| acknowledgement of rights | |
| adjournment of the trial | |
| adjudication | A term used for certain means of alternative dispute resolution. Similarly to arbitration, it involves the use of an expert decision-maker to resolve disputes before and, preferably, instead of, arbitration. The body of adjudicators is called the Dispute Adjudication Board. |
| adjudication | The decision of a court having jurisdiction on the subject matter |
| adjudication of the dispute | The judicial determination of the case will solve the dispute on trial level, which may conclude the case unless appealed against. |
| adjudicator | A person who has power to render decisions between two parties. Adjudicators play a role in various situations including contractual as well as labour disputes. |
| administration of justice | |
| admission | Voluntary acknowledgement of the existence of the facts relevant to a case. |
| adversarial | It describes a setting where the opposing parties take up positions directly at variance with each other. |
| adversarial procedureantonym | |
| adversary | One who is a party in an action opposed to the other party. |
| aggrieved party | A party whose rights have been adversely affected by another party’s action or by court decision. |
| allegationsynonym | The enforcement of an overdue debt of identical type as the claim brought forward by the plaintiff. |
| alternative dispute resolution | An increasingly popular means to resolve a case out of court, often with the involvement of a mutually satisfactory decision maker. |
| amended complaint | A written revision of the original complaint filed by a plaintiff subject to the rules of civil procedure applicable to the jurisdiction. |
| amicable resolution | A deal which comes from a consensual agreement of the parties in a negotiation process. |
| announcement of judgement | |
| annulment | |
| answer | The first responsive document filed by the defendant in a civil action that admits or denies the allegations in the complaint and sets forth any available defences. |
| answer to the complaint | The first responsive document filed by the defendant in a civil action that admits or denies the allegations in the complaint and sets forth any available defences. |
| appeal | A proceeding brought to a higher court to review a lower court’s decision. |
| appeal | A proceeding brought to a higher court to review a lower court’s decision. The rules of appeal depend on the jurisdiction, and at least one appeal is always granted against the trial court's decision for the possible reversal. A litigant dissatisfied with a judgment of a court is entitled to file an appeal against the decision of the trial court to the court on the next level. |
| appeal against an order | |
| appeal against the judgement | A proceeding brought to a higher court to review a lower court’s decision. The rules of appeal depend on the jurisdiction, and at least one appeal is always granted against the trial court's decision for the possible reversal. |
| appeal from the judgment | to file an appeal against the decision of the trial court to the court on the next level |
| appealable | |
| appellant | A party lodging an appeal against the prevailing party on trial court. |
| appellate court | A court of second instance that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court. |
| appellate institutions | |
| appellate judge | |
| appellate jurisdiction | All litigants are entitled to at least one appeal against the decision of a lower court. The law will define what appellate jurisdiction they are entitled to seek relief from. |
| applicable law | |
| applicant | A person who submits an application or petition to a government agency or court, requesting a specific action. |
| application for review | A request to examine again the facts of the case and judgment made by the court based on the facts. |
| arbitration | An agreement in the contract to resolve disputes whereby the two sides select a neutral third party and agree in advance to comply with the award. |
| arbitrator | An impartial person who renders a usually binding decision in the frame of arbitration, whereby the process is agreed upon in advance between the parties in the contract regulating their contractual relationship. |
| arising of a cause of action | Certain set of facts occur causing injury or damage to someone, the occurrence of which is covered by some area of the law giving rise to a cause of action. |
| assertion | A certain point by a person is forcefully being put forth. |
| associate judge | A member of the judicial panel who participates in the determination of the case |
| attorney | A person designated to act in one's place, instead of the person himself, in various capacities, situations or transactions. |
| attorney at lawantonym | A duly qualified person with legal standing certified to represent the interests of a party in a civil action. |
| Attorney Registration No. | |
| Attorney Registry No. | |
| attorney-at-law | |
| attorney’s fees | The fees of the prevailing party’s attorney for the legal representation. It is to be recovered from the losing party. |
| award | A decision of the arbitrator concerning the merit of a case. |
| award of damages | Damages awarded to the prevailing party, including general damages, special damages and all court and litigation related costs and when appropriate, attorney\s fees. In relevant circumstances, it may also include punitive damages. |
