§ Mr. Elwyn Jonesasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies in which colonial and protected territories the Supreme Court, or its equivalent, has the right to review the decisions of inferior colonial courts and native courts, respectively, stating in respect of each territory if such revision is automatic, or can be claimed by prosecution and/or defence, and what fees are payable.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd, pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 13th February, 1958; Vol. 582, c. 76] supplied the following further information:
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Territory Court possessing revisionary powers Courts over which power extends Powers exercised—(a) of Court's own motion, (b) automatically, (c) at instance of party to proceedings, (d) otherwise Fees payable British Honduras Supreme Court … Summary Jurisdiction Courts … (a) … … … — (d) on motion by Attorney-General … British Solomon Islands Protectorate. High Commissioner's Court when presided over by a Judicial Commissioner. Courts presided over by Deputy Commissioners and Native Courts. (a), (b) in cases of imprisonment exceeding 6 months and fines exceeding £50. None Brunei … … Supreme Court … Any inferior Court or Magistrates Court except Religious Courts. (a) (c) … … None Fiji … … Supreme Court … Magistrates Courts … (a) … … … None Gambia: Colony … Supreme Court … All subordinate Courts. (b) … … … None Protectorate … High Court … … All Protectorate Courts and District (Native) Tribunals. (b) … … … None Gilbert & Ellice Islands Colony. High Commissioner's Court when presided over by a Judicial Commissioner. Courts presided over by Deputy Commissioners and Native Courts. (a), (b) in cases of imprisonment exceeding 6 months and fines exceeding £50. None Grenada … … Supreme Court … Magistrates Courts … (a) … … … None Kenya … … Supreme Court … All subordinate Courts including Muslim Courts but excluding African Courts. (a) (c) … … If an application by party not representing the Crown Sh. 40/-discretionary) Mauritius … Supreme Court … Industrial Court and District Magistrates Courts. (a) … … … None New Hebrides … (i) Joint Court … (i) Courts of First Instance. (i) (b) … … None (ii) National Courts, when presided over by a Judicial Commissioner. (ii) National Courts, when presided over by Deputy Commissioner. (ii) (a) … … None Nigeria (all Regions and Federal Territory of Lagos and Southern Cameroons). High Courts … Magistrates Courts … (a) … … … None North Borneo … Supreme Court … All Inferior Courts and Magistrates Courts, excluding Native Courts. (a (c) … … None Northern Rhodesia. High Court … … All subordinate Courts. (a) … … … None 244W 245W
Territory Court possessing revisionary powers Courts over which; power extends Powers exercised—(a) of Court's own motion, (b) automatically, (c) at instance of party to proceedings, (d) otherwise Fees payable Nyasaland … High Court … … Magistrates Courts (not Native Courts). (a) (c) … … None St. Helena … Supreme Court … Magistrates Courts … (a) … … … None St. Lucia … Supreme Court … Magistrates Courts … (d) on application by Crown Attorney. Not exceeding $25. Sarawak … High Court … Any inferior Court … (a) (c) … … None Seychelles … Supreme Court … Magistrates Courts … (a) (c) … … None Sierra Leone … Supreme Court … Magistrates Courts (not Native Courts). (a) … … … None Singapore … High Court … Magistrates Courts and District Courts. (a) (c) … … None Somaliland Protectorate. High Court … District Courts and subordinate or Native Courts. (a) (c) … … None Swaziland … High Court … All subordinate Courts. (a) (b) (c) according to punishment and type of Court. None Tanganyika … High Court … All subordinate Courts except local (Native) Courts. (a) (c), (d) on report by examining Magistrate. None Trinidad … Supreme Court … Inferior Courts … (d) on application by Attorney-General. At discretion of Court. Uganda … High Court … Subordinate Courts, Native Courts and African Courts. (a) (c) … … 30s., subject to means, plus 6s. for issue of notice and service. 15s. Zanzibar … … High Court … All subordinate Courts, including Mudirial Courts. (a) (c) … … (2) In Civil Proceedings Aden … … Supreme Court … Courts of Small Causes. (a) (c) … … Ad valorem. No fees payable by "poor persons." Basutoland … High Court … All subordinate Courts. (c) … … Proceedings brought by summons £1 Proceedings brought by notice of motion: Notice of motion 10s. Each supporting affidavit, 5s. Bechuanaland Protectorate. High Court … … All inferior Courts, including African Courts. (b) by summons by aggrieved party. Summons fee £1, Service fee 5s. 246W
Territory Court possessing revisionary powers Courts over which power extends Powers exercised—(a) of Court's own motion, (b) automatically, (c) at instance of party to proceedings, (d) otherwise Fees payable British Guiana … Supreme Court … Magistrates Courts … (d) on application by Attorney-General. — British Honduras Supreme Court … District Courts … (a), (d) on motion by Attorney-General. — Brunei … … Supreme Court … Any lower Court, except Religious Courts. (a) … … … None Gambia Protectorate. High Court … … Protectorate Courts (not District Native Tribunals). (a) (c) … … If at instance of party to proceedings 11s. Mauritius … Supreme Court … Industrial Court and District Magistrates Courts. (a) … … … None Nigeria (all Regions and Federal Territory of Lagos and Southern Cameroons). All High Courts except that of Eastern Region. Magistrates Courts … (a) and in Lagos (c) subject to maximum in dispute of £10. None North Borneo … Supreme Court … All inferior Courts and Magistrates Courts, excluding Native Courts. (a) (c) … … None St. Helena … Supreme Court … Small Debts Courts (a) (c) … … If at instance of party to proceedings 1s. Sarawak … … High Court … … Any inferior Court … (a) … … … None Somaliland Protectorate. High Court … … District Courts … (a) (c) … … If acting on application of party to proceedings 10 per cent. of amount involved. Swaziland … High Court … … All Subordinate Courts. (c) … … … Civil scales Tanganyika … High Court … … All subordinate Courts except local (native) Courts. (a) (c) … … If at instance of party to proceedings Sh. 21/50. Trinidad … … Supreme Court … Inferior Courts … (d) on application by Attorney-General. At discretion of Court Uganda … … High Court … … Subordinate Courts, Native Courts and African Courts. (a) (c) … … Sh.30 to Sh.400 ad valorem, plus Sh. 4 for order in revision. Zanzibar … … High Court … … All subordinate Courts. (a) … … … — * The above is a summary of information received from the territories concerned. Fuller details are available in the Library of the Colonial Office.