Wondershare

PDFelement

CIVIL
PROCEEDINGS IN
ENGLAND &
WALES

Inglés Profesional y Académico Civil proceedings

 Wondershare
PDFelement

Civil justice systems in the UK

Distinct jurisdictions:
England and Wales;
Scotland; Northern
Ireland.

Separate legal
systems, laws, courts,
prosecution services,
central authorities.

Inglés Profesional y Académico 2

 Wondershare
PDFelement

VOCABULARY

Inglés Profesional y Académico 3

 Wondershare
PDFelement
Parties
• Parties to the suit:
Claimant (formerly plaintiff): injured
party. “Petitioner” in divorce proceedings
and some company law proceedings.
Appeal stage: appellant.

Defendant (adversary) // “Respondent” in

divorce proceedings and some company
law proceedings. Appeal stage:
respondent.
Inglés Profesional y Académico 4
 Wondershare
PDFelement

Vocabulary
• “ACTION”: term used at the initial stage (e.g.
‘cause of action’, ‘right of action’, ‘no cause of
action’).

• “CASE”: term used beyond the initial stage (e.g.

‘the case at issue’, ‘the instant case’, ‘as in the
present case’; ‘there is no case to answer’.

• “CASE” and “LAWSUIT”: both normally

connote a civil case.

Inglés Profesional y Académico 5

 Wondershare
PDFelement

WRONGS, TORTS &

REMEDIES

Inglés Profesional y Académico 6

 Wondershare
PDFelement

Disputes
• Most disputes concern:

• Breach of contract
• Tort (wrongful act independent of a contract)
• Property rights
• Successions or contentious probates
• Industrial or intellectual property

Inglés Profesional y Académico 7

 Wondershare
PDFelement
Torts

• There are several types of tort (non-contractual

civil wrong) including:
wrongs against the person only (e.g.
defamation of character, libel);
wrongs against property only (e.g. trespass);
wrongs which may be against people or
property (e.g. negligence or nuisance).

Inglés Profesional y Académico 8

 Wondershare
PDFelement

• Civil courts hear cases brought by persons

who claim to have suffered some wrong,
harm or injury:

• Personal injury
• Loss of or damage to property
• Damage to reputation
• Damage to rights (infringement of rights)

Inglés Profesional y Académico 9

 Wondershare
PDFelement

Remedies
• Claimant seeks a remedy:
 Damages. Usual remedy.
 Relief (e.g., exemption from a charge, duty or
liability).

 Account of profit(s) (assessment of profit obtained 

commercial and industrial property cases).

Inglés Profesional y Académico 10

 Wondershare
PDFelement

CIVIL PROCEDURE RULES

Inglés Profesional y Académico 11

 Wondershare
PDFelement

Civil Procedure Rules 1998

Measures:
1. Simplification of legal language (plain English).
2. Use of Information Technology (IT). (Not explained
here)
3. Case management. Procedural judges  strict
control of times (stages) and procedure. (Not
explained here)
4. Unification of procedure. (Not explained here)
5. Tracking (allocation of a case to a track).

Inglés Profesional y Académico 12

 Wondershare
PDFelement

Civil Procedure Rules 1998

(1) Simplification of legal language

- Plaintiff  “Claimant”.

- Pleadings  “Statements of case/claim”. Careful with “particulars

of claim” (where claimant sets out details of the case; escrito de

pretensiones in Spanish).

- Affidavit  “Statement of truth”.

- Writ of summons  “claim form”.

- Leave  “Permission” (“with the permission of the court”).

- Discovery  “Disclosure”.

Inglés Profesional y Académico 13

 Wondershare
PDFelement

Civil Procedure Rules 1998

(5) Tracking
Allocation of case: depends on the amount involved (amount in
dispute), the type of claim and the judge’s view of complexity of
issues involved.

Tracks:
- The small claims track (ordinary claims,
there is an amount limit for the value of the case,
simple procedural rules).
- The fast track (higher amount limit).
- The multi-track (still higher amount limit,
more complex cases).
Inglés Profesional y Académico 14
 Wondershare
PDFelement

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE
RESOLUTION (ADR)

Inglés Profesional y Académico 15

 Wondershare
PDFelement
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

(1) Mediation
A process for resolving disagreements in which
an impartial third party (the mediator) helps
people in dispute to find a mutually acceptable
resolution.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXXCIqHFfV0&fe
ature=related

Inglés Profesional y Académico 16

 Wondershare
PDFelement
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

(2) Arbitration
• Dispute resolution in which a neutral third party
(arbitrator) renders a decision after a hearing.
• Arbitration awards (not ‘judgments’) ARE binding
decisions.
• In commercial disputes and consumer claims.

Inglés Profesional y Académico 17

 Wondershare
PDFelement

THE TRIAL

Inglés Profesional y Académico 18

 Wondershare

The trial or hearing PDFelement

Inglés Profesional y Académico 19

 Wondershare
PDFelement

The trial or hearing

• Examination of witnesses:

Inglés Profesional y Académico 20

 Wondershare
PDFelement

The trial or hearing

• Examination of witnesses:
 Direct examination or examination-in-
chief. (No leading questions  questions
that “lead” the witness into an answer or that
take information for granted).
 Cross examination.
 Re-examination.

Inglés Profesional y Académico 21

 Wondershare
PDFelement

THE JUDGMENT

Inglés Profesional y Académico 22

 Wondershare
PDFelement

The judgment
(1) Judgment for the claimant (plaintiff).
(2) Judgment for the defendant.

English law does not ‘condemn’ or ‘absolve’ defendant

 there is no question in civil matters of guilt or
innocence.

Damages or any other remedy NOT SEEN as a

punishment on the defendant but rather as his/her duty
to compensate, relieve or redress claimant for wrong
suffered.
Inglés Profesional y Académico 23