Inside govt’s Bill giving Magistrates more powers

If passed into law, the Magistrates Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2026, will see an increase in the amount of fines handled by the magistrates’ courts, expanded civil jurisdiction, and streamlined case transfers in the magistrates’ system.

Clause 11 of the Bill also introduces another critical provision, which is the empowerment of chief magistrates to withdraw and transfer cases to courts with competent jurisdiction, instead of dismissing them for lack of jurisdiction.