Introduction to the English Legal System and its
Terminology WS 2022/23
LL.M Linda Lewis
Inhaltsverzeichnis
The Players.............................................................................................................................................2
Prosecution (Strafverfolgung).........................................................................................................4
Judicial Hierarchy in England and Wales.........................................................................................5
Jury.....................................................................................................................................................5
Pros and cons of the Jury system....................................................................................................6
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)........................................................................................................6
Lay Justices.........................................................................................................................................6
Criminal Courts & Criminal Procedure....................................................................................................6
Court Structure...................................................................................................................................6
Criminal Court structure.....................................................................................................................8
Order of a criminal process.................................................................................................................9
The verdict (Urteil, innocent or guilty)..............................................................................................10
Sentencing (Verurteilung).............................................................................................................10
Categories of crimes (Delikte)..............................................................................................................10
Either way offence criteria for the Magistrate..............................................................................11
Role of the Magistrates court in the criminal Court System.............................................................11
Role of the Crown Court in the Criminal Court System.....................................................................11
Adversarial System (gegnerisch).......................................................................................................11
Civil courts & Civil procedure................................................................................................................12
Civil litigation................................................................................................................................12
Sources of law (England and Wales).....................................................................................................12
1. Legislation (the legislative process)..........................................................................................12
2. Judicial Precedent.....................................................................................................................13
3. Custom......................................................................................................................................13
4. Books of Authority....................................................................................................................13
Common law.....................................................................................................................................13
Law of equity....................................................................................................................................14
Statutes............................................................................................................................................14
Case law............................................................................................................................................14
Famous example (Wilkinson v Downtown 1897)..........................................................................15
Statutory Interpretation (Gesetzesauslegung).....................................................................................16
1
, ordinary meaning approach/literal rule (Wie Wortlaut)...................................................................16
The golden rule (wie Sinn und Zweck)..............................................................................................16
The mischief rule (wie Teleologische Auslegung).............................................................................17
Contract law.........................................................................................................................................17
Agreement........................................................................................................................................17
The Postal rule..................................................................................................................................17
Revocation (Widerruf)......................................................................................................................18
Consideration...................................................................................................................................18
Vocabularies.........................................................................................................................................18
The Players
Solicitors and Barristers
(Rechtsanwälte und Rechtsanwältinnen)
2
, - difference between Solicitors and Barristers is, that the solicitors detect the relevant facts of a
certain case, checks the legal positions, writes documents, and represents his clients out of court.
The Barristers is a specialist for the courtroom, procedural law, witness questioning and pleas.
- Barrister/Solicitor: undergraduate law degree LL. B (Bachelor of laws)/ followed by a one-year
conversion course
- Barrister: is a sole practitioner who works in chambers which costs are shared with other Barristers
in chambers. Their profits are not shared, and partnership is prohibited.
- Solicitor: generally, works in partnerships from law offices. All revenue (Einnahmen) is pooled and
after deduction of cost profits are shared as determined (bestimmt) by the partnership agreement.