| bailiff | A public official assigned the task of maintaining order in a courtroom during a trial. |
| bar a legal proceeding | Various reasons based on which the court may deny dealing with a complaint, such as lack of jurisdiction, the case not being ripe for litigation or the performance cannot be compelled. |
| Bar Identification No. | |
| Bar Licence No. | |
| Bar Registration No. | |
| bar to the action | To prevent or restrict an action or the progress of an action. Something that prevents or restricts an action or the progress of an action |
| binding force | A state of a judgement when it cannot be appealed against in the normal course of civil actions. |
| board | A special judicial body constituted to deal with specific legal or quasi legal issues. It acts like a court in a specific matter. |
| briefsynonym | A document prepared by an attorney, containing the points of law, as well as arguments and authorities upon which the attorney's contention will rest. It is usually filed to the court for information purposes |
| burden of proof | the duty of a party in a legal dispute to prove a claim before the court. |
| case | A matter brought before the court for a decision. It includes criminal charges, applications, motions, enforcements and appeal |
| Case No. | |
| case reference number | |
| Certificate of Birth | A vital record that documents the birth of a child issued by authorized public officials based on the verification of a doctor or midwife. |
| Certificate of Death | An official document issued by a medical practitioner in which the death of a person is legally determined. |
| Certificate of Marriage | The record prepared by a public official that a man and a woman have undertaken a marriage ceremony. |
| change of venue | Moving a lawsuit or criminal trial to another place for trial. |
| changes in the parties | |
| chief judgeantonym | The judge in charge of overseeing the administration of a court, while also presiding over the sessions of that court. |
| chief justice | The highest judicial position within a particular court, who is responsible for the activities of the highest judicial body, typically the supreme court. |
| choice of forum | Courts have the right to hear any issue of controversy which is not prohibited by the laws of the country. Litigants can “shop” for the forum that they feel will be most sympathetic to their cause. |
| Circuit Court | Though in some states it can denote a lower level court, in most jurisdiction it refers to a court of review over lower level courts. |
| citation | A prelude to disciplinary action for non-compliance with an order of a judicial or law-enforcement body. |
| civil action | A legal procedure started by an individual or company in court against someone that they say injured them in some way |
| civil divisionantonym | |
| civil procedure | The field of law which describes the steps taken and methods used in conducting legal proceedings. |
| civil proceeding | |
| claim | Making a request to the court to give monetary remedy to some damage suffered by the plaintiff |
| claim for set off | An allegation that the claimant is itself in breach of some obligation under the contract, causing damage to the defendant, and that it is only just that in equity both the claimant’s and the defendant’s cross-claim should be considered in the same proceedings. |
| claimantsynonym | The English term for a person who brings a claim against another. It is not specific to any context but can be generally used. |
| commencement of a proceeding | |
| complainant | A person who brings a complaint against the other party in a civil action. |
| complaint | Legal documents filed with the court by an injured party to initiate a lawsuit by setting out facts and bringing a legal claim. |
| complaint’s prayer | The portion of the complaint in which plaintiff describes the specific remedies it seeks from the court in the case. |
| composition of judicial panels | |
| computation of deadlines | |
| conciliation | An extra-judicial process, whereby the parties are encouraged to relinquish their adversarial positions and bringing them together in an amicable manner to resume their original arrangement. |
| conciliator | A neutral person who helps divorcing couples to reconcile their differences. A conciliator has no legal standing or any authority to impose a decision on the parties but aims at bringing opposing standpoints closer by exploring possible solutions acceptable to all interested parties. |
| conclusion | It includes the date and the place of the judgment, as well as the signature of the judge and other persons involved in the decision making process. |
| conclusion of a judgement | |
| conclusion of facts | |
| conclusive | |
| conclusive evidence | Evidence that is taken as certainly true and cannot be disputed in the course of a civil action |
| conclusive presumption | A presumption which cannot be overcome or changed by any additional evidence or argument |
| conflict of jurisdiction | |
| conflicting evidence | |
| consolidationantonym | The process of combining two cases into one proceeding as they are closely related to each other. |
| contention | A legal statement put forth by a litigant for the purpose of underscoring his/her legal position. |
| contentious | A person categorized as such if he/she argues every point regardless of its significance. |
| continuance | The postponement of a court proceeding to a later date. |
| copy of the complaint | |
| correction in the press | Placing a notice in a paper or magazine to correct a previous statement which infringed upon someone's rights. |
