JSC UNVEILS NEW CHARGES, PEGGED IN US DOLLARS
THE Judicial Service Commission has announced new court charges, pegged in United States dollars, but payable at the prevailing interbank rate.
The new charges are contained in Statutory Instrument (SI) 196 of 2022, which replaces SI 222 of 2020.
According to the new fees schedule, marriage licences are now pegged at US$25 ($15 900) up from $1 000.
Summons or application commencing now cost US$5 or $3 180 up from $300.
The charge for a notice of appeal is now US$10 or $6 360, an increase from $500.
Transcription of record and request for typed judgment per page is now pegged at US$1 or $636, up from $100.
If one wants to appeal a judgment at the High Court, a copy of the court record of the case must be provided.
A record can be as long as 200 pages depending on the case.
Those without financial capacity may fail to appeal judgments due to the high costs.
Liquor licence applications (Bulawayo and Harare districts), for temporary and late openings, have also been pegged in US dollars.
Temporary applications now cost US$350 or $222 600 and US$500 or $318 800, up from $15 000 and $20 000 for late openings.
The High Court SI 194 of 2022, Constitutional Court SI 199 of 2022, and the Labour Law SI 197 of 2022 have also outlined new charges in US dollars.