{"id":"small-claims-act-2016","name":"Small Claims Act 2016","slug":"small-claims-act-2016","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"nt","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":30510,"registerId":"nt-small-claims-act-2016-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Small Claims Act 2016","content":"NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA\nSMALL CLAIMS ACT 2016\nAs in force at 1 May 2016\nTable of provisions\nPart 1 Preliminary matters\n1 Short title ......................................................................................... 1\n2 Commencement .............................................................................. 1\n3 Definitions ........................................................................................ 1\n4 Application of Criminal Code ........................................................... 2\nPart 2 Small claims jurisdiction\n5 Small claims limit ............................................................................. 2\n6 Small claims jurisdiction .................................................................. 2\n7 Representation ................................................................................ 2\nPart 3 Miscellaneous\n8 Regulations...................................................................................... 3\nPart 4 Repeals and transitional matters for Small\nClaims Act 2016\nDivision 1 Repeals\n9 Acts repealed................................................................................... 3\nDivision 2 Transitional matters\n10 Current proceedings to continue in Local Court............................... 3\nSchedule Repealed Acts\nENDNOTES\n\n\n\nNORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA\n____________________\nAs in force at 1 May 2016\n____________________\nSMALL CLAIMS ACT 2016\nAn Act relating to small claims\nPart 1 Preliminary matters\n1 Short title\nThis Act may be cited as the Small Claims Act 2016.\n2 Commencement\nThis Act commences on the day fixed by the Administrator by\nGazette notice.\n3 Definitions\nIn this Act:\nclaim includes a cause of action.\nsmall claims jurisdiction, of the Tribunal, means the jurisdiction\nconferred by section 6.\nsmall claims limit, see section 5.\nTribunal means the Civil and Administrative Tribunal.\nTribunal Act means the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative\nTribunal Act 2014.\nNote for section 3\nThe Interpretation Act 1978 contains definitions and other provisions that may be\nrelevant to this Act.\n\nPart 2 Small claims jurisdiction\nSmall Claims Act 2016 2\n4 Application of Criminal Code\nPart IIAA of the Criminal Code applies to an offence against this\nAct.\nNote for section 4\nPart IIAA of the Criminal Code states the general principles of criminal\nresponsibility, establishes general defences, and deals with burden of proof. It\nalso defines, or elaborates on, certain concepts commonly used in the creation of\noffences.\nPart 2 Small claims jurisdiction\n5 Small claims limit\n(1) The small claims limit is $25 000.\n(2) For determining whether a claim is within the Tribunal's small\nclaims jurisdiction, the amount or value of the claim is to be\ndetermined exclusive of any costs or interest that might be awarded\nby the Tribunal.\n6 Small claims jurisdiction\nSubject to this Act and any other Act, the Tribunal has jurisdiction to\ndeal with a claim for any of the following:\n(a) the recovery of an amount that does not exceed the small\nclaims limit;\n(b) the performance of work, to a value that does not exceed the\nsmall claims limit;\n(c) relief from payment of an amount of money that does not\nexceed the small claims limit;\n(d) the return or replacement of goods, to a value that does not\nexceed the small claims limit.\nNotes for section 6\n1 Under section 32 of the Tribunal Act, the small claims jurisdiction comes\nwithin the Tribunal's original jurisdiction.\n2 Section 13A of the Local Court Act 2015 confers limited concurrent\njurisdiction on the Local Court in relation to claims mentioned in this section.\n7 Representation\nDespite section 130(1)(b) of the Tribunal Act, a party to a\nproceeding in the small claims jurisdiction is entitled to appear by a\nlegal practitioner only with the leave of the Tribunal.\n\nPart 4 Repeals and transitional matters for Small Claims Act 2016\nDivision 2 Transitional matters\nSmall Claims Act 2016 3\nPart 3 Miscellaneous\n8 Regulations\nThe Administrator may make regulations under this Act.\nPart 4 Repeals and transitional matters for Small\nClaims Act 2016\nDivision 1 Repeals\n9 Acts repealed\nThe Acts specified in the Schedule are repealed.\nDivision 2 Transitional matters\n10 Current proceedings to continue in Local Court\n(1) This section applies if, before the commencement:\n(a) a small claims proceeding had been commenced in the Local\nCourt; and\n(b) the proceeding, including any appeals that might be made,\nhad not been finally determined.\n(2) The former law continues to apply in relation to the proceeding,\nincluding any appeals, as if this Act and the Justice Legislation\nAmendment (Small Claims and Other Matters) Act 2016 had not\ncommenced.\n(3) In this section:\ncommencement means the commencement of section 9.\nformer law means:\n(a) the former Small Claims Act 1974 (being Act No. 67 of 1974,\nas amended) before its repeal by section 9; and\n(b) the Local Court Act 1989, as in force immediately before the\ncommencement.