| council | A body composed of sitting judges, the task of which is to come up with uniform rules applicable to judicial proceedings and courts to aid the administration of justice. |
| counterclaim | A claim for relief asserted by the defendant against the plaintiff after an original claim has been brought against the defendant. |
| counterclaim | An allegation that the claimant is in breach of some obligation to the defendant that can be brought in the same proceedings as the claimant’s claim. Many counterclaims can be relied on as a set-off or abatement |
| county court | a local law court that in most jurisdictions deals with civil (non-criminal) cases, especially involving smaller amounts of money |
| courtsynonym | The forum where cases are heard and justice is administered. |
| court costs | The various fees required by the court to commence and proceed with litigation, other than the attorneys' fees. An amount of money may be awarded to the successful party as reimbursement for court costs. |
| court division | A grouping in a larger judicial organization for handling a particular legal topic, such as civil or criminal. |
| court documents | Documents prepared by the court to inform the participants and other persons involved in a civil action. |
| court files | A collective term which includes the entire documentation of a civil proceeding. |
| court filingssynonym | Documents to be filed with the court in the course of civil actions. They are considered the basic information to be used in the judicial decision-making process. |
| court interpreter | A person who serves as a certified interpreter between the court and persons appearing before the court who do not speak the language of the court. |
| court of appeal | An appellate court organized on regional level, which is competent to adjudicate appeals against the decisions of the superior court. |
| court of cassation | A term denoting the highest judicial bodying some states, such as the supreme court of France, Italy, etc. |
| court order | An official demand made by a court telling a person, business or other institution to do something or to stop doing something |
| court reform | |
| court reporter | An officer employed by the judicial organization, whose role is to prepare a transcript of the events and proceedings at the trial either during the trial or using the minute order of the judge. |
| court review of the decision | |
| court secretary | A person employed by a court, who is responsible for arranging administrative matters and organizing, archiving, and maintaining legal documents for law professionals. |
| court system | |
| court witness | |
| courtroom | the place or room where court of law meets |
| cross examination | |
| cross-complaint | The enforcement of a claim of identical nature as the claim brought forward by the plaintiff. |
| deadline for remedies | The law provides for a certain period within which remedies against the judgement can be requested, otherwise the case becomes res judicata. |
| deadline for the execution of Judgement | The deadline by which the judgement must be executed. If the prevailing party fails to collect on the judgement within this period of time, the judgement becomes null and void, unless an application is made to the court to extend its effective term. |
| debt collection process | A process of collecting small claims through a simplified procedure |
| decision | Collective name of the determination by a competent court with jurisdiction over matters submitted to it. |
| decision ensuring uniformity | |
| decision on a principal issue | |
| decision on the merits | |
| declaration | A sworn statement under common law. In civil law it is understood to be a statement under the penalty of perjury. |
| declaratory judgment | A judgement in which the court determines on the existence of a contractual relationship between the plaintiff and the defendant in situations constituting uncertainty for the litigants. |
| declarer | |
| default judgment | If the defendant fails to appear at a trial, then the law applies a fiction that the defendant tacitly admits the allegations of the plaintiff, or at least does not deny them, makes no affirmative defence, and, therefore the judge makes a default judgement, which is a finding for the plaintiff. |
| defence | What is offered by a party proceeded against in civil or criminal action and is sufficient for this purpose. |
| defendant | A party charged with committing a civil wrong, and, thus, obligated to answer the complaint filed by the plaintiff. |
| deliberation | discussions |
| demand for an offset | A pleading of the defendant requesting that the claim against the plaintiff or a portion thereto be satisfied from defendants debt to plaintiff. |
| demurrer | A possible answer to a complaint in which the defendant admits to the facts contained therein but they are insufficient to claim relief. , |
| denial | The assertion that a statement brought by the opposing party before the court is not true. In this case the process will process will proceed with a trial. |
| denial of appeal | |
| department | A special court designated to deal with specific sub-areas of the law, e.g. juvenile, probate issues. |
| deposition of the parties | |
| determining the appropriate jurisdiction | Before filing an action, the plaintiff, or his/her attorney, must ascertain that the court has jurisdiction, both territorial and subject matter, over the case. |
