Back to Basics
While criminal law pits the crown against those accused of crimes, civil law pits these against one another
What are private individuals?
What is a pre-trial conference?
This form of dispute resolution is more or less just two parties working out their differences
What is negotiation?
Defendants who lose cases are found this when they're on the hook for damages
What is liable?
Careful- if your suit is worth more than this amount of money, it's too big for small claims court
What is $35,000?
This type of resolution to a civil law case takes place "out-of-court"
What are settlements?
This process involves both parties of a civil lawsuit sharing all materials relevant to the facts of the case: documents, email logs, you name it
What is examination for discovery?
It can mean cilantro on a bowl of soup, or this way to get a third party- such as an employer- to pay damages for which a defendant is held liable
What is garnish?
This type of damages can be calculated based on, e.g., how much time a plaintiff had to take off work
What are pecuniary damages?
This actor and comedian from Hamilton, Ontario starred in the 1997 film Liar Liar as Fletcher Reede, a civil lawyer cursed to tell the truth
Who is Jim Carrey?
While criminal cases feature the Crown going against the accused, civil cases feature one of these going up against one of these.
What are plaintiffs and defendants?
To bring a civil suit against someone, the plaintiff files this document with the court
What is a statement of claim?
A judge can issue one of these to make someone do something- or make them stop doing something
What is an injunction?
Canada caps this type of damages at about $447,000, after adjusting for inflation
What are non-pecuniary damages?
When Mr. Mey was sued over a traffic accident, this entity paid most of the settlement
What is the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC)?
Can't prove your case? Don't worry- in Civil court, all you need is this on your side
What is the balance of probabilities?
A child involved in a civil case needs to be represented by one of these
What is a next friend?
An apology is an example of this type of damages
What are nominal damages?
If a defendant refuses to pay, sheriffs might snag their car to be sold at auction, using this procedure
What is seizure?
The Cowichan First Nation recently won a major land claim decision against the Province of British Columbia and this lower mainland city.
What is Richmond?
Failure to respond to a civil suit brought by a plaintiff will likely result in this type of judgement.
What is a default judgement?
A defendant may make one of these to ask for damages from a co-defendant
What is a cross-claim?
This individual presides over dispute resolution proceedings wherein both parties have agreed that their decision will be binding.
What is an arbitrator?
If all you want is for the court to order a contract fulfilled, you're after this type of damages
What is specific performance?
When Mr. Champion the Elder got bilked by a roofer who couldn't or wouldn't pay him after a successful civil suit, the court put this on the roofer's house to ensure payment.
What is a lien?