p. 55415. The civil process
- Steve Wilson, Steve WilsonFormer Principal Lecturer, Northumbria University, Newcastle
- Helen Rutherford, Helen RutherfordSenior Lecturer, Northumbria University, Newcastle
- Tony Storey, Tony StoreySenior Lecturer, Northumbria University, Newcastle
- Natalie WortleyNatalie WortleyAssociate Professor, Northumbria University, Newcastle
- and Birju KotechaBirju KotechaSenior Lecturer, Northumbria University, Newcastle
Abstract
This chapter is a general introduction to civil litigation and the civil courts. It describes the process by which a civil claim is dealt with in the County Court or in the High Court. It provides an overview of the major case management powers possessed by the civil courts and discusses how these powers must be exercised to further the overriding objective of the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 (as amended) to deal with matters justly and at proportionate cost. A brief history of the development of the civil court rules is included and the Woolf and Jackson Reports are discussed. Some of the basic principles of civil evidence are discusses and the methods of enforcement of civil judgments are set out.