| direct costs | The costs directly attributed to a particular products, programs or activities. |
| discontinuance | It occurs when a plaintiff to a legal action voluntarily decides to abandon further proceedings. |
| discovery | The action of making relevant documents available to the other party in a legal action. The process by which the prosecution must make known to the accused all of the evidence against his/her. |
| dismissal | It can occur either voluntarily and unilaterally by a plaintiff to an action or by order of court based on a variety of legal grounds. |
| dismissal of the complaint | Rejection by the court to proceed with the case for lack of some legal condition. It is initiated by the court or by the motion of the defendant and leads to the termination of the lawsuit. |
| disputesynonym | Commonly used legal term for disagreement between two or more persons regarding the subject matter. It means nothing more than controversy but sounds more serious. |
| district court | A frequently used category usually with lower to intermediate level jurisdiction. In most states it is the name of the trial court with general jurisdiction. |
| docketsynonym | court document prepared by the office of the clerk often daily, indicating the cases to be given hearing before a particular judge on that day |
| document attested by witnesses | Documents executed by two witnesses who prove that it was signed by a person in their presence. Such attestation usually includes the names and other pertinent data of the witnesses. |
| document countersigned by an attorney | Attorneys or legal counsels are also empowered in certain jurisdictions to affix their signatures to a document next to the preparer's name to verify the identity of such person signing the document in the attorney’s presence. |
| document prepared by administrative agencies | Documents prepared by administrative agencies in course of their power. Such documents can be issued by various bodies of the government for specific purposes, including personal identification and certification of facts. |
| document providing conclusive evidence | Certain types of documents that are deemed to be true in a civil action unless the opposite is proven |
| document reference number | |
| documents issued by courts | Documents prepared by the court to inform the participants and other persons involved in a civil action. |
| documents verified by electronic signature | Documents prepared in strict compliance with certain requirements pertaining to encoding, whereby the authenticity is secured through a mathematical scheme. |
| duly executed corporate document | Just as a natural person may take actions and issue documents, legal persons are empowered to prepare documents provided that they are executed by the duly authorised corporate officers of the same corporation. |
| enforcement | Ensuring that people obey the provisions of a law, regulation, judgment, policy or contract. |
| enforcement of claim | |
| establishment of legal rights | A type of judgement under civil law which is intended to determine certain rights or create or modify relationships between the plaintiff or defendant. |
| evidenceantonym | Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other. |
| examination of jurisdiction | |
| examination of the complaint | Upon receipt of the complaint, the court will examine it for any possible bar to the action. |
| exclusive jurisdiction | It is generally awarded by applicable laws to a specific judicial body or bodies in specific cases. |
| execution of the judgement | In civil actions it means the taking of property in satisfaction of a debt by judicial means. |
| exhibits | Any physical evidence, including documents and other items that may be used to aid the trier of facts to better understand the case. |
| expert witness | A forensic specialist of a science who answers questions before the court regarding the given science related to the subject matter. |
| explanation | |
| extraordinary remedies | In certain jurisdictions, there are certain means to obtain justice even if the court did not reverse a judgement against the party in question in the second instance. However, they are very carefully regulated. |
| fact finding | |
| facts | |
| factual situation | The description of the relevant facts of the legal dispute and the parties in relation to it. |
| file number | |
| filing a complaint | |
| filing an action | Once a cause of action has been determined, the facts giving rise to it are set forth in a formal document, called the complaint, is then filed with the appropriate court. |
| final and bindingantonym | |
| final and binding judgement | The judgement which resolves the subject matter finally without leaving any room for remedies through the normal channels, except for exceptional cases. |
| final judgement | The judgement which resolves the subject matter finally without leaving any room for remedies through the normal channels, except for exceptional cases. |
| finding of facts | |
| finding of facts | |
| fine | Punishment in the form of money paid to the public treasury for not obeying a rule or law |
| first instanceantonym | the court before which a lawsuit is initiated |
| first instance judgement | |
| first instance proceedingantonym | The proceeding before the court that a lawsuit is initiated. |
| foreign service of process | |
| forum convenience | |
| forum convenience | The opportunity of the plaintiff in a certain court, provided that no other court has exclusive jurisdiction. |
