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ACAS
Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration... -
Abandonware
Software which is no longer being maintained, released or supported by the... -
Abet
To counsel, procure or command someone to commit a... -
Absolute Discharge
This is when a court takes no further action against an offender, although their offence and discharge will appear on their criminal... -
Absolute Interest
The entitlement to the item of property which is not limited by any other person’s... -
Abstract of Title
This is a summary of all legal documents which relate to a... -
Abuse of Process
This is "something so unfair and wrong that the court should not allow a prosecutor to proceed with what is in all other respect a regular proceeding" (Hui Chi-Ming v... -
Acceptance
The unconditional agreement to an... -
Accused
The person who has allegedly committed a criminal... -
Acknowledgement of service
This must be filed by a defendant if they are unable to file their defence within a specified period or if they wish to dispute the jurisdiction of a... -
Acoustic Shock
This is where a sudden burst of sound can temporarily or even permanently damage the eardrum and cause excruciating... -
Acquisition
This is the purchase of one company by another without a merger... -
Acquittal
The discharge of a defendant following a verdict or direction of "not... -
Act
Act of Parliament - primary legislation enacted by... -
Action
Proceedings issued in the County or High Court. (Now known as... -
Actus Reus
The act of committing a... -
Address for Service
This is where one party will accept the delivery or service of legal... -
Adjournment
The temporary suspension of the hearing of a... -
Adjudication
Judgment or decision in a... -
Administration order
This is a court order which requires a debtor to pay money to the court, which then distributes it amongst any... -
Administrative Court
Part of the High Court which deals with Judicial... -
Administrator
A person appointed by the Court to manage the estate of a deceased... -
Admissible
(Evidence) which is allowed to be used in a... -
Adoption Order
The court order when a child is... -
Adversarial
The system of justice used in British courts for trying to get at the truth, based upon argument between two... -
Adverse Possession
This is the process which results in the acquisition of legal title of land, without actually paying for... -
Advocate
Someone (generally a Barrister or Solicitor) who represents a party in a Court... -
Affidavit
A written statement which is confirmed on oath or by... -
Affirm
Alternative to swearing a document on oath to promise that it is... -
Agency Agreement
This is an agreement which allows one party (the Agent) to sell products (goods or services) on behalf of another (the Principal) in return for commission... -
Agent
Someone who is appointed to act on behalf of another party, the... -
Allocation questionnaire
This is issued to all parties after a defence has been filed, and is used to decide which track the case will be allocated... -
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
This is the collective term for the ways in which parties can settle civil disputes without the need for a formal court... -
Ambulatory Will
A will which can still be changed because the settlor is... -
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
A company must hold a meeting of shareholders once each calendar... -
Annul
To declare no longer... -
Anton Piller Order
This requires a defendant to allow a claimant’s solicitors to search the defendant's premises and remove all items covered by the order. These are now known as Search... -
Appeal
An application to a higher court for a review of the decision of a lower... -
Appellant
Person who instigates an... -
Applicant
The person who is bringing the proceedings to... -
Arbitration
The process of using an independent third party, agreed by both sides, to settle disputes without going to... -
Articles of Association
A document which is required to incorporate a UK... -
Asbestosis
Exposure to cancer-causing asbestos (in the... -
Assent
A formal document which is required when transferring ownership to a person who is entitled to the property following the death of the... -
Assets
Any property or rights which do not inlclude land or interest in... -
Assisted Person
A party to legal proceedings who is receiving legal... -
Attachment of Earnings
An order which directs a Debtor's employer to regularly deduct an amount from their earnings for payment to the... -
Author
The programmer (or their employer) of a software... -
Authorised Share Capital
Shares which are available to be... -
Award
The amount of damages assessed by a... -
BSD Licence
Berkeley Software Distribution Licence - a type of Open Source software licence with few... -
Bail
A Defendant's release from custody pending their next appearance in... -
Bailiff
County Court Officer who can serve Court documents and execute... -
Bankrupt
A debtor who, either upon voluntary petition or one invoked by their creditors, is judged legally... -
Bankruptcy
The state of being... -
Bar
The body to which all Barristers... -
Barrister
Legal professionals who have rights of audience before all... -
Basic Charges
General charges incurred for legal... -
Basic Disclosure
Some forms of employment require a Criminal Conviction Certificate, which will show all convictions held at national level which are not... -
Bench Warrant
A warrant issued by a judge for a defendant who is missing which requires them to be arrested and brought before... -
Beneficiary
A beneficiary is someone who stands to gain as a result of a bequest made in a will or who receives something from an... -
Bequest
A gift of Chattels or Assets by... -
Bill Of Indictment
A written statement of the charges against a defendant who is sent for trial to the Crown... -
Bill of Costs
A detailed statement of a party's... -
Binary
Executable program or a data... -
Bind Over
A court order which requires a person to carry out some... -
Bona Fide
In good... -
Breach of Contract
This occurs when a party to a contract fails to abide by the agreed... -
Break Clause
This is a clause which allows a tenant to end a lease at specific times during the period of the... -
Brief
Written instructions and history of a case which is sent to a... -
Bullying
This occurs when someone tries to intimidate, humiliate or undermine another... -
Burden of Proof
The standard of proof which must be shown in order to win a... -
Business Name
Sole Traders and Partnerships can either trade under their own names or have a separate name, known as a Business... -
Calderbank Letter
This is a letter making an offer of settlement prior to the case going to hearing, similar to a Part 36... -
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Some people have encountered problems with gas applicances on holiday - which can lead to illness and even... -
Care Order
This is an order which places a child in the care of the local... -
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
This occurs, often in the workplace, when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the... -
Case Number
A unique reference number which is allocated to each... -
Caution
Warning given by a Police... -
Caveat Emptor
This essentially means "buyer beware" - a principle which still stands in property... -
Certificate of Title
This is a document which certifies the legal ownership of... -
Chambers
Offices used by a barrister. Alternatively, a private Court from which the public are excluded in which a Judge may conduct certain... -
Chancery Division
A section of the High Court, divided between Chancery Chambers and Bankruptcy and Companies... -
Charge
Security for the payment of a debt upon sale of a... -
Charging Order
This is a charge imposed by the court on the debtor's property to secure payment of the sum that is due and also An order directing that a charge be registered at the Land Registry on property owned by a... -
Chattel
This refers to any property except freehold... -
Child Maintenance
Money due from a non-resident parent to the parent with whom the child... -
Circuit Judge
Circuit judges must be lawyers who have held a 'right of audience' for at least ten years, and must also have served either part-time as a recorder on criminal cases or full-time as district judges on civil cases before they can be... -
Civil
Matters concerning private rights as opposed to offences against the... -
Civil Partner
A member of a same-sex... -
Claim
Proceedings issued in the County or High Court. Previously known as an... -
Claim Form
Form on which a Claim is issued (previously known as a... -
Claimant
Person issuing a Claim (previously known as the... -
Clean break
This is where financial matters are agreed by the parties in full and final settlement and there is no ongoing financial arrangement between them either in terms of income or... -
Click-Wrap Licence
This is a licence for software either downloaded from a website or loaded from disk, where the licence terms are accepted on screen by following a "click to accept"... -
Closed Source
Software which does not allow its code to be manipulated by... -
Co-Respondent
A person joined as a party to... -
Codicil
A codicil is an addition or amendment to an existing... -
Coexistence Agreement
Trademark coexistence describes a situation in which two different enterprises use a similar or identical trademark to market a product or service without necessarily interfering with each other’s... -
Collaborative Law
A form of dispute resolution in which family lawyers and their clients agree in writing to reach a settlement without court...
