Civil law in Grenada

Grenada's private-law system combines common-law rules, Equity and separate statutes administered through different institutions. Parliament and the Government Printery publish legislation, while the Ministry of Legal Affairs supports the legal framework. Online legislation at laws.gov.gd may be incomplete or not consolidated, so the printed Official Text remains authoritative when versions differ. Civil legal responsibility generally begins at age 18; adults can ordinarily own and transfer property, make contracts and wills, and marry, while minors are subject to representation and special statutory rules. Capacity still depends on the circumstances and the relevant Act. Contract disputes draw on common-law contract principles, Equity and statutes including the Mercantile Law Act, Bills of Exchange Act, Assignment of Debts Act and arbitration legislation. The Magistrates Court can hear contract claims up to EC$10,000 and tort claims up to EC$7,500 under Cap177; claims outside those limits generally belong in the High Court. Land transactions use deeds or other instruments and may require admission or registration with the Deeds and Land Registry under the Deeds and Land Registry Act Cap79. The Registry can provide searches, certificates and certified copies, and a power of attorney connected with a deed must be registered with the deed. A will affecting land is not evidence of title before the required registration, and Grenada has no directly evidenced universal Torrens-style title system. Mortgages, redemption, receivers and mortgagee sales are addressed by the Conveyancing and Law of Property Act Cap64, while leases, rent and re-entry are addressed by the Landlord and Tenant Act Cap164. The Aliens (Land-Holding Regulation) rules may affect landholding by non-citizens. Family matters use the Marriage Act Cap184, Status of Children Act Cap311A, Child Protection and Adoption Act Cap44A_2 and Maintenance Act Cap180. Maintenance claims can concern a spouse, child or dependent parent, and the legislation provides for paternity and custody orders; a paternity application is typically made within 12 months after birth, subject to statutory exceptions. Cap100B, the Family Court Act, was repealed by Act 8/1996, so the current forum for a family application should be confirmed before filing. Estates pass through the High Court by probate or letters of administration. Under the Intestate Estates Act Cap154, a surviving spouse with children generally receives one half and the children share the other half equally, while different statutory relatives may inherit when there is no spouse or child. Status of Children and legitimacy rules can affect entitlement. Real estate is administered by personal representatives under the Real Estate Devolution Act Cap274; a sale, mortgage or lease exceeding one year may require beneficiary consent or High Court authority. Civil liability mainly follows common-law tort principles such as negligence and damages, supplemented by the Law Reform (Married Women and Tortfeasors) Act Cap166, Law Reform (Miscellaneous Torts) Act Cap167, Compensation for Injuries Act Cap59 and Motor Vehicles Insurance (Third-Party Risks) Act Cap202. The Limitation of Actions Act Cap173 can restrict a claim after the applicable period. Civil proceedings follow the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Civil Procedure Rules 2000, including claim filing, service, case management, evidence, probate claims and enforcement. The Constitution protects an independent and impartial tribunal, a fair hearing within a reasonable time and public hearings. Land-title matters generally belong in the High Court, although Cap177 provides limited exceptions and consent-based routes; appeals from Magistrates Court decisions are addressed by Cap178. Enforcement can use ECSC CPR Parts 43 to 46, oral examination under Part 44, attachment or garnishee procedures, seizure and sale of movable property under Cap55, and orders concerning money, land, goods or an act. A court may order sale of land to satisfy a judgment only after showing that other sufficient assets are unavailable. A judgment summons under CPR Part 52 requires the proper procedure, and foreign judgments may be recognised or registered under CPR Part 72 and the Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act Cap113. Court, service, registry, stamp, land-transfer, survey, expert, bailiff and legal fees vary by matter, and no single current fee or deadline applies across Grenada's civil-law system.