| four-tiered court systemantonym | |
| general jurisdiction | It means that all legally competent litigants can bring their dispute before a court which has general jurisdiction. |
| grounds | It presents the factual situation as found by the judge, with references to legal rules and regulations. It also mentions the circumstances affecting the ruling and the reasons for disregarding certain evidence. |
| guardian ad litem | A person, either judicially appointed or otherwise, who has the responsibility for the care of a minor or the property of a minor or both |
| handwritten document | A document prepared and signed entirely in the handwriting of a natural person is usually considered to have been prepared by the issuer. They are usually given legal standing without the requirement that they be witnessed. |
| heading of a judgement | It contains the most important data pertaining to the case, including reference number, name of the court, name and data of the parties, subject matter, as well as any reference to any intervention, joinder or any other action. |
| hearing | The process in litigation when the parties and their representatives appear before the judge for the purpose of preparing for trial. |
| high court | A term with various meanings in different jurisdictions. It usually signifies a court at a higher level in the given judicial system, in some cases synonymous with the supreme court. |
| holding a trial | The process at the end of which a judge or judicial panel makes a decision on the merit of a dispute by awarding damages or granting other relief with the power of res judicata. |
| impartial | |
| in propria personaantonym | |
| initiating an action | |
| injunctive relief | |
| injured person | |
| instance | |
| interested party | A party who has a recognizable legal interest in the matter. |
| interim judgement | The court may decide separately on the primary cause of action without specifying the amount of damages awarded. |
| interlocutory | |
| interlocutory judgement | A judgment that determines a preliminary or subordinate issue but does not finally decide the case. It disposes of all the issues but it is not final. |
| intervenor | A potential party to a lawsuit who determines that he/she has an interest in the outcome of the litigation sufficient enough to become part |
| intervention in the civil action | An opportunity of a person having an interest in the subject matter of a civil action between other persons to be involved in such action in order to jointly promote their interests. |
| irrebuttable presumption | A presumption which cannot be overcome or changed by any additional evidence or argument |
| joinder | The union in one lawsuit of multiple parties who have the same rights or against whom rights are claimed as co-plaintiffs or co-defendants. |
| judge | A public officer authorized to hear and adjudicate cases in civil, criminal or administrative matters in the normal judicial system of a state. |
| judge | A public officer appointed to decide cases in a law court. |
| judgement | The formal decision made by a court following a lawsuit in a civil case that resolves a legal dispute unless appealed. |
| judgement | |
| judgement declaring facts | |
| judgement establishing right | A type of judgement under civil law which is intended to determine certain rights or create or modify relationships between the plaintiff or defendant. |
| judgement for the defendant | |
| judgement for the plaintiff | |
| judgement of monetary damage award | A type of judgement under civil law which awards a monetary damage to the injured party to cure the wrong suffered by it. |
| judicial | |
| judicial body | |
| judicial district | |
| judicial enforcement | |
| judicial panel | |
| jurisdictionsynonym | A contract clause which sets out the country or state which has the right and power to interpret and apply the law in an eventual dispute arising from the contract. |
| jurisdictionsynonym | |
| jurisdiction of a state | The power of a state to exercise authority over all persons and properties within its territory. |
| jurisdictional area | |
| just | |
| justice | |
| lapse of time | The offer is only valid for a certain period of time, after which it becomes invalid. Acceptance after such lapse of time will not result in a contract. |
| lawsuit | The entire process in a court aimed at the enforcement of a certain right or claim. |
| lay judge | A non-professional member of the judicial panel. Although in civil law jurisdictions the disputes are adjudicated by professional judges, in certain types of procedures lay persons are involved in the resolution of a dispute. It is not a requirement for a lay judge to have legal education. |
| legal action | |
| legal action to collect a debt | |
| legal dispute | |
| legal fees | Fee paid to or incurred by the attorney for the legal representation. |
| legal ground | A description of the background of the dispute, the statement of the applicable law, and the grounds for relief as the law is applied to the specific facts of the case. |
| legal status of litigants | |
| legal status of the guardian ad litem | |
| letter rogatory | A request, normally from a court, to a court in another country for the exercise, as a matter of comity, of the requested court’s compulsory jurisdiction to obtain evidence for use in a proceeding before a court from which the request comes. |
