Magistrates Courts of Rivers State (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2007

1. These Rules may be cited as the Magistrates' Courts (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2007.

2. In these Rules-

"Address for service" means the place where any process may be left for, sent by post or electronic means to, the party giving the address;

"Cause" includes any action, suit or other originating proceeding between a claimant and a defendant;

"Civil proceedings" means all actions triable by a Magistrate in relation to the enforcement of a civil right or obligation or making of an order for the payment of any sum of money or the doing or abstaining from doing of any act or thing not enforceable by fine or imprisonment in the first instance;

"Claim" means any debt, demand, damages or relief claimed or any claim for the recovery of any chattel or thing sought to be recovered;

"Claimant" means every person or body seeking any relief;

"Counter-claim" means a claim by way of cross-action;

"Court" means a Magistrate's Court established by the Law;

"Defendant" means every person or body that a relief is being claimed against;

"District" means a Magisterial District established by the Law;

"Judgment" includes the decision or order of the court in any cause or matter;

"Justice of the Peace" means a Justice of the Peace appointed under the Law;

"Matter" includes every proceeding in the court not in a cause;

"Process" includes any summons to appear and answer a claim, any order made by the court, documents and notices filed by a party to be served on the adverse party or on a witness;

"Registrar" means the Chief Registrar, Deputy Chief Registrar, Assistant Chief Registrar, Principal Registrar,

Senior Registrar, Higher Registrar, or any other officer acting as or performing the function of a Registrar;