登记册通常采用统一格式，包含以下细节：案件编号、原告姓名、被告姓名、案件提交法院的方式（传票类型及日期）、诉讼事由或程序描述、判决或命令及备注。为认证登记册中的条目，主审受薪治安法官需在每日结束时签字确认。