| litigant | Any party to a lawsuit, including the plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, cross-complainant and cross-defendant. |
| litigation | A general term for lawsuits, including all elements related thereto. |
| litigation costssynonym | All costs which are necessary to properly present the case effectively to the court at the trial, including but not limited to expert fees, deposition costs, court reporter’s fees, and the like. |
| litigation expensessynonym | All costs which are necessary to properly present the case effectively to the court at the trial, including but not limited to expert fees, deposition costs, court reporter’s fees, and the like. |
| litigious | A person is categorized as such if he/she uses every opportunity to remedy any wrong by a lawsuit. |
| local court | Court with limited jurisdiction, which is usually located within the easiest reach of the parties being organized on district or municipal level. |
| magistrate court | |
| maintaining courtroom order | |
| mandatory legal representation | Certain proceeding may only be initiated through a legal representative due to the nature of the case or the statutory requirements. |
| mediation | A voluntary process intended to resolve disputes without resorting to arbitration or litigation by involving an impartial third party to reach a compromise in an attempt to avoid taking a case to trial by proposing mutually acceptable terms. If a satisfactory resolution cannot be reached, the parties can pursue a lawsuit. |
| mediator | A disinterested person involved in the resolution of a dispute between two entities before initiating a legal action. A mediator assists the parties to come up with their own solutions but does not have the power to impose a decision on the parties. A mediator does not necessarily have to be a lawyer. |
| metropolitan court | Generally means an intermediate level court with territorial jurisdiction over a city, divided into several divisions. |
| minute order | An order dictated by the trial judge to the clerk, summarizing the main points of a civil proceeding. |
| motion | A document in which any party may ask for intermediate relief from the court on a variety of issues. |
| motion for new trial | The request to retry the case through an extraordinary process, which is granted only in exception cases, such as then new evidence has surfaced. |
| motion to submit evidence | The part of the complain in which the parties request the admission of evidence to prove the case of the plaintiff. The judge may also require the presentation of evidence. |
| multi-tiered court system | |
| municipal court | |
| negotiation | Any form of direct or indirect communication, whereby parties with opposing interests endeavour to resolve the dispute between them. The method provides the advantages of both flexibility and informality. Settlement discussions are controlled entirely by the parties and the dispute is resolved only by a solution satisfactory to all. |
| new trial | The granting of a new trial if newly discovered evidence surfaces which is significant enough to change the outcome. It may be granted either by motion or on the court's own initiative. |
| non-adversarial procedureantonym | A type of procedure under civil law aimed at finding certain facts or acknowledging rights in a simplified procedure. |
| non-appealableantonym | |
| non-binding judgement | |
| notarized documentssynonym | A document prepared by a notary public and authenticated by his/her signature and official seal. In civil law countries, documents prepared by a notary is considered an official document in matters delegated by law to the scope of notaries. |
| objection | Any signatory or contracting state has the option of objecting to a reservation, inter alia, if, in its opinion, the reservation is incompatible with the object and purpose of the treaty. The objecting state may further declare that its objection has the effect of precluding the entry into force of the treaty as between objecting and reserving states. |
| official decision | Property may be acquired by official decision in cases regulated by the law. |
| official documents | Collective term denoting all documents prepared by courts, notaries or other authorities or administrative agencies. They must comply with formal requirements. |
| official forum | |
| opponent | A person who is on the opposing side in a controversy or a contest of any kind. |
| order | An official proclamation by a judge (or panel of judges) that requires or authorizes the carrying out of certain steps by one or more parties to a case. |
| order to produce evidence | |
| other documents | Documents prepared by a private entity and, if necessary, duly authenticated by the issuer. They provide conclusive evidence until the opposite is proven. |
| other expenditures | Funds spent or incurred in the use of consultants who are instrumental in the education of the litigants in the matter but will not be used as expert witnesses. |
| other litigants | |
| out-of-court settlementsynonym | A resolution of a legal dispute which takes place before or outside of a court proceeding. |
| panel | A judicial body selected and constituted for a particular purpose and for a limited time, and which is usually disbanded thereafter. |
| partial judgement | A judgement on certain issues raised in a litigation which, however, does not conclude the case as a whole. |
| parties to a civil action | |
| parties to a dispute | |
| party to be charged | A party against whom certain rights are to be enforced by the court. |
