Elizabeth T. Jones-Woni -C.M.I
Magistrate Court are lower Courts within the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory. They are Courts of summary jurisdiction. Magistrate Courts exercise jurisdiction both in criminal and civil matters. While exercising jurisdiction over criminal matters, they are known as Magistrate Courts, but are referred to as District Courts in their exercise of jurisdiction in civil matters.
All appeals from decisions of Magistrate/District Courts go to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Presently, there are Sixty Nine (69) Magistrate/District Judges presiding in various Courts, evenly spread within the Federal capital territory.
The Department consists of Magistrates of various grades sitting across 15 Magisterial Districts within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
This department is made up of three (3) units namely;
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Magistrate Courts
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Family Courts
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Mobile Courts
The Magistrate Department functions with Four Section namely:
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Administration Section
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Legal Unit
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Registry Section
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Secretarial Unit
ADMINISTRATION SECTION
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Sorting of mails/files
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writing internal circulars and letters to magistrate Courts and other affected bodies as may be directed by the DCR (Magistrates)
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Checking and filing of monthly and quarterly return of cases for onward delivery to Return of cases Department
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Compilation and computation of Return of cases for legal year.
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Disseminating of information and decision of the management to the Magistrates on the directives of the DCR(M)
LEGAL SECTION
The legal unit act as a responsive unit where complaint and petition filed in by litigants and their respective are looked into critically and actions taken strictly in accordance with directives of the DCR (Magistrates).
REGISTRY SECTION
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Receiving mails/files on behalf of the DCR (M)
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Keeping records of all activities of the office.
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dispatching letters promptly to the Magistrates and other organizations.
