ELS-The Civil Courts Flashcards
Name the 2 Civil Courts
County Court
High Court
How many county courts are there across the country?
Over 200
What other claims do county courts see?
Contract claims
Recovery of land cases
Equitable matters up to a value of £350,000
Do judges in a county court sit with a jury?
No but in certain rare circumstances the judge will sit with a jury of 8
What type of judges are county court claims heard by?
Circuit judge or District Judge
3 Divisions of the High court
Queen’s Bench Division
Chancery Division
Family Division
What type of cases does the Queen’s Bench Division see in the High Court?
Contract/tort cases where the amount involved is less than £100,000
Who are Queen’s Bench Division cases seen by in the High Court?
Usually seen by a single judge though rarely there is also a jury.
Give an example of a further sub-section of the Queen’s Bench Division.
The Admiralty Court which deal with shipping matters
Who are Chancery Division cases seen by?
Judges only
Who are family division cases seen by?
Judges only
What aspects of the law does the Chancery Division deal with?
Insolvency
Mortgages
Trust property
Copyright
IP
Probate
What has the Family Division been advanced to?
A separate Family Court created by The Crime and Courts Act 2013 which now deals with the work previously done by this Division
Summarise the steps to starting a court case.
- Pre-action protocol
- Decision as to court
- Issuing a claim
- Defending a claim
What is the pre-action protocols stage when starting a court case?
‘Protocols’ set out that parties give each other set information.
Failure to give information could lead to costs later on
How does the C decide what court route to take?
Depends on how much money is involved
How does the C issue a claim when starting a court case?
C will fill out a claim form (N1) and need to pay a fee to start the process. (Fee depends on the amount of money involved)