Petty Debts Court
Addendum to Practice Direction 18/01
PD 25/01
This Addendum to Practice Direction 18/01 is issued by Judge of the Petty Debts Court with the consent of the Bailiff pursuant to the provisions of Rule 60 of the Petty Debts Court Rules 2018 and shall come into force on immediately.
28 April 2025
B.L. Shaw
Judge of the Petty Debts Court
Introduction
The enactment of the Royal Court Stamp Duty and Fees (Jersey) Amendment Law 2025 ("the 2025 Law") effected three key changes to the operation of the Petty Debts Court.
First, the Petty Debts Court now requires payment in advance for most services. Secondly, court fees are non-refundable. Thirdly, Treasury Receipts are replaced by payment either online or in-person using a credit/debit card.
This addendum introduces amendments to Practice Direction 18/01 brought about by the 2025 Law. The amendments only affect "How to bring a claim" in the "Bringing a claim to the Court" section. No other sections in Practice Direction 18/01 are amended.
Bringing a claim to the Court
How to bring a claim
To bring a claim to court you must:-
- send a letter before action (see above) and bring a copy with your claim;
- complete a claim summary;
- complete a summons;
- prepare a stamped addressed envelope addressed to the defendant; and
- pay the court fee.
You must complete all parts of the claim summary and the summons to issue a claim.
Examples of a claim summary and summons are attached at part A of the Schedule to this guide. These can be downloaded from
www.courts.je, from the JLIB website
www.jerseylaw.je, Citizens Advice or a hard copied can be obtained from the Magistrate's Court Greffe.
The summons must be signed personally by the Plaintiff or, if the claim is brought by a limited company, it must be signed by a company Director. Unless an Advocate is appointed, the individual who signs the summons must appear in the Petty Debts Court.
You must also provide the Greffier with your contact details and any contact details that you have for the defendant.
Court fees
A court fee must be paid before commencing proceedings. Claims will not be accepted without the payment of a court fee. Once a claim has been accepted refunds will only be considered in exceptional circumstances. The fee depends upon the amount of your claim.
| Your claim amount | Court fee* |
|---|
| Up to £100 | £7 |
| £100.01 to £500 | £18 |
| £500.01 to £1,000 | £43 |
| £1,000.01 to £5,000 | £104 |
| £5,000.01 to £10,000 | £151 |
| £10,000.01 to £15,000 | £191 |
| £15,000.01 to £25,000 | £255 |
| £25,000.01 to £30,000 | £383 |
* Court fees as of 28 April 2025. These may increase subject to amendments to the
Stamp Duties and Fees (Jersey) Law 1998.
Payment of Court fees
Court fees may be paid either online at
www.gov.je or personally at the Magistrate's Court Greffe.
Payment may be made by debit or credit card only; cash or cheques will not be accepted.
Receipts for online payments must be brought to the Magistrate's Court Greffe when the claim is brought to be processed as proof of online payment.
Where a Plaintiff has several claims it is their responsibility to pay the correct court fee for each claim and to present a payment receipt for each claim.
The Greffier will post the summons to the defendant unless the claim is for eviction. A summons may also be posted by a lawyer.