| passage of timesynonym | |
| personal identification card | A personal document that proves identification when necessary. |
| personal jurisdiction | Jurisdiction of a court over specific parties involved in a dispute. |
| personal jurisdiction | Jurisdiction of a court over specific parties involved in a dispute. |
| petition | A formal written application seeking a court’s intervention and action on a matter. |
| petitioner | Used for a person initiating a non-adversarial proceeding. In certain jurisdictions, it is also used for a litigant in the family law context. |
| plaintiff | An aggrieved party in a potential lawsuit who files an action against the wrongdoer to enforce a claim. |
| plea | The accused pleads either guilty or not-guilty. |
| pleadings | A pleading is a formal written statement filed with a court by parties in a civil action. |
| plenary appellate decision | |
| position statement | |
| posting of notice | |
| prayer for relief | A portion of the complaint, usually at the beginning or end of a complaint, in which the plaintiff describes the specific remedies that he seeks from the court. |
| pre-appeal actions | |
| precedents | Legal term which refers to a court decision that is considered as authority for deciding subsequent cases involving identical or similar facts, or similar legal issues. |
| preliminary enforcement order | |
| preliminary proof | |
| preliminary statement of facts | Document used for communication with the court in matters pertaining to the dispute at hand. |
| preparation for the trial | After the confirmation of the court that the civil action may proceed, the parties and their counsels will prepare for the trial. |
| preponderance | |
| preponderance of the evidence | |
| presiding judgeantonym | The member of a – usually three-member – judicial panel who presides over its activities. |
| presumptive evidence | |
| prevailing party | A party who has brought an action against the other and has been granted a favourable judgment. |
| prima facie | |
| principles of civil action | |
| private documents | A document lacking official status, merely evidencing that the person making it has actually prepared it, acknowledges its content and agrees to be bound by it. |
| probate proceeding | |
| procedural interruption | |
| procedural paperssynonym | Documents which are created by the court in the course of court proceedings for recording and filing purposes. |
| procedure | A series of steps followed in a regular definite order |
| progress of the trial | |
| proofantonym | |
| proof | |
| Proof of Residence Card | A means of proving primary residence, used in certain countries in conjunction with a personal ID card for a conclusive proof of identity for official purpose. |
| quashing a judgement | |
| reasoning | |
| rebuttal | |
| redress | A general phrase requesting the court to correct a wrong. It is not a legal term but still frequently used in legal texts as redress of wrong. |
| referee | The member of the panel in charge of the case in question. |
| reference to jurisdiction | Most complaints include a reference to the territorial and/or subject matter jurisdiction of the court from which the plaintiff seeks relief. |
| reference to mediation | Certain proceedings may not be initiated until a reference is made to alternative dispute resolution. In some countries it is a requirement to attempt to settle the dispute out of court before initiating a civil action. |
| regional court of appeal | A high-level court dealing with appeals coming from the superior court, which tried the cases in the first instance. |
| relief | A remedy awarded by the court in various forms to suit the specific needs of a litigant who has suffered a wrong. It is used in litigation, especially in the common law system, for various types of equitable remedies. Comparatively, it can be used for remedies that are granted on a preliminary basis before the final distribution of a request for relief. |
| remedial judgement | A judgement which orders the defendant to pay compensation for the wrong caused or, alternatively, to perform certain actions. |
| remedy | Generally, it is a means by which an injured litigant can be put right by enforcing rights before court. |
| remuneration of witnesses | |
| rendering decisions | |
| replevin | |
| res judicata | |
| Residence Card | A document proving the place of residence. It may be combined with other identification documents. |
| respondentantonym | The party who is required to answer a claim or petition requiring him/her to take action. The English equivalent of defendant. |
| reversing a judgement | |
| review | When a litigant has exhausted his appellate rights or has no appellate rights, he/she can petition a higher court for a review of decision. |
| role of the court | |
| role of the prosecutor | |
| ruling | An authoritative decision of a judge on a debated point of law. |
| ruling of the court | It includes the decision of the judge on the debated issue in the logical sequence, including details concerning deadlines. It also includes provisions related to the payment of the court costs. |
| ruling of the judgment | The part of the judgement which contains the actual decision of a judge on the merits of the case. |
| second instancesynonym | A short reference to the appellate administration of justice. |
| seeking extraordinary remedies | |
| segregation of cases | |
| selection of the trial court | |
| sentence | The punishment ordered by a court for a defendant convicted of a crime. |
