County Court transcripts
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Rich_W

Original Poster:

12,548 posts

242 months

Monday 11th June 2018
quotequote all
Fairly simple one (hopefully)

I read a case online at the "Central London County Court" which went in favour of the claimant. The case was resolved in March of this year.

Is there a way (legally I hasten to add) that I can read the transcript of the case. I only have the claimants and the accused's name to go from the articles of the time. Not the case number. Would this be an issue?

Essentially I want to contact the claimants legal team to see if they would be interested in a very similar case. Or at least offer some legal advice.

anonymous-user

84 months

Monday 11th June 2018
quotequote all
If only Government would fund every school to run citizenship classes that would include an introduction to the legal system and basic concepts of the law! Also an introduction to police powers, elections, human rights, tax systems and so on.

Save in exceptional cases, all (non family) civil court trials are heard in public, and so there is no need to worry about the legalities of obtaining a transcript.

Not all county court hearings are transcribed - this is because of a shortage of resources.

In a civil claim there is no "accused". There is/are (a) claimant(s) and (a) defendant(s).




Rich_W

Original Poster:

12,548 posts

242 months

Tuesday 12th June 2018
quotequote all

Mojooo

13,291 posts

210 months

Tuesday 12th June 2018
quotequote all
Having been involved in a 4 day civil trial I suspect the cost of transcribing every word would be huge. Ours was recorded but I doubt it was transcribed as it was not of any importance other than to the parties.

We had like 5 bundles of paperwork and trying to following the recording without access to the bundles would be difficult I suspect.

Are you sure you would not be better off with the Judgement as that will summarise the case and actually give you the result. You could probably get the Judgement from either party if not the court.


EW109

339 posts

170 months

Wednesday 13th June 2018
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There will not necessarily be a written judgment.

In many cases, especially in the County Court, the Judge gives an oral judgment. That will be taped, but it will not be transcribed unless someone has asked for it to be done.

It is quite possible to get merely the judgment transcribed, as opposed to the whole of the trial.

The usual course if a transcript of the judgment is applied for is for the Judge to get the draft in draft to approve it before it is released.

(For completeness: oral judgments are not routinely transcribed at public expense, except in the Court of Appeal.)

Mojooo

13,291 posts

210 months

Wednesday 13th June 2018
quotequote all
I suppose it depends on how complex the case is, our Judgement ran to something like 50 pages so it needed to be in writing.

Rich_W

Original Poster:

12,548 posts

242 months

Saturday 16th June 2018
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Mojooo said:
Are you sure you would not be better off with the Judgement as that will summarise the case and actually give you the result. You could probably get the Judgement from either party if not the court.
Quite Possibly.

As I say, all I want to find what firm represented the claimant (and won) Would the judgement give these basic details? Would even just a name of the Solicitor be a start since I could google it?

Red Devil

13,516 posts

238 months

Saturday 16th June 2018
quotequote all
Breadvan72 said:
In a civil claim there is no "accused". There is/are (a) claimant(s) and (a) defendant(s).
Except in Scotland. They have pursuer(s) and defender(s)..

They have some wonderful terminology north of the border. I particularly like Assoilzie and Condescendence.

The latter is not a description of the attitude of those hearing cases to the parties involved in it. wink
Nor has Diet anything to do with weight watching. smile

anonymous-user

84 months

Saturday 16th June 2018
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Still no accused, however - the defender is the same as the defendant in an English/Welsh civil claim. In England and Wales, what used to be plaintiffs have become claimants.

I like proof before answer, demurrer, and so forth.

Try reading The English Reports - reprints of the Nominate Reports from the C18. The pre-Judicature Act terminology in the cases is fab. Try also "The Forms Of Action at Common Law" by Maitland, for a stimulating history of the English Writ action from the C12 to the early C20.

Indebitatus non assumpsit!