Question 1

Maximum claim — Small Claims Tribunal (HK)

Accepted Answer

HK$75,000, for monetary claims founded in contract, quasi-contract and tort. Raised from HK$50,000 with effect from 3 December 2018. The Tribunal is a court in its own right, not a procedure inside another one.

Question 2

You may not split a claim — but you may shrink one — Small Claims Tribunal (HK)

Accepted Answer

A claim above HK$75,000 cannot be subdivided to fit. You can, however, abandon the part above HK$75,000 in order to bring the rest in the Tribunal. That is a real choice with a real cost: the abandoned portion is gone. It buys the cheap, fast, lawyer-free track for the remainder.

Question 3

Can a lawyer represent you — Small Claims Tribunal (HK)

Accepted Answer

No. Parties are not allowed legal representation in the Tribunal. You may consult a solicitor beforehand — and the Duty Lawyer Service runs a free legal advice scheme the Judiciary itself points enquirers to. What you cannot do is have counsel speak for you at the hearing.

Question 4

Filing fee — Small Claims Tribunal (HK)

Accepted Answer

Banded by claim value: HK$20 up to HK$5,000; HK$40 to HK$25,000; HK$70 to HK$50,000; HK$120 to HK$75,000.

Question 5

How soon you are heard — Small Claims Tribunal (HK)

Accepted Answer

The first hearing is arranged within 60 days of the date of filing. The Judiciary describes this as a statutory requirement, which makes it a floor rather than an aspiration — unusual enough to be worth planning around.

Question 6

What it will not hear — Small Claims Tribunal (HK)

Accepted Answer

Wages, possession of land, alimony, libel and slander fall outside the Tribunal entirely. Employment money claims go to the Labour Tribunal, not here — the most common mistaken filing.

Question 7

What you can recover beyond the debt — Small Claims Tribunal (HK)

Accepted Answer

The Tribunal may award reasonable expenses and any loss of salary or wages suffered in attending the hearing, plus a witness’s expenses and lost wages. At the Adjudicator’s discretion, and it is expenses — not legal fees, which cannot arise because lawyers cannot appear.

Question 8

If you are unhappy with the award — Small Claims Tribunal (HK)

Accepted Answer

Apply for a review under s.27A, or apply for leave to appeal to the Court of First Instance under s.28. Two different routes with different tests; the Judiciary directs parties to its Small Claims Tribunal pamphlet for the distinction rather than setting it out in the FAQ.

Question 9

Filing is in person — Small Claims Tribunal (HK)

Accepted Answer

Forms 1 and 2 must be filed at the Tribunal Registry in person during office hours — not by post, fax or email. You may send a representative to file. Both your Hong Kong address and the defendant’s Hong Kong address go on Form 1, and the Tribunal will not help you find a defendant or gather evidence.

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