| sequence number | |
| service of process | |
| setting a date for appellate hearing | |
| setting a date for trial | |
| settlement | An agreement between plaintiff and defendant on the resolution of the dispute. It may include financial compensation. |
| Settlement Agreement | A legal document which spells out the terms of an agreement made to resolve a dispute rather than pursuing court remedies. |
| social security card | A document used for proving eligibility for social security services. |
| special proceedings | |
| stamp number | |
| statement | Simple expression or recital of facts not being sworn to, and context without special legal consequences. |
| statement of claims | |
| statute of limitationantonym | The statutory period of limitation after the lapse of which the plaintiff is barred from pursuing any action against the defendant. |
| statutory period of limitation | The period regulated by law after the lapse of which no action may be brought by the injured party against the defendant. |
| stay of proceeding | A temporary delay in the proceedings of an action until the reason for the delay has been found no longer to exist by the court. |
| subject matter | |
| subject matter jurisdiction | Jurisdiction of the court over the nature of the case. It is based on the value of the dispute in a civil case, or the gravity of a crime in a criminal case (in-rem jurisdiction). |
| subject matter of the case | |
| submission | The action of forwarding a document either on hard copy or, alternatively, electronically to the designated addressee. |
| submission deadline | The deadline set by the court by which certain documents or motions must be submitted. Certain deadlines must be observed in all circumstances, while in other cases, the parties are permitted to justify the delay beyond the statute. |
| subpoenaantonym | An order to a person to appear before the court and testify or present evidence in a certain case or both. |
| subpoena for trial | |
| substance of decisions | |
| substantive judgement | The judgement on the merits of the case which may either granting or rejecting the original claim. |
| suit | |
| summons | A printed court document issued by the clerk informing the defendant/respondent that a legal action has been commenced against him/her and of the requirements of certain actions within strict time limits. |
| superior court | General trial court where all manners of dispute, beyond the jurisdiction of the local court, can be litigated by the parties. |
| supplemental complaint | A modification of the original complaint to correct a defect in the original or add relevant matters that occurred after the civil action began. |
| supplementing missing documents | |
| supreme court | The court representing the highest judicial authority within a jurisdiction. It decides questions of law in cases on appeal or on petitions, and guarantees the uniform application of the law. |
| supreme court | The court representing the highest judicial authority within a jurisdiction. It decides questions of law in cases on appeal or on petitions, and guarantees the uniform application of the law. |
| suspension | A legal action can be suspended for a specified period either unilaterally by the plaintiff or by an order of court. |
| temporary measures | |
| territorial jurisdictionantonym | A concept that determines which court has the power to adjudicate a case brought before it based on geographical area. |
| testimony | A formal statement, especially one given by a witness in a court of law. |
| time limitation | A contract provision which regulates the period during which the parties may bring any claim against each other. |
| time-limit | |
| title page | The cover page of the complaint which specifies the essential elements of the litigation, including the name and address of the court, the personal data of the parties and their legal representatives, and the reference number of the action. |
| title page of the complaint | |
| town court | |
| transcript | An accurate word for word description of testimony or statement made in the course of a case, prepared by a certified court reporter. |
| trial | The process in which evidence is adduced in a dispute, in court, before a judge for a decision of the dispute. |
| trial courtsynonym | The court at which a case is initially adjudicated, also called first instance court. |
| trial day | A day on which a trial is held |
| trial judge | |
| tribunalsynonym | A term which may be used for any judicial authority, either within or outside the normal jurisdiction. |
| value of the subject matter | The exact amount of the claim. Indicated for determining the subject matter jurisdiction and also for determining the filing fee. |
| venuesynonym | A contract provision setting forth which court has the right to adjudicate a dispute between the parties to the contract. |
| verdict | A yes or no decision about the subject matter of the dispute. |
| visiting judge | A judge sitting temporarily on a give court during the regular judge's absence. |
| vital records | Documents of records of life events kept under governmental authority or, historically, by an ecclesiastical body. |
| warrant | An order from the judge to the law enforcement to perform certain actions, such as to search property or arrest the suspect of a crime. |
| winning partyantonym | |
| witness | A person who gives a first-hand account of an event or anything he/she has seen, heard or experienced. |
