AOS 2 Flashcards
Remedies
Civil Law
An area of law that defines the rights and responsibilities of individuals, groups and organisations in society and regulates private disputes.
Damages
- An amount of money that the court (or tribunal) orders one party to pay another party.
- It is the most common remedy in a civil claim.
Fairness
Remedies
- Laws should be properly applied
- The parties should know what the claims and defences are, and what evidence will be used to support the other side’s case,
- The parties should have the opportunity to present their case and rebut the other side’s case.
- The person who determines a dispute should be impartial and unbiased.
Equality
Remedies
- Having access to equal representation in a case.
- Whether the civil justice system is accessible to everyone
- The rights of parties to be heard impartially by a judge
- All persons are equal before the law. No one is above the law.
Access
Remedies
This means that all people should be able to understand their legal rights and pursue their cases.
People should be able to get information about about:
- Their rights
- When those rights have been infringed
- What remedies may be available to them.
Tribunal
A dispute resolution body that resolves civil disputes and is intended to be less costly, more informal and faster way to resolve disputes than courts.
Remedy
- Any order made by a court that is designed to address a civil wrong or breach.
- Should provide a legal solution for the plaintiff for a breach of civil law by the defendant and (as much as possible) restore the plaintiff to the position they were in before they were wronged or their rights were breached.
Alternative Dispute Resolution Methods
Ways of resolving or settling civil disputes that don’t involve a court or tribunal hearing.
Mediation
A method of dispute resolution that uses an independent third party (ie. a mediator) to help the disputing parties to reach a resolution.
Mediator
An independent third party who doesn’t interfere or pursue but helps the parties in mediation as they try to reach a settlement of the matter.
Terms of Settlement
A document that sets out the terms on which the parties agree to resolve their dispute.
Conciliation
A method of dispute resolution that uses an independent third party (ie. a conciliator) to help the disputing parties to reach a resolution.
Conciliator
- The independent third party in conciliation who helps the parties reach an agreement that ends the dispute between them.
- They can make suggestions and offer advice to assist in finding a mutually acceptable resolution but the parties reach a decision themselves.
Compulsory Conference
A confidential meeting between the parties involved in a dispute (in the presence of an independent third party) to discuss ways to resolve their dispute.
Arbitration
- An independent third party (an arbitrator) is appointed to listen to both sides of a dispute to make a decision that is legally binding on the parties.
- An arbitrator’s decision is known as an arbitral award.
Arbitrator
- The independent third party appointed to settle a dispute during arbitration.
- Arbitrators have specialised expertise in particular kinds of disputes between parties and make decisions that are legally binding on the parties.
- An arbitrator’s decision is known as an arbitral award.
Arbitral Award
A legally binding decision made in arbitration by an arbitrator.
Ombudsman
An officeholder with the power to investigate and report on complaints relating to administrative action taken by government departments and other authorities.
Complaints Body
An organisation established by parliament to resolve complaints made by an individual about the conduct of another party.
Representative Proceeding (Class Action)
A legal proceeding in which a group of people who have a claim based on similar or related facts bring that claim to court in the name of one person.
Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT)
A tribunal that deals with disputes relating to a range of civil issues that are heard by various ‘lists’ of the tribunal
Member (VCAT)
The person who presides over final hearings and compulsory conferences at VCAT
Jurisdiction
The lawful authority of a court, tribunal or other dispute resolution body to decide legal cases.
Court Hierarchy
The ranking of courts from lowest to highest according to the seriousness and complexity of the matters they deal with.
Balance of Probabilities
The standard of proof in civil disputes. This requires the plaintiff to establish that it is more probable than not that their version of the facts is correct.
Standard of Proof
The degree or extent to which a case must be proved in court.
Counterclaim
A separate claim made by the defendant in response to the plaintiff’s claim (and heard at the same time by the court)
Case Management
A method used by courts and tribunals to control the progress of legal cases more effectively and efficiently.
Generally involves the person presiding over the case making orders and directions in the proceeding.
Orders
The way in which the instruments, decisions or directions of a court or tribunal are described. They can be given during the course of a proceeding or at the end of a proceeding.
Directions
Instructions given by the court to the parties about time limits and the way a civil proceeding is to be conducted.
Discovery of Documents
A pre-trial procedure that requires the parties to list all the documents they have that are relevant to the case. Copies of the documents are normally provided to the other party.
Appeal
An application to have a higher court review a ruling made by a lower court.
Defamation
A type of tort that involves the action of damaging a person’s personal or professional reputation in the community through the communication of false and untrue statements or information.
Original Jurisdiction
The power of a court to hear a case for the first time.