Civil Dispute department

Dispute Resolution Jargon Buster

Terms	Definition
Party	Individuals or Companies involved in a legal case
Duty of care	Legal obligation to be careful in circumstances where harm to another person may occur
Tort	Civil wrong on a person caused by the actions or omissions of another person
Breach	Breaking/neglecting a legal obligation
Damages	Compensation in money to a party who has been wronged in a civil case
Liability	The person who has been found responsible for a civil wrong
Sue	To take legal action against another party in a dispute
Defences	Arguments/reasons put forward by the defendant.
Reasonable person	A person of normal intelligence and skill who should act in accordance with a normal standard.
Remoteness	The particular damage suffered by a plaintiff that is or is not sufficiently close to the Defendants actions.
Causation	The plaintiff must show that the damage suffered was a direct result of the defendant’s actions
Proximity	Nearness or closeness
Forsee/Forseeable	A reasonable person would realise the danger involved in certain actions
Likelihood	Whether or not injury or breach is likely to occur in certain circumstances
Gravity	of a serious nature
Force Majeure	"a major force", in the legal context this means unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract.
Lien	The legal right to hold on to the property of another person to secure the payment of a debt or the satisfaction of an obligation.
Compensation	Money granted to a person for a loss suffered to or by that person by another



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