Lower Courts Amendment Act 91 of 1977

The Lower Courts Amendment Act 91 of 1977 intends:

• to amend the Magistrates' Courts Act, 1944, in order:
  • to restrict the operation of certain provisions to civil matters;
  • to exclude certain records in criminal cases from reeords to which the public has access;
  • to provide for the appointment of a clerk of the court by the magistrate of the district;
  • to increase the fines in respect of certain offences;
  • to provide for additional circumstances in which a magistrate's court and the court of a regional division shall have jurisdiction in criminal cases;
  • to increase the punitive jurisdiction of magistrates' courts and the courts of regional divisions;
  • to change the basis on which compensation is payable to assessors;
  • to amend section 21 of the General Law Amendment Act, 1962, and the Terrorism Act, 1967 [repealed in 1991], in order to extend the jurisdiction of courts of regional divisions to offences under those Acts; and
• to provide for incidental matters.

Commencement

22 July 1977 (Gazette 5654 of 15 July 1977)