Does defense (Strafverteidigung) (and barristers in higher courts)
Barrister Solicitor
- unlimited rights of audience (Supreme Rights of audience are limited to the
court, all courts of first instance, …) magistrates court and county court. They
need a certificate of advocacy
(Zertifikatsvertretung) to appear before
other courts
- limited rights of access to the public Unlimited rights of access to the public
(Zugangsrechte für die Öffentlichkeit) and
generally briefed by professional clients
such as solicitors
Know how (monopoly) on litigation and Know how (monopoly) on conveyancing and
rights of audience (Rechtsstreitigkeiten, probate (Eigentumsübertragung, Nachlass)
Publikumsrechte)
- in 1990 there was an Act named “The Courts and Legal Services Act” which was an attempt to make
a wider choice for the public by breaking the monopolies of Solicitors and Barristers. The Act broke
the monopoly of solicitors and Barristers by granting solicitors rights of audience in the Crown court,
High court, Court Appeal, Privy Council and UK Supreme court of the qualify as a Solicitor Advocate
(reformed the legal profession)
3
Terminology WS 2022/23
LL.M Linda Lewis
Inhaltsverzeichnis
The Players.............................................................................................................................................2
Prosecution (Strafverfolgung).........................................................................................................4
Judicial Hierarchy in England and Wales.........................................................................................5
Jury.....................................................................................................................................................5
Pros and cons of the Jury system....................................................................................................6
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)........................................................................................................6
Lay Justices.........................................................................................................................................6
Criminal Courts & Criminal Procedure....................................................................................................6
Court Structure...................................................................................................................................6
Criminal Court structure.....................................................................................................................8
Order of a criminal process.................................................................................................................9
The verdict (Urteil, innocent or guilty)..............................................................................................10
Sentencing (Verurteilung).............................................................................................................10
Categories of crimes (Delikte)..............................................................................................................10
Either way offence criteria for the Magistrate..............................................................................11
Role of the Magistrates court in the criminal Court System.............................................................11
Role of the Crown Court in the Criminal Court System.....................................................................11
Adversarial System (gegnerisch).......................................................................................................11
Civil courts & Civil procedure................................................................................................................12
Civil litigation................................................................................................................................12
Sources of law (England and Wales).....................................................................................................12
1. Legislation (the legislative process)..........................................................................................12
2. Judicial Precedent.....................................................................................................................13
3. Custom......................................................................................................................................13
4. Books of Authority....................................................................................................................13
Common law.....................................................................................................................................13
Law of equity....................................................................................................................................14
Statutes............................................................................................................................................14
Case law............................................................................................................................................14
Famous example (Wilkinson v Downtown 1897)..........................................................................15
Statutory Interpretation (Gesetzesauslegung).....................................................................................16
1
, ordinary meaning approach/literal rule (Wie Wortlaut)...................................................................16
The golden rule (wie Sinn und Zweck)..............................................................................................16
The mischief rule (wie Teleologische Auslegung).............................................................................17
Contract law.........................................................................................................................................17
Agreement........................................................................................................................................17
The Postal rule..................................................................................................................................17
Revocation (Widerruf)......................................................................................................................18
Consideration...................................................................................................................................18
Vocabularies.........................................................................................................................................18
The Players
Solicitors and Barristers
(Rechtsanwälte und Rechtsanwältinnen)
2
, - difference between Solicitors and Barristers is, that the solicitors detect the relevant facts of a
certain case, checks the legal positions, writes documents, and represents his clients out of court.
The Barristers is a specialist for the courtroom, procedural law, witness questioning and pleas.
- Barrister/Solicitor: undergraduate law degree LL. B (Bachelor of laws)/ followed by a one-year
conversion course
- Barrister: is a sole practitioner who works in chambers which costs are shared with other Barristers
in chambers. Their profits are not shared, and partnership is prohibited.
- Solicitor: generally, works in partnerships from law offices. All revenue (Einnahmen) is pooled and
after deduction of cost profits are shared as determined (bestimmt) by the partnership agreement.
Does defense (Strafverteidigung) (and barristers in higher courts)
Barrister Solicitor
- unlimited rights of audience (Supreme Rights of audience are limited to the
court, all courts of first instance, …) magistrates court and county court. They
need a certificate of advocacy
(Zertifikatsvertretung) to appear before
other courts
- limited rights of access to the public Unlimited rights of access to the public
(Zugangsrechte für die Öffentlichkeit) and
generally briefed by professional clients
such as solicitors
Know how (monopoly) on litigation and Know how (monopoly) on conveyancing and
rights of audience (Rechtsstreitigkeiten, probate (Eigentumsübertragung, Nachlass)
Publikumsrechte)
- in 1990 there was an Act named “The Courts and Legal Services Act” which was an attempt to make
a wider choice for the public by breaking the monopolies of Solicitors and Barristers. The Act broke
the monopoly of solicitors and Barristers by granting solicitors rights of audience in the Crown court,
High court, Court Appeal, Privy Council and UK Supreme court of the qualify as a Solicitor Advocate
(reformed the legal profession)
3
