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The "Justice of the Peace" (Justice de Paix) in Philippeville (Namur province, Belgium).

The Justice of the Peace (Dutch: Vrederechter, French: justice de Paix) in Belgium is the small claims court in the Belgian judicial system.

Organisation & competences

Belgium is divided in 225 judicial cantons, each with its own justice of the peace.

The Justice of the Peace has competence in some 80 type cases, for instance civil and commercial cases up to maximum 2500 euro. Besides those cases, the Justice of the Peace has full competence, regardless of the amount, with regard to:

• disputes regarding all different kinds of tenancy
• Easement
• Consumer Credit
• Homeowner association
• Eminent domain

The Justice of the Peace also has various competences in the domain of family law such as:

• The appointment of an administrator for persons who cannot manage their affairs themselves
• the commandment of a the forced admission of the mentally ill (the former collocation)
• The appointment and monitoring of guardians for minors
• the granting to parents of special authorizations needed if they want to perform certain acts on behalf of their minor children (for example accepting or rejecting an inheritance, or buying or selling children's property, such as houses or land)

In addition, a very important task of the justice of the peace is reconciliation, negotiating between the parties in order to reach an amicable settlement. The justice of the peace can be brought in through a conciliation session (which is free and very fast).

Decisions by the Justice of the Peace can be appealed at the Court of First Instance.

Category:Judiciary of Belgium Category:Justices of the peace