\nsmall claims proceeding means either of the following:\n(a) a proceeding under the former Small Claims Act 1974;\n\nPart 4 Repeals and transitional matters for Small Claims Act 2016\nDivision 2 Transitional matters\nSmall Claims Act 2016 4\n(b) a proceeding of the kind described in section 24 of the former\nSmall Claims Act 1974.\n\nSchedule Repealed Acts\nSmall Claims Act 2016 5\nSchedule Repealed Acts\nsection 9\nSmall Claims Ordinance 1974 Act No. 67 of 1974\nSmall Claims Ordinance 1977 Act No. 39 of 1977\nSmall Claims Amendment Act 1981 Act No. 10 of 1982\nSmall Claims Amendment Act 1988 Act No. 43 of 1988\nSmall Claims Amendment Act 1997 Act No. 21 of 1997\nSmall Claims Amendment Act 2001 Act No. 63 of 2001\n\nENDNOTES\nSmall Claims Act 2016 6\nENDNOTES\n1 KEY\nKey to abbreviations\namd = amended od = order\napp = appendix om = omitted\nbl = by-law pt = Part\nch = Chapter r = regulation/rule\ncl = clause rem = remainder\ndiv = Division renum = renumbered\nexp = expires/expired rep = repealed\nf = forms s = section\nGaz = Gazette sch = Schedule\nhdg = heading sdiv = Subdivision\nins = inserted SL = Subordinate Legislation\nlt = long title sub = substituted\nnc = not commenced\n2 LIST OF LEGISLATION\nSmall Claims Act 2016 (Act No. 4, 2016)\nAssent date 2 March 2016\nCommenced 1 May 2016 (Gaz G15, 13 April 2016, p 4)\nJustice Legislation Amendment (Small Claims and Other Matters) Act 2016 (Act\nNo. 3, 2016)\nAssent date 2 March 2016\nCommenced pt 3: nc; rem: 1 May 2016 (s 2, s 2 Local Court Act 2015 (Act\nNo. 15, 2015), Gaz G1, 6 January 2016, p 9 and Gaz G15,\n13 April 2016, p 4)\n3 GENERAL AMENDMENTS\nGeneral amendments of a formal nature (which are not referred to in the table\nof amendments to this reprint) are made by the Interpretation Legislation\nAmendment Act 2018 (Act No. 22, 2018) to: ss 1, 3, 6 and 10.\n4 LIST OF AMENDMENTS\ns 6 amd No. 3, 2016, s 27","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation maintains its original narrow purpose of establishing a small claims jurisdiction with a monetary limit. The 2016 version represents a machinery shift (moving jurisdiction from Local Court to Civil and Administrative Tribunal) rather than scope expansion. The $25,000 limit and core subject matter mirror the original 1974 Act's intent."},"complexity_factors":["Only 10 operative sections (excluding repeals and schedules)","Minimal defined terms (5 definitions in section 3, plus incorporated definitions from Interpretation Act 1978)","No nested conditional logic or exceptions to exceptions","Single cross-reference to Criminal Code (standard boilerplate)","Straightforward jurisdictional threshold ($25,000 limit) with simple exclusions (costs and interest not counted)","One transitional provision for existing proceedings (section 10)","No regulations or delegated legislative powers beyond standard regulation-making power (section 8)"],"plain_english_summary":"This law creates a simple, low-cost way for people in the Northern Territory to resolve minor civil disputes (up to $25,000) before the Civil and Administrative Tribunal rather than in court. Lawyers are generally not allowed without permission, keeping proceedings informal and affordable. It replaced the old Local Court small‑claims scheme, continued any existing cases under the old rules, and helps consumers, small businesses, landlords, tenants and neighbours access justice cheaply."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The Act replaces earlier Small Claims legislation (Schedule; s 9) and reallocates small‑claims jurisdiction to the Civil and Administrative Tribunal with a defined $25,000 limit and valuation rule (ss 5–6). It preserves existing Local Court proceedings until final determination (s 10), creating a transition from the former Small Claims framework to the Tribunal model."},"complexity_factors":["Clear monetary threshold and valuation rule (small claims limit $25,000; amount/value exclusive of costs or interest) (s 5)","Jurisdictional allocation to the Civil and Administrative Tribunal for specific remedy types (s 6)","Cross‑references to other statutes affecting operation and concurrent jurisdiction (Tribunal Act and Local Court Act noted in s 6 notes; definition of Tribunal and Tribunal Act in s 3)","Restriction on legal representation requiring Tribunal leave (s 7) creates procedural discretion","Application of general criminal responsibility rules to offences under the Act (Part IIAA of the Criminal Code applied by s 4)","Enabling power for subordinate legislation may add detail (s 8)","Repeal and transitional provisions that preserve in‑flight Local Court matters add implementation steps (ss 9–10)"],"plain_english_summary":"This Act gives the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal authority to hear civil small claims up to $25,000 for recovery of money, performance of work, relief from payment, or return/replacement of goods, and treats claim value exclusive of costs or interest (ss 5–6). Parties may only have legal representation in the small claims jurisdiction with the Tribunal’s leave (s 7). The Act repeals earlier small‑claims laws and preserves existing Local Court proceedings until finalised (ss 9–10)."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/small-claims-act-2016","history":"/api/acts/small-claims-act-2016/history","analysis":"/api/acts/small-claims-act-2016/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/small-claims-act-2016/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/small-claims-act-2016/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/small-claims-act-2016/documents"}}