small debtn.
/smɔːl ˈdɛt/, U.S. /ˌsmɔl ˈdɛt/, /ˌsmɑl ˈdɛt/ A debt of limited amount for which summary jurisdiction is provided by special courts.
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society > trade and finance > management of money > insolvency > indebtedness > [noun] > a debt > small debt
driblet1591
small debt1603
1603–4 Act 1 James I c. 14 (title) An Acte for Recouerie of Small Debtes.
1795 Act 35 Geo. III c. 23 (title) An Act for the more easy and expeditious Recovery of Small Debts.
1861 G. Ross W. Bell's Dict. Law Scotl. (rev. ed.) 764 The sheriff's exclusive jurisdiction in small debts was introduced by 6 Geo. IV, c. 24.
1939 D. Thomas Let. 11 May (1987) 377 I say come soon because I'm going to be summoned for a few small debts.
1993 Beaver Apr. 44/1 By December 1849, a Division Court had been established in Renfrew for small debts.
Compounds
C1. General attributive, as small debt act, small debt case, small debt jurisdiction.
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1742 Hist. & Proc. House of Commons 12 62 Resumed the adjourned Consideration of the Report of the Small-Debt Bill.
1799 J. Robertson Gen. View Agric. Perth 42 By the late act formerly alluded to, entitled the small debt act, justices are authorized to determine in a summary manner, with regard to actions for debts or obligations, not exceeding L. 40 Scots (or L.3. 6. S. Sterling).
1838 W. Bell Dict. Law Scotl. 919 The statute 39 and 40 Geo. III. c. 46, commonly called the Small Debt Act.
1861 G. Ross W. Bell's Dict. Law Scotl. (rev. ed.) 767 By the act 16 and 17 Vict. c. 80, 1853, the small-debt jurisdiction of sheriffs is extended to causes not exceeding £12.
1998 P. C. Cohen Murder Helen Jewett (1999) viii. 166 Action appealing a judgment against him in a small-debt case.
C2.
small debt court n. (also small debts court) a court which provides summary jurisdiction on debts of limited amount; cf. small-claims adj. at small adj. and n.2 Compounds 2.Notable examples (among others) were the Justice of the Peace Small Debt Court (established in 1799 and abolished in 1975) and the Sheriff's Small Debt Court (established in 1826 and abolished in 1976), formerly held in Scotland. Small debts courts in England were superseded by county courts under the County Courts Act of 1846.
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1800 Caledonian Mercury 8 May 3/3 (heading) Small debt court.
1830 North Wales Chron. (Bangor) 29 July 1/5 A recent publication gives an amusing account of the Small Debt Courts in America.
1852 Queen's Bench Rep. 13 856 The Queen in council may convert the small debt courts into county courts.
1861 G. Ross W. Bell's Dict. Law Scotl. (rev. ed.) 766 The sheriffs must, in addition to their ordinary small-debt courts, hold circuit courts for the purposes of this act.
1882 W. Ballantine Some Exper. Barrister's Life ii. 24 Here and there in the metropolis were dotted small debts courts..called Courts of Request.
1959 Amer. Bar Assoc. Jrnl. May 454/1 Cases below the value of £20 come before the Sheriff Small Debt Court.
1983 D. B. J. Randall Gentle Flame ii. iv. 170 The Court of Conscience of Requests was a small debt court.
1992 Herald (Glasgow) (Nexis) 30 June 11 Sheriff Ronald Smith at Paisley Small Debt Court yesterday heard that Councillor George McIntyre..had been paying regularly since his last appearance in